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  Case: White Intern in a Black inner-city school
My sister, Gina, who is a young White girl, started her student teaching in a predominantly Black school in inner-city America. She initially approached her job with optimism and purpose. However, she began to experience her first doubts with the presentation of an emotionally charged poetry reading at an all-school assembly. The poem painted a picture of the oppression of the African Americans by the European American majority. My sister was moved by the poem and accepted the historical truth of its message. At the same, she said she wondered what educational effects of the poem were and whether it would affect her legitimacy as a White teacher in a Black school. She talked to me about her experience. I am an experienced teacher, but I could not answer whether poems like that have any educational value, and whether or not my sister should worry about her legitimacy as a White teacher. I don't what she should do in this specific situation.
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
African Americans are taught to remember where they came from and the oppression of their ancestors so that the youth can strive for greatness. As an African American woman and mother, I teach my children of the struggles that our ancestors had not to disapprove of white teachers or white peers, but to be inspired to be more. Gina can use this as an opportunity to discover more about the black culture, while allowing them to learn more about hers. She can teach her students that while some whites oppressed the blacks, many fought side by side with them fighting for equality. She can talk about activist such as Joan Trumpauer, who, in 1961 was placed on death row at the age of 19 in Parchman Penitentiary for her constant acts to prove that we are all created equal. Although she was released after a few months, she continued to be an outcast because she refused to be silent about the inequality.

Yes, such poems have an educational value. Our history as African Americans is important. She should also show that she is interested in learning more about their culture so that she can understand how to relate to them. At the same time the students should have a glimpse into her culture as well.