Chapter 6: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Learning to Make Peace With the System

The process, the people, and the institutionalized structures in place have drained my spirit, threatened my resolve, and decimated my faith in the system. Yet, just like the mother in Langston Hughes’ poem, “Mother to Son”, I continue to do everything in my power to make sure your schooling experiences don’t detract from your brilliance. I begin this chapter by sharing an excerpt of a journal entry I wrote, but have yet to share with my son. I draw heavily on the work of Langston Hughes because the ideas that circulate in his poem embody the struggles I have encountered as an African American faculty member trying to navigate two of the most segregated public schooling systems in the country. My experiences have given me a lot to consider regarding the appropriate learning environment for my son. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight a couple of issues I continue to work through as a teacher educator who is parenting a child enrolled the local public school district.