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Educating Girls Around the World:
Thoughts on "Girl Rising" and Panel Discussion Hosted by Dean Fleener
By: Janay Graham, Junior
Elementary Education
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It was an enlightening privilege to attend the "Girl Rising" documentary viewing and panel discussion hosted by Dean Fleener. During this event, I heard the stories of incredibly resilient women. The young ladies featured in the documentary had to overcome tremendous barriers just to get the chance to attend school. Unlike here in America, in certain countries a formal education is only reserved for the privileged, which leaves many girls without even a high school education.
After the documentary, Dean Fleener hosted a panel of women affiliated with NC State who defied the norms set before them in order to obtain an education. These phenomenal women shared their experiences of how they had to deny their families expectations, travel abroad, rely on few supporters, and bike long distances just to gain their education. The message that I took away from that was to put aside our biases in order to love and believe in every child equally, no matter what their cultural background. We never know what greatness lies in them, as I’m sure others were not aware of how far these panelists would someday go.
Please see "Girl Rising" if you haven’t yet had the chance. For more information visit, http://girlrising.com/. It may not only open your eyes to your own privilege, but will hopefully stir something in you to impact a girl who may have to be just as much of a warrior as these women.
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"Microaggressions in Everyday Life" with
Dr. Derald Wing Sue
By: Jennifer Iwerks, Senior
Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies
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 Dr. Derald Wing Sue, Professor of Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University spoke to the NC State Community on October 22. His presentation, "Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Higher Education" was a powerful event that demonstrated the serious effects of microaggression. Microaggressions are "subtle, stunning, often automatic verbal and non-verbal exchanges which are 'put downs,'" directed towards people of color, women, or LGBT persons (Pierce, Carew, Pierce-Gonzalez, & Willis, 1978, p. 66). These exchanges are degrading in a manner that people do not even realize. Exchanges of microaggression happen on a daily basis for many people and can reinforce negative stereotypes people already hear. Teachers need to be aware of the power their actions and words can have so they can actively work against microaggression that students experience.
Dr. Derald Wing Sue's presentation had a profound impact on me. It made me think more carefully about things I say and do. It is important to actively think about microaggressions and work against them. Conversations in safe environments, like classrooms, can help bring acts and words of microaggression to light. Allowing students to discuss these microaggressions at a young age not only increases people's comfort level with discussing discrimination, but it also gets people thinking about the consequences of their words and actions. By introducing the topic of microaggressions to education we can do our part to change the equality of our nation.
Reference:
Pierce, C., Carew, ]., Pierce-Gonzalez, D., & Willis, D. (1978). An experiment in racism: TV commercials. In C. Pierce (Ed.), Television and education (pp. 62-88). Beverly Hills: Sage.
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Celebrating Education!
NC State's Education Week
November 17-21, 2014
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AAASE Taco Bar
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