In his autobiography, “The Water Is Wide,” Pat Conroy told of his experience teaching black children in the islands off the Carolina coast. The lack of contact with modern mores was highlighted by the delight and awe of the children in the experience of trick or treating on the mainland at Halloween. The hierarchy of the school system struck down Conroy quickly in his attempt to bring these children into the 20th century. I remember my amazement at the fact that this hierarchy was predominantly African-American. Red tape, apparently, knew no racial boundaries.
Conroy’s book later was made into a movie, “Conrack”. The title came from the mispronunciation of Conroy’s name by his students, who were very poor and had been separated from the most basic of information about the world. I would recommend either the book or the movie as a good choice for anyone interested in the history of education in America.
I experienced a similar experience to Conroy’s in my undergraduate years at the University of Washington.
The UW sent all potential educators to a widely divergent experience in the schools of Seattle. From kindergarten to high school, from the Central Area to the “prep schools” of the well-to-do, we saw it all.
One of the places we experienced was a facility called Pacific Prevocational School.
This school housed students who were developmentally disabled. Back in the “bad old days,” these people were separated into groups characterized as “idiots,” “imbeciles” and “morons.” It is unbelievable but true that these designations were clinically accepted in the 1960s.
I remember being almost fearful of the lowest group (20-40 IQ) when placed in their presence. They were like puppies, so excited and playful, frolicking at the feet of their visitors. The UW did us a great service in exposing our ignorance.
Each group was special in its own way, but it didn’t really strike home until we were exposed to the highest group, the “morons,” students with IQs of 60-80. They were “trainable,” capable of only the simplest tasks.
It didn’t take a great deal of observation to deduce that the vast majority of these students were black, Southern, and recent arrivals to our state.
I remember hearing these young people sing, looking at their incredible artistic skills, seeing their craftsmanship. But it wasn’t until I talked with them that a question started forming in my mind, and in the minds of my UW classmates.
What’s the deal? These young people are not developmentally disabled. Who decided that they were?
We asked that question, first of the staff at Pacific, and later at the University.
Some time later an answer came. These young people were given IQ tests with the assumption that all terminology in the test was clear to them. Simple words like “skyscraper” or “elevator” had no meaning to those who had no frame of reference for these words. Expecting one to take a test using such unfamiliar terms would be like taking a test in a foreign language. The segregated school system from which they came had simply failed them.
The consequence was significant if not caught in time. These young people would be constrained to a life of mediocrity; especially unfair considering the talent they possessed. Thankfully, in this case the truth came to light.
As we prepare to honor the contributions of African-Americans this month, including the significant efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we must consider America’s past.
Some may have issues with elements of today’s civil rights movement.
Perhaps segments of Dr. King’s personal life may not sit well with everyone.
These factors should not sway us from the primary message.
This is the United States of America!
The contributions of black Americans to the America we know today are legion.
Dr. King’s message of peace and love was a Godsend to America.
Sadly, America didn’t really get the message until the Watts area in Los Angeles started to burn. In those times we needed a voice of reason, and he provided that voice.
He did not speak of special treatment for anyone guilty of violent actions. He did not speak of dismissing bad behavior because those who acted in such a way were from a minority group or were victims of past unfairness.
He simply wanted us all to have the same rights our constitution guaranteed every citizen of our land. Included in those rights would be the freedom to be educated on a par with every citizen.
So everyone who took a test to measure his or her intellectual capacity would have a fair opportunity.
So no one would be labeled a failure simply because they didn’t know what the question meant.
Freelance writer Bruce W. Burns, a retired teacher and coach, lives in Marysville. He can be contacted at crookedelbow1@msn.com.
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