Critical learning requires a 

degree of vulnerability from 
the learner and the teacher. But 
when the traumas of systemic 
oppression are unaddressed 
in the classroom, marginal-
ized students aren’t given the 
chance they deserve to show 
their own vulnerability, and 
thus aren’t given the chance to 
engage in a wholly authentic 
and meaningful learning expe-
rience.

First, let’s make no mistake: 

Being vulnerable means being 
courageous. We often underes-
timate how courage translates 
in a classroom setting. Criti-
cally engaging with material 
requires putting ourselves in 
a state in which we’re open 
to potential failure. This is 
especially true in the arts and 
humanities which ask us to 
draw from our own lived human 
experience during the learn-
ing process. Although drasti-
cally understated, the daunting 
challenge of arts courses is 
being emotionally vulnerable. 
For students impacted by trau-
ma, this vulnerability can be a 
difficult commitment to make, 
for any class. 

Educators should strive to 

cultivate a learning environ-
ment in which students tap 
into their own vulnerability in 
order to succeed. 

This means removing the 

punishment from education 
which manifests itself in the 
formal and hidden curriculum. 
Western 
Philosopher 
Louis 

Althusser in his piece Ideology 
and Ideological State Appara-
tuses first describes the ways 
in which the punitive or repres-
sive nature of educational insti-
tutions serves as a means to 
reproduce class inequality. He 
asserts that this repression and 
punishment shows up in both 
the “formal curriculum” which 
refers to the official courses, 
lessons and academic learn-
ing taught to the student — as 
well as in what educators call 
the “hidden curriculum” which 
refers to the transference of 
conventions, norms and beliefs 
in the classroom.

The 
formal 
curriculum’s 

punitive 
nature 
manifests 

itself in American schools by 
its design; strict yet often arbi-
trary and superficial grading 
systems cause students to focus 
on the completion of assign-
ments rather than engagement 
in material. Mechanical memo-
rization and rhythmic repeti-
tion establish an environment 
in which students are afraid 
to take risks and become what 
Paulo Freire describes in Peda-
gogy of Freedom as “slaves to 
the text.” In this current aca-
demic 
environment, 
largely 

attributable to what Freire 
refers to as the banking model 
of education, critical capacity, 
the curiosity of the learner and 
the autonomy of the learner 
are essentially non-existent. 
Students learn under coercion 
rather than out of a pure inter-
est for knowledge about the 
wondrous world we live in. 
When the threat of a poor grade 
takes precedence over learn-
ing, the likelihood of cheating, 
dis-engagement, dropping out 
and other adverse behaviors in 
the classroom increases. 

The 
hidden 
curriculum’s 

punitive nature, on the other 
hand, manifests itself more 
subtly, yet still is just as dis-
paraging. Colonized classroom 
management punishes students 
for tardiness and absenteeism 
(which fails to apply a holis-
tic approach to the underly-
ing reasons as to why students 
might be late or have to miss 
class) and punishes students 

for not following rules in class 
or misbehaving (rather than 
re-directing 
or 
seeking 
to 

understand the root cause of 
a student’s insubordination). 
Discipline disparities for Black 
students as well as students 
with disabilities persist before 
pre-K, and overall, Latinx, 
Black and Native/Indingenous 
students are given disciplin-
ary punishment at dispropor-
tionate rates, contributing to 
the ongoing school-to-prison 
pipeline nexus that plagues our 
communities to this day. 

Additionally, 
Althusser’s 

notion of education serving as a 
reproduction of class inequali-
ty allows us to see how students 
of higher socio-economic sta-
tus are able to be more vulner-
able and take more risks in the 
classroom. With access to tech-
nology, tutoring, academic sup-
port, prep-courses and highly 
educated parents students at 
their disposal, wealthier stu-
dents are put at a significant 
advantage before even stepping 
foot in the classroom. 

Couple 
this 
with 
the 

immense amount of opportu-
nities that students of higher 
income are able to take advan-
tage of. High school clubs such 
as Speech and Debate and 
Model United Nations, sum-
mer camps, private dance and 
vocal lessons, club sports and 
many other prominent, enrich-
ing opportunities all require 
money, time, access to trans-
portation and resources. Many 
of us take for granted how 
these activities cultivate our 
intellect, and thus, allow us to 
achieve at high levels. All these 
activities require a degree of 
courage (and vulnerability) in 
order to participate which aids 
us in the long run. 

Outside of systemic barri-

ers, 
marginalized 
students 

are grossly underrepresented 
in the classroom, which con-
tributes to their inability to 
be emotionally vulnerable in 
learning spaces. An under-
whelming 2% of educators are 
black males, whereas nearly 
80% of the teaching workforce 
is comprised of white Christian 
women. 

Without 
representation, 

without an educator who can 
authentically understand your 
identity, and your struggle, and 
your oppression, the critical 
learning process cannot fully 
take place for anyone.

As an aspiring educator of 

color, gaining current expe-
rience in Crescendo Detroit, 
where I teach acting, establish-
ing a pedagogy that empowers 
students to engage at a critical 
level in which they are able 
to be vulnerable is key. This 
entails preparing a curriculum 
that favors the autonomy of my 
student, cultivates their inner 
curiosity and draws on their 
own lived experience in an 
uplifting manner. 

Having a trauma-informed, 

intentional 
approach 
about 

who is being represented in 
the material, what themes 
and ideas the material dis-
cusses and how the material is 
accessed (especially in this vir-
tual setting), are all necessary 
efforts in education.

While there’s a lot educators 

can do to allow students to be 
more vulnerable in classes, we 
as students should keep in mind 
the critical role we play in aid-
ing our own learning. Learning 
is a lifelong, dynamic process. 
As the Leaders and Best, for-
tunate enough to receive a top-
notch quality education at the 
No. 1 ranking public school in 
the nation, we should always 
strive to make the most of our 
academic journey, with the 
hopes that one day, a critical 
learning experience will be 
available to all.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
6 — Wednesday, November 11, 2020 

puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com

By Bryant White
©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
11/11/20

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

11/11/20

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Release Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2020

ACROSS

1 Instances of night 

vision?

7 What crooks may 

beat

11 QB targets
14 Washing aid for 

pupils

15 Balm ingredient
16 Mil. branch 

disbanded in 
1978

17 Balancing point
20 “Pronto!”
21 If all goes wrong
22 “Four score 

and seven 
years __ ... ”

25 “A Walk Among 

the Tombstones” 
star Neeson

27 Islamic deity
28 Be convenient
32 Fr. holy woman
33 Tailless cat
34 Like Erik the Red
36 Director Kazan
37 Sweets ... and, 

in three parts, a 
hint to the four 
longest Across 
answers

39 Veers off sharply
43 Phil or Steve with 

Olympic slalom 
medals in the 
same race

45 Knight neighbor
46 Cut for an agt.
49 Transports to a 

new location

53 2000s first lady 

Bush

55 Low on the Mohs 

scale

56 Ending for Gator
57 Pinball players’ 

haunts

60 Usually fuzzy 

tabloid pics

62 Anti-aging 

procedure

67 Jimmy Eat World 

genre

68 Bull or boar
69 Parlor piece
70 Identity thief’s 

target: Abbr.

71 Sommer of 

movies

72 English teacher’s 

stack to grade

DOWN

1 Solstice mo.
2 Corned beef 

bread

3 Poetic twilight
4 Official records
5 Oaty breakfast 

mix

6 Injury often iced
7 Battle of Britain 

gp.

8 Fish food plant
9 Left on a cruise

10 Shipping routes
11 Wields, as a 

baton

12 Torments
13 Grim Reaper 

tool

18 Fish with 

vermilion fins

19 Spine abbr., 

maybe

22 Cartoon maker 

of Dehydrated 
Boulders

23 Rink success
24 All: Pref.
26 Miss in an advice 

column

29 Midterm, e.g.
30 Drop off
31 Hang out on a 

line

35 Vampire 

Weekend lead 
vocalist Koenig

37 “__-ching!”
38 Flight board 

abbr.

40 Davenport’s 

home

41 Provoke
42 Scottish isle
44 Scholar’s world
46 Finishes second
47 Billiards shots
48 Jojo’s Arizona 

home, in the 
Beatles’ “Get 
Back”

50 Markers in a 

pot

51 Flow out

52 Mall directory 

listings

54 Farm butter
58 Lat. shortener
59 Hose material
61 Some PX patrons
63 Biscuit middle?
64 One of four 

rhyming Greek 
letters

65 Daisy Ridley’s 

role in three “Star 
Wars” films

66 “I agree”

SUDOKU

WHISPER

“Racism isn’t 
over this is just 
the starting 
point.”

“my heart’s been 
broken 2 many 
times by chinese 
restaurants here”

11/04/20

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

15 Alone, at a party
17 Christian sch. in 

32 The Red Baron, 

The murders of George Floyd, 

Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Tay-
lor and numerous other inno-
cent Black people this year 
sparked a revolution yearning 
for change Black people have 
needed for many years. With 
worldwide daily protests and 
heavy social media conversa-
tions about race, it feels like the 
world is finally waking up to 
the injustices Black people have 
faced for centuries in America. 
But how much reform can there 
really be in systemic racism if 
the systems that encourage this 
oppression fail to change? Indi-
viduals are constantly being told 
to fix the racial biases present in 
this country when most of the 
blame should be shifted towards 
corporate performative activ-
ism. It is easy for brands to say 
that they want to see change 
and are in solidarity with those 
who are suffering from the sys-
temic challenges of this country. 
It is easy to post an Instagram 
picture condemning racism to 
make themselves look good. 
But if there is no real change or 
accountability being taken for 
their contributions to the sys-
temic challenges marginalized 
communities face, the preached 
activism is useless. The reality 
of this corporate performative 
activism has resulted in the con-
tinued oppression of marginal-
ized groups of people. It’s great 
that brands like Aunt Jemima 
and 
Uncle 
Ben 
recognized 

the racist foundation of their 
brands, but the surface level 
activism only further establish-
es the very institutions we are 
trying to get rid of. Were all the 
promises from brands and cor-
porations to do better genuine? 
Or were they just stunts used to 

keep consumers coming? 

Following the protests and 

pledges from brands to do bet-
ter for the Black community, 
Sharon 
Chuter, 
Founder 
of 

Uoma Beauty decided to ques-
tion these claims. She launched 
an Instagram campaign called 
#pulluporshutup 
where 
she 

challenged these pledges of 
solidarity by asking companies 
to release the number of Black 
people they have in positions 
higher than field and retail lev-
els. With there being an average 
of 10% of Black college gradu-
ates in America, Chuter wanted 
to see how many brands have at 
least 10% of Black representa-
tion in those higher positions. 

As I followed this campaign, 

I have been shocked to see just 
how many brands that I support 
still have little to no Black voic-
es in leadership positions. Even 
some of my favorites who have 
voiced their support for diversi-
ty, including Netflix, Apple and 
Nike, all surprised me in how 
little Black representation they 
have. Netflix has only 7% Black 
representation across the orga-
nization, 8% in leadership roles 
and none in executive positions. 
Apple has only 3% of Black voic-
es in leadership roles, and 9% 
Black representation through-
out the company. Nike has no 
Black representation in execu-
tive positions, and only 4.8% in 
corporate levels. These brands 
thrive on Black dollars, but can’t 
hire these same people to lead 
their companies?

Some 
brands 
pledged 
to 

increase their Black representa-
tion and donate to HBCUs and 
foundations fighting for Black 
lives after being called out. Uni-
lever, which is home to business-
es including Dove, Vaseline and 
Lipton, committed to making 
their workforce more diverse 
with only 8% of Black repre-

sentation across the corpora-
tion and 17% in leadership roles. 
They are also donating over $1 
million dollars to bail funds 
and organizations fighting for 
Black lives. Coty Inc, which is 
home to beauty brands includ-
ing Covergirl, Sally Hansen, 
and Rimmel London, has 17.2% 
of black representation across 
the board and 2.9% at executive 
levels. Covergirl has commit-
ted to amplifying Black beauty 
influencers on their platform 
and donating money to Black 
Lives Matter and the NAACP 
Legal Defense Fund. There are 
even some companies that have 
been successful in implement-
ing more than that bench mark 
of 10% in their leadership posi-
tions. ELF cosmetics’ leader-
ship team is 14% Black and 45% 
diverse. P & G, which is home to 
Old Spice and Pantene, has 13% 
Black representation in leader-
ship positions and plans to do 
more. Progress has been made 
with businesses seemingly tak-
ing accountability for the part 
they play in systemic racism, but 
is this just more corporate per-
formative activism? 

In a survey of 2378 people 

conducted under Chuter’s same 
campaign, 70% have not seen 
any of these changes happen-
ing in their company, and 69% 
have seen their companies lose 
momentum since June when 
they said they would make these 
changes. Statements commit-
ting to change look good on 
paper, but it is interesting to see 
just how many companies have 
no intentions of improving their 
faults. 

In July, actress Aisha Dee 

released a statement calling out 
her show The Bold Type for its 
part in the lack of Black repre-
sentation in Corporate Ameri-
ca. The Bold Type is one of my 
favorite shows to watch because 

they have difficult conversa-
tions about race, sexuality and 
gender. But what is communi-
cated on screen is not always 
carried out behind the scenes. 
Dee revealed that it took two out 
of the show’s four seasons to get 
a writer of color. In forty-eight 
episodes, only two of them were 
directed by a Black woman, and 
it took three seasons for some-
one who knew how to do tex-
tured hair to appear in dressing 
rooms. The presidents of Uni-
versal TV and Freeform, where 
the show is housed, have Black 
women presidents, but there is 
still little representation in the 
production crew that creates 
this show. If the need for social 
change is embraced on screen, 
why isn’t it practiced behind 
the scenes? If what is preached 
on camera isn’t translated in the 
real world, the activism is per-
formative and hypocritical of 
the messages they try to teach 
viewers at home. It further con-
tributes to the oppression of 
marginalized groups. 

I am happy to see how many 

people seem to be in solidar-
ity with Black voices that have 
been silenced for so long. I have 
also been eager to be intro-
duced to and support so many 
Black owned brands through 
the Instagram account @black-
ownedeverything. But the pres-
ence of corporate performative 
activism does more harm than 
it does good if corporations are 
unable to acknowledge their 
own faults. Marginalized com-
munities have suffered for too 
long. Plans for change are no 
longer suggested, but rather 
demanded and expected. If 
2020 has taught us one thing, 
it is that life is unpredictable — 
it is okay and also necessary to 
change the principles compa-
nies were founded on. We need 
real change. 

The authenticity of corporate activism

MARIA PATTON

MiC Columnist

No vulnerability, 

no learning

Photo by Ivan Aleksic via Unsplash

KARIS CLARK

MiC Columnist

