Within the broad field of parent engagement, this episode zeroes in on a topic that may make some people uncomfortable. The topic of white Privilege. White privilege is something that our hosts, Randi and Andrea, grew up with and had no idea existed. As young learners who struggled, and were later diagnosed with ADHD, both hosts wanted to help students who were often forgotten or who did not receive differentiated programming. These feelings were what led both Randi and Andrea to teach in a core community school with a high Indigenous population. Their intentions “to help” were good, they discuss, but nonetheless damaging as they were unawake to the fact that systemic racism created multifaceted issues for their students and their families, issues outside of their own experiences.

Their hope for this podcast is to share their experiences over the course of their Master’s journey that have enabled them to move from being saviours to allies. Wherever you are in your journey, we encourage you to listen to the words of Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better.” 

Resources: 
DiAngela, R. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism. Beacon Press.

https://www.amazon.ca/White-Fragility-People-About-Racism/dp/0807047414

Gebhard, A. (2012). Pipeline to prison: How schools shape a future of incarceration for Indigenous youth. Briarpatch Magazine.

McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom. https://psychology.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2016/10/White-Privilege_McIntosh-1989.pdf

Pushor, D. (2015). Walking alongside: A pedagogy of working with parents and family. In C. Craig & L. Orland-Barak (Eds.), International Teacher Education:  Promising Pedagogies, Part B (pp. 233-253). Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

St. Denis, V.(2011). Silencing Aboriginal curricular content and perspectives through multiculturalism: “There are other children here.” Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 33(4), 306-317. 

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/trc/IR4-8-2015-eng.pdf

This podcast is sponsored by Debbie Pushor Engagement Group Inc.