Justice in Literacy

As I read everyone’s autobiographical posts for week 2, I noticed that everyone’s experience was different. While that is expected since we are all individuals, I thought I would find more similarities or common patterns in our literacy acquisition. I believe that shows that the environment that a child is in and the resources that child has available to him is a critical element in whether or not a child will have access to literacy as well as thrive in it. One thing I found fascinating about Douglass’ account of his journey to literacy was how hungry and cunning he was. He needed to learn, as if his entire being would fall off the face of the earth if he did not learn. Is that hunger within all children, including the ones that society and the school system seem to write off? Is the inquisitive nature and burning fire for knowledge a part of our human nature? And if so, who is it that is beating the fires out of these seemingly disinterested children? The question was posed in class “Who owns literacy?” That is a question that I have no answer to, but out of that question I started to think of who takes literacy for granted. What would happen to most of us if we didn’t have the opportunity to learn to read and write? I know I’ve been very fortunate in having extremely supportive parents, been in excellent schools, and have had amazingly wonderful and dedicated teachers. I often wonder where I would be if I didn’t have all of those things, all of those things that I often took for granted. While watching the Freedom Writers in class, the question popped up in my mind; What would have become of me if instead of having the whole world support me, I had the whole world against me? It’s a question that has grounded me, and will help shape how I see my students when I begin to teach.