Original article on the Huffington Post by Christine Chiu.
The Sunday following the shootings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the five officers in Dallas, the pastor at my church gave a sermon on the recent events. He decided to end the service by inviting the congregation’s black members to go up and share their story. That morning, a friend of mine decided to respond and share his story of dealing with racism. He has been, he told us, intentionally living to portray an image in direct opposition to how black men are historically and socially portrayed—violent and dangerous. As well as I thought I knew him, this was the side of him that I didn’t know. It was at that moment that I, an educator, truly understood the importance of having a diverse teaching force as a way to ensure social justice.
To read the complete article, visit the Huffington Post.