Normative Standards Paulo Freire and Arizona
As we all know arizona passed into a law a bill banned ethnic studies from schools as well as teachers with accents from the classrooms. To follow suit Minnesota and South Carolina are also enacting copycat bills. Obviously there are some very racist things going on. And in terms of this ethnic studies ban i would like to explain some of the whys behind it.
There is a man by the name of Paulo Freire who wrote this....
An excellent text. Within this volume talks about how the struggle against oppression is ultimately about the oppressed group reclaiming their humanity. What Friere means here is that the Oppressor group asserts their reality as the normative standard. That which is normal, right and ultimately the standard of what is human is defined by the oppressor. Anything outside of that is seen as wrong, ugly, evil and abnormal. In America whiteness and its member groups are the oppressors and it is their reality that has been set up as the the normative standard manifesting in the things such as white beauty standards, white washed history, and obviously white politics. It is the goal of oppressed groups of white supremacy no longer abide by the standards set by the white led oppression and begin to govern themselves mind body and spirit by their cultural reality and thus reclaiming their humanity.
Simply put white people do not respect the humanity of anyone but themselves. The Recent legislative goings on of Arizona and now Minnesota and South Carolina are FURTHER proof positive.
Crux of the issue is this. Ethnic studies (sidebar the term ethnic itself is a exemplary of dehumanization of anything non white) providing a view of history and the world that conflicts with the white script of characterizing the world in such away that exaggerates if not lies about the advancements of white people as well as ignore, lessen, or shift responsibility of the evil of white people (henry louis gates lawn jockey tap dance routine as a black apologist for white involvement in slavery is a excellent example). Because whiteness is the normative standard such a conflict is seen as "bringing up old shit that doesnt matter anymore". It challenges that existence of the normative standard that provides white people with their privledge and to a very large extent their self esteem
This is why. America is simply racist. And its becoming more and more obvious
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