Children At-Promise: Challenging Our Implicit Biases
Today, I need to address something that has been gnawing at my conscience for quite some time. The constant labeling of children of color, those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as 'at risk'.
Every time I hear this term, it's a sharp sting—a reminder of the deep-rooted biases that continue to shape our perception.
Last week, I visited a district and met with some children. I invite you to visualize these children with me - children of low wealth, living on the margins.
Many come from families where parents are incarcerated or battling addiction.
Some live with their grandparents because their parents couldn't provide for them.
Think of children who shoulder the responsibility of waking their siblings for school because their parents are incapacitated, high, or hung over.
Children who, despite their sincere efforts, miss school because there's no backup plan for transportation.
Many of these children struggle academically, year after year, living in communities that have seen economic depression for generations.
What image forms in your mind as you think of these kids?
“Many of these children struggle academically, year after year, living in communities that have seen economic depression for generations. ”
Here's a revelation: I was in a rural community in West Virginia where 97% of these children were White.
The reason I started this exercise without revealing the ethnicity of these children was to challenge the implicit biases that we harbor. Often, when we hear narratives of children in such circumstances, we envision children of color. But the reality is that adversity doesn't choose color. Children from every ethnic background can face these challenges.
Yes, I most often emphasize the challenges faced by Black and Brown children, mainly because these children are oppressed and marginalized because of the color of their skin, not in spite of it. They face a system that judges them based on their skin. And no matter what they are capable of, they are not capable of overcoming that one physical stigma.
But we need to understand that there are countless children who don't fit this stereotypical image and yet confront similar hardships.
It's imperative for us to recalibrate our perspective and approach every child with the understanding that they have promise. Each child, regardless of their background or skin color, is a beacon of potential.
When we label children based on the circumstances they were born into—low income, incarcerated or drug-addicted parents—we do them a disservice. This week, I urge you to make a simple change in the way you speak and think.
Instead of referring to them as children "at-risk", let's call them children "at-promise".
Our role, as educators, parents, and as a society, is to uphold this promise.
We must commit to equitably educating every child, regardless of where they come from or what they look like. If we genuinely believe that the children in our schools today are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers of tomorrow, we need to treat them as such.
Children are the promise of our future, and it's high time we recognized and acted on this belief.
Every child is a child at-promise. Let's work collectively to ensure they fulfill their promise.
