Salvation

The word that initially jumps out at me is salvation. These boys obviously needed some salvation, and the Baracka School provided that - at least temporarily. The opening of the film struck a chord with me, as I was born in Baltimore Maryland and lived in a suburb until I was almost 9. It occurred to me that the school these boys were attending initially could’ve been my own, and that only 1 out of every 4 black males would graduate high school, leaving the other 3 to deal drugs, do drugs, go to jail, go to war, or end up dead. It was staggering to think in these terms. I was thankful there was an intervention opportunity, and someone invested enough to encourage the boys to make a change. This film seemed to echo the thoughts of McIntosh: being white allows you privileges, being black denies you privileges. I felt the codes of power described by Delpit were evident here. These children obviously had very little money, fairly uneducated parents, and the wrong color of skin. They did not have safe, secure surroundings or any of the other circumstances deemed necessary for learning and growth. I felt so thankful when they were removed from their environment and sent to Kenya. The experience was obviously their salvation ... life-changing for everyone involved. Survival at the Baracka school required cooperation, communication, and determination. I’m not sure any of the boys had these skills before they set foot in Kenya, but with love, patience and dedication the teachers were able to change their mind set. I was truly impressed when we read the closing statements on each child’s progress. I was sure at least half would have given up, but the Baracka school gave them the tools they needed to survive. I remember one boy said “they told me I could do it and I did,” like having someone believe in you is all it really takes to succeed. Encouragement will be one of the first “norms” I incorporate into my classroom.