Critical Awakening
Watch this short TED talk by Clint Smith.
In it, he quotes an educator who says that education needs to be used a tool for critical awakening and shared humanity.
“No one can be authentically human while he prevents others from being so.”
While you watch, pay attention to not only the powerful message, but also the speaker’s craft, as he is certainly both convincing and controlled.
In particular, you may want to use these questions to shape your reflection/response:
How does this change your idea of what it means to be a parent? How would parents raising a black boy in America need to make different choices than someone raising a white boy?
What is it about relating a childhood experience that makes this message so powerful?
How does this change you idea of what it means to have privilege?
If this doesn’t change your thinking at all, reflect on that. Is it because you disagree? Do you agree and have your own powerful experience to communicate?
Rewatch and select some of Smith’s incredible metaphors and figurative language. Annotate the transcript.
Base XP: 40
NOTE: This could make an excellent Group Quest!
CONNECT and EXTEND:
How does Childish Gambino’s music video (and song) “This is America” tell a variation of this same story? Synthesize your ideas. Explore deeper.
Of course, let me know if you require additional XP for this assignment, and how many.
Submit your completed assignment to the dropbox here.