I agree that he's misogynistic and homophobic and that it's unacceptable. But I'm not so ready to totally dismiss the possibility that white people in the media are more willing to criticize him openly because they don't fear being labeled racist or of not fully understanding some cultural context (not that this is hi…

@clevernamehere: I won't comment on the content of what you said here because I agreed not to but I hope you can see that you're making the same basic point that I am.

@clevernamehere: But because it wasn't a heated argument with a person that I like and respect then my insistence on a race conscious ideology is improper?

@clevernamehere: I asked you honest questions to clarify the very point that you were making. If you'd feel more comfortable then I'll agree not to respond after you so that you don't have to be concerned with any criticism from me. I have the perspective that I do because no one has ever been able to carry the…

@clevernamehere: And calling me a bigot is not insulting? Accusing me of labeling anyone a "racist" or "automatically part of the problem;" was that in good faith?

@clevernamehere: You're attributing a lot of statements to me that I never made. I didn't call anyone a racist and I didn't say that white middle class teachers are automatically part of any problem. We have all been complicit agents of racism, myself included, but investigating those moments and those attitudes…

@clevernamehere: Yes, anyone who refuses to actively work against racism, whether it be overt or subtle or structural is perpetuating it. Just like it is not sufficient to be "not sexist," it is not enough to be "not racist." I believe that racism is a powerful tide that carries every one of us and to not take…

@voteforme: I posted my comment in the hopes of having a nuanced conversation with people who are informed and interested. I like critical conversation but it doesn't help me to learn anything if it isn't thoughtful.

@clevernamehere: Wow, all I've heard is two people (not several) trying to shut me down. Perhaps a few years ago, I would have listened but that's not effective activism for the goals that I want to accomplish. If you don't agree with me, that's ok. If you don't support my goals, that's ok. But please don't…

@voteforme: Or I can suspect that, as usual, middle class white women don't like to talk about race if they can talk about class or income instead. It's nothing new and no surprise. I'm not particularly interested in having (probably white, probably middle class) strangers declare something "not a racial issue" and…

@clevernamehere: I don't dislike him at all and I've known him for many years. I think he's quite a good person and principal but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to challenge him to be even better.

@clevernamehere: But ultimately, this is my point. You can't ignore the fact that even when controlling for every other influence of class and privilege, black and brown children still underperform in school and drop out at higher rates. Like I said, the film presents itself as a comprehensive picture of the…

@LaurieStrodeTheBoatAshore: I think that those conversations sometimes help you to clarify your own thinking and that's helpful. But I know from my own experience that I do listen to people even when I believe my own position and sometimes I'll chew on something for a few days or even longer before reconciling it…

@voteforme: I'm not saying that income isn't relevant but it's disheartening to hear people say that they think that institutionalized racism is not that big of a deal.

@clevernamehere: I don't think I ever implied that he was a horrible person. Yes, we can all agree that it is better not to be poor. My complaint about the film was that its complete avoidance of even a mention of race or racism undermined its integrity. I think it's a dishonest movie because it purports to tell…

@clevernamehere: But how would one set about resolving the income gap without addressing institutional racism? The two cannot be separated.

@clevernamehere: But I do think that someone who is concerned for educational equity ought to have a full understanding of what created today's crisis in order to make informed choices about progress towards solutions. As far as the urban context is concerned - "bad" schools are in "bad" neighborhoods and those…

@voteforme: Yeah, that wasn't really the context of our conversation.

@clevernamehere: And my point was just that you can't reasonably talk about the influence of class and income without acknowledging the role that race plays in both the history and perpetuation of inequality.

@voteforme: It started as a discussion about Waiting for Superman. He's a school principal in a low-income minority community and I used to be a teacher at a demographically similar school.