I am often caught off guard by what I do not know. For as much as I try to humbly enter each day with the understanding that I am still learning, there is that part of me that just assumes I already know what there is to know about the world around me. And yet, I regularly learn that I simply do not have a clue -- in some cases it probably is a willful cluelessness.
About a year ago, I was in a meeting with a group of educators when I used the phrase, “Well, let’s just call a spade a spade and tell them what we truly think.” It was a phrase I had grown up with and had read and used through the years. And as soon as I said it, my colleague who is a person of color called me out on it. “Actually, Scott. You need to check that phrase. It has a pretty oppressive history.” It was a humbling moment. It took me by absolute surprise, but after reading a little about the phrase’s history, I understood how it was hurtful (Gandhi 2013).
It is a reminder that I still have so much to learn. I am an incomplete work of art. This does not absolve me of the responsibility I have for growing my understanding of the world and how it works, but it should give me a little bit of breathing room to make mistakes, own them, and dedicate myself to becoming a better version of myself.
The solution to knowing what I do not know is a bit of a paradox. Knowing “I do not know” assumes that I understand my limitations, but it also implies that I can do more to learn about the people and world around me.
But what does that look like? Where can we possibly begin, especially when we are talking about issues related to race and culture. Here are some tips to challenging what you know and becoming more open about what you do not know
Cross Borders. In today’s environment, this phrase has taken on a much more charged connotation. Within the world of social sciences, “crossing borders” refers to the movement across cultural, racial, social, or gendered groups. Crossing borders is not always easy. But it is a dedication to finding spaces, eateries, coffee shops, places of worship, parks, schools, neighborhoods, movie theatres, and community centers where you can meet and engage with a diverse collection of people.
Read. The responsibility for checking our privilege should not rest solely on the shoulders of those who have been most impacted. Here is where it is best to do what you can to commit yourself to reading widely. Roxanne Gay, Robin Di’Angelo, Ibram X. Kendl, David Treuer, Bryan Stevenson, bell hooks, Zaretta Hammond, Chanel Miller and Jose Antonio Vargas to name just a few can help you to become a little more aware of what we likely do not know.
Podcasting. Although this is not my medium of choice, podcasting has become a rich source on issues of social justice. Code Switch, the Ezra Klein Show, and Pod Save the People are a good place to start. While they do not quite have the same depth as books, they do come with other advantages. They have the power to respond more immediately to cultural trends and events, they are shorter, and in some cases they are much more lively.
Be Open. Knowing what you do not know is a way of life. It is a willingness to take on difficult areas of study, to acknowledge ideas that conflict with your own, to stand in spaces you might not normally inhabit, to listen and watch without comment, and to commit yourself to become an anti-racist.
Gandhi, Lakshmi. “Is It Racist To 'Call A Spade A Spade'?” NPR, NPR, 23 Sept. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/09/19/224183763/is-it-racist-to-call-a-spade-a-spade.
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