Johnson, Jacqueline

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Grand Valley ReviewVolume 7 | Issue 1 Article 121992Remarks Delivered at the Faculty Forum,November 15, 1991Jacqueline JohnsonGrand Valley State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvrThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Grand Valley Review by anauthorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationJohnson, Jacqueline (1992) "Remarks Delivered at the Faculty Forum, November 15, 1991," Grand Valley Review: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article12.Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol7/iss1/12a r k i n ' s  H i g h  W i n d o w s  • e d h a i r ,  t e s  ) g r a p h y ,  T h e a t e r .  · 9 1 )  i n g  D e c e m b e r ,  : : : > b e r  l e a v e s .  . i n  . . .  R e m a r k s  D e l i v e r e d  a t  t h e  F a c u l t y  F o r u m ,  N o v e m b e r  1 5 ,  1 9 9 1  J A C Q U E L I N E  J O H N S O N  I  w o u l d  l i k e  t o  p r o v i d e  s o m e  p e r s o n a l  c o n t e x - t  f o r  t h e  r e p o r t  o f  t h e  M u l t i c u l t u r a l  C u r r i c u l u m  D e v e l o p m e n t  S e m i n a r  w h i c h  y o u  r e c e i v e d  s e v e r a l  w e e k s  a g o .  I  w o u l d  a l s o  l i k e  t o  h i g h l i g h t  s o m e  a s p e c t s  o f  t h i s  d o c u m e n t .  M y  r e m a r k s  b e g i n  w i t h  a  n a r r a -t i v e ,  t h a t  i s ,  w i t h  a  s t o r y  w h i c h  I  h o p e  m i g h t  p r o v i d e  s o m e  i n s i g h t  i n t o  t h e  m e a n i n g  o f  t h e  c o n c e p t s  " m u l t i c u l t u r a l "  a n d "  r a c e "  a s  t h e y  a r e  u s e d  a n d  a s  I  t h i n k  t h e y  a r e  i n -t e n d e d  i n  t h i s  r e p o r t .  M y  s t o r y  d e r i v e s  f r o m  m y  p e r s o n a l ,  s o c i a l ,  a n d ,  a c t u a l l y ,  g e o g r a p h i c  l o c a t i o n .  I  s u p p o s e  e a c h  o f  u s  c o u l d  s a y  t h e  s a m e  f o r  o u r  o w n  s t o r i e s .  I  l i v e  i n  G r a n d  R a p i d s ,  o n  i t s  S o u t h e a s t  s i d e ,  o n  a  s t r e e t  n a m e d  A u r o r a ,  a n d  o n  t h e  s i d e  o f  t h e  s t r e e t  w h e r e  t h e  b a c k y a r d s  o p e n  u p  o n t o  a n d  i n t o  a  p a r k - G a r f i e l d  P a r k  F o r  m e ,  G a r f i e l d  P a r k  r e p r e s e n t s  a  s m a l l e r  v e r s i o n  o f  t h e  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  s o c i e t y  i n  w h i c h  I  l i v e .  W h i l e  i t  m i g h t  n o t  b e  t h e  w o r l d  i n  w h i c h  y o u  p r e s e n t l y  l i v e ,  i t  i s  c e r -t a i n l y ,  b y  a l l  d e m o g r a p h i c  p r e d i c t i o n s ,  t h e  w o r l d  o f  t h e  A m e r i c a n  f u t u r e .  F o r  w h a t e v e r  r e a s o n s  o f  c h o i c e  o r  c h a n c e ,  s o m e  o f  u s  l i v e  c l o s e r  t o  t h e  c e n t e r s  o f  c h a n g e  t h a n  o t h e r s .  A l l  o f  u s  h e r e  a t  G r a n d  V a l l e y  w o r k  w i t h i n  o n e  o f  t h o s e  c e n t e r s  o f  c h a n g e .  I f  y o u  c a m e  t o  v i s i t  m y  p a r k  i n  t h e  s u m m e r ,  t h i s  i s  w h a t  y o u  w o u l d  s e e - a  b o u n d e d  s p a c e  i n h a b i t e d  b y  B l a c k s  a n d  W h i t e s .  L a t i n o s  a n d  A s i a n s .  Y o u  w o u l d  o b -s e r v e  B l a c k s ,  W h i t e s ,  L a t i n o s  a n d  A s i a n s  i n  t h e  s w i m m i n g  p o o l  o n  t h e  h o t t e s t  d a y s .  Y o u  w o u l d  s e e  B l a c k s ,  m o s t l y ,  a n d  s o m e  W h i t e s ,  o n  t h e  b a s k e t b a l l  c o u r t s .  Y o u  w o u l d  n o t i c e  W h i t e s ,  m o s t l y ,  o n  t h e  f r i s b e e  g o l f  c o u r s e  t h a t  c o m p r i s e s  t h e  p a r k ' s  p e r i m e t e r .  Y o u  w o u l d  s e e  L a t i n o s ,  m o s t l y ,  p l a y i n g  s o c c e r .  Y o u  w o u l d  s e e  W h i t e s  a n d  B l a c k s  a n d  A s i a n s  o n  t h e  t e n n i s  c o u r t s .  A n d  y o u  w o u l d  s e e  t h e  c h i l d r e n  o f  a l l  o f  t h e s e  g r o u p s  o n  t h e  p l a y g r o u n d - o n  t h e  s w i n g s ,  t h e  s l i d e s ,  a n d  t h e  u r b a n  h o r s e s  .  Y o u  w o u l d  s e e  a  s p a c e  i n h a b i t e d  b y  p e o p l e  o f  d i f f e r e n t  b a c k g r o u n d s - d i f f e r e n t  c u l -t u r e s ;  d i f f e r e n t  c o l o r s ;  a n d  y o u  w o u l d  h e a r  d i f f e r e n t  l a n g u a g e s .  Y o u  w o u l d  s e e  t h e s e  p e o p l e  i n t e r a c t i n g  w i t h  t h o s e  w h o  a r e  l i k e  t h e m  a n d  w i t h  t h o s e  w h o  a r e  a p p a r e n t l y  d i f f e r e n t .  I f  y o u  s t a y e d  a r o u n d  l o n g  e n o u g h ,  y o u  w o u l d  n o t i c e  t h a t  t h e  p a r k  i s  s o m e -t i m e s  q u i e t ,  s o m e t i m e s  n o t ,  s o m e t i m e s  t e n s e ,  s o m e t i m e s  n o t ;  t h a t  s o m e t i m e s  t h e  i n -h a b i t a n t s  g e t  a l o n g  a n d  s o m e t i m e s  t h e y  d o n ' t .  F o r  m e ,  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  i n  r e f e r e n c e  t o  s o c i e t y  m e a n s  j u s t  t h a t - s i m p l y  t h a t - m a n y  " c u l t u r e s . "  H o w e v e r ,  I  k n o w  j u s t  e n o u g h  a n t h r o p o l o g y  t o  u s e  t h e  t e r m  c u l t u r e  c a r e -G r a n d  V a l l e y  R e v i e w  ·  4 9  fully, even cautiously. If I could choose, and I cannot, I would use a different term-many groups, perhaps, or many peoples. I have chosen to designate and describe the people who inhabit my park on the basis of their race-or, perhaps, more accurately. their color. That choice is neither random, nor haphazard, nor intended to ignore other important designators of dif-ference, nor is it an entirely self-conscious one. I think it is the same choice that each of you would make if you came to visit my park and stayed around long enough to observe. Race or color is a designator that is a cultural given in the United States. It is a designator or distinguisher that has extraordinary significance as a constructor and as an inhibitor of our particular and our shared pasts, of our particular and our shared presents, and I expect, of our particular and our shared futures. I'm not sure if that's good or bad; I am sure that it is. You would see the park in the same way that I do, as a confined space inhabited by a multiplicity of individuals who share al-together the actual and symbolic dimensions of that space and who share in par-ticular things in common with those who are most like them. Of course it is likely that you would also notice other important distinguishers-age and gender, cer-tainly. To foreground race is not to deny the existence of these other things, but, rather. is to make a statement about the significance of this variable as a constructor of the lives of all of us. \'V'hites as well as Blacks, Latinos, Asian, and Native Americans. The proposal which the development seminar presented to you is intended to ~rovide us-faculty and students, both inhabitants of the park-with a forum to consider the common and uncommon elements and concerns of our shared existence; the nature of our particular and collective pasts and presents, and the dynamic way in which these "particulars" have and do intersect with one another; and the promise of our continued ability to live and play together as occupants of the same space. The Multicultural Curriculum Development Seminar has proposed the continua-tion of the multicultural inquiry. The proposal, if accepted in this or some modified form, would allow those of us who have expertise or who are interested in develop-ing it in these areas to enter a second phase of curriculum development-a phase in which those faculty willing to teach an introductory level course in multicultural issues within the context of the United States would come together to develop that course and our own abilities to teach it. We propose that all sections of this course would have some things in common-readings, perhaps films, and some co-cur-ricular activities-but that each individual instructor would approach the content from her own discipline, and from her particular expertise within that discipline. Certainly there are other ways to approach and address the issue of a multicultural curriculum. One way is to leave things as they are: to our credit, I think, the faculty in 1985 included a "Foreign and Multicultural Perspectives" category in the general education program. But with only a few exceptions. the courses in this category focus on the international and comparative dimension of multiculturalism. I think it 50 · Grand valley Re\iew is important to i1 the United State~ tural issues into cient, way to ad< bv itself does no is. founded. This courses that dea we do this in a v proach calls on resources for on1 The Multicu authorization of the Multicultura was to work to < within the conte phy as a resouro organized in sue and it should be to it. The develc courses that exis1 or multiculturali: interdisciplinary from any course credit" for the pil pilot course is su consider the pl3 would be to ere issues in the Unil the general edu< requirement. I would like tc presence of the r are academics, g difficult to distri interact on a dail consideration gt from the exchan tural Curriculurr serious conversa fundamentally c continue in just t u s e  a  d i f f e r e n t  t  m y  p a r k  o n  t h e  : h o i c e  i s  n e i t h e r  ~signators o f  d i f -c h o i c e  t h a t  e a c h  l o n g  e n o u g h  t o  t e d  S t a t e s .  I t  i s  a  c o n s t r u c t o r  a n d  · t i c u l a r  a n d  o u r  : s .  I ' m  n o t  s u r e  i f  s a m e  w a y  t h a t  I  s  w h o  s h a r e  a l -h o  s h a r e  i n  p a r -o u r s e  i t  i s  l i k e l y  n d  g e n d e r ,  c e r -i n g s ,  b u t ,  r a t h e r ,  m s t r u c t o r  o f  t h e  A m e r i c a n s .  T h e  1 d e d  t o  p r o v i d e  t o  c o n s i d e r  t h e  e n c e ;  t h e  n a t u r e  c  w a y  i n  w h i c h  p r o m i s e  o f  o u r  p a c e .  d  t h e  c o n t i n u a -s o m e  m o d i f i e d  ; t e d  i n  d e v e l o p -t e n t - a  p h a s e  i n  n  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  t o  d e v e l o p  t h a t  1 S  o f  t h i s  c o u r s e  d  s o m e  c o - c u r -t c h  t h e  c o n t e n t  ~ d i s c i p l i n e .  f a  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  t i n k ,  t h e  f a c u l t y  r  i n  t h e  g e n e r a l  n  t h i s  c a t e g o r y  a l i s m .  I  t h i n k  i t  i s  i m p o r t a n t  t o  i n c l u d e  i s s u e s  a s s o c i a t e d  w i t h  m u l t i c u l t u r a l i s m  w i t h i n  t h e  c o n t e : x 1 :  o f  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s  a s  w e l l .  A n o t h e r  a p p r o a c h  w o u l d  r e q u i r e  t h e  i n f u s i o n  o f  m u l t i c u l -t u r a l  i s s u e s  i n t o  e x i s t i n g  c o u r s e s .  T h a t  s e e m s  t o  m e  t o  b e  a  n e c e s s a r y ,  b u t  i n s u f f i -c i e n t ,  w a y  t o  a d d r e s s  t h e  i m p o r t a n c e  o f  t h i s  i s s u e .  M o r e o v e r ,  i n f u s i o n  a s  a  s t r a t e g y  b y  i t s e l f  d o e s  n o t  p r o m o t e  t h e  p r i n c i p l e s  o f  c o l l e g i a l i t y  o n  w h i c h  t h e  s e m i n a r  r e p o r t  i s  f o u n d e d .  T h i s  p r o p o s a l  a s k s  a  l o t  o f  u s  a s  faculty-~it a s k s  t h a t  w e  n o t  o n l y  d e v e l o p  c o u r s e s  t h a t  d e a l  w i t h  t h e  e x p e r i e n c e  o f  m a n y  c u l t u r e s  i n  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s .  b u t  t h a t  w e  d o  t h i s  i n  a  w a y  t h a t  d e - p r i v a t i z e s  o u r  t e a c h i n g .  A s i d e  f r o m  t h e  c o n t e n t .  t h e  a p -p r o a c h  c a l l s  o n  u s  t o  e n g a g e  i n  d i a l o g u e  a n d  c o n v e r s a t i o n  a s  c o l l e a g u e s ,  a n d  a s  r e s o u r c e s  f o r  o n e  a n o t h e r .  T h e  M u l t i c u l t u r a l  C u r r i c u l u m  D e v e l o p m e n t  S e m i n a r  w a s  f o r m e d  w i t h  t h e  a u t h o r i z a t i o n  o f  t h e  P r e s i d e n t ,  t h e  P r o v o s t ,  a n d  t h e  F a c u l t y  S e n a t e  a t  t h e  r e q u e s t  o f  t h e  M u l t i c u l t u r a l  C u r r i c u l u m  T a s k  F o r c e .  T h e  c h a r g e  t o  t h e  d e v e l o p m e n t  s e m i n a r  w a s  t o  w o r k  t o  d e v e l o p  a  t h r e e - h o u r  c o u r s e  w h i c h  c o n s i d e r s  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  i s s u e s  w i t h i n  t h e  c o n t e : x 1 :  o f  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s .  W e  h a v e  a l s o  p r o v i d e d  a  w o r k i n g  b i b l i o g r a -p h y  a s  a  r e s o u r c e .  A s  i t  s t a n d s .  i t  i s  o b v i o u s l y  m i s s i n g  i m p o r t a n t  p i e c e s .  a n d  i t  i s  n o t  o r g a n i z e d  i n  s u c h  a  w a y  t h a t  i t  s p e a k s  d i r e c t l y  t o  t h e  p r o p o s a l  i t s e l f - b u t  i t  c o u l d  b e  a n d  i t  s h o u l d  b e  i n  t h e  n e : x 1 :  p h a s e  o f  d e v e l o p m e n t .  W e  i n v i t e  a d d i t i o n a l  s u b m i s s i o n s  t o  i t .  T h e  d e v e l o p m e n t  o f  t h e  p r o p o s e d  c o u r s e  i s  n o t  i n t e n d e d  t o  s u b s t i t u t e  f o r  t h e  c o u r s e s  t h a t  e x i s t  i n  c a t e g o r y  " B "  o r  t o  s u b s t i t u t e  f o r  o t h e r  c o u r s e s  t h a t  d e a l  w i t h  r a c e  o r  m u l t i c u l t u r a l i s m  i n  t h e  c u r r i c u l u m .  B e c a u s e  t h e  c o u r s e  p r o p o s a l  i s  a  j o i n t  a n d  a n  i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y  p r o d u c t ,  i t  p r o p o s e s  s o m e t h i n g  t h a t  w o u l d  r e a l l y  b e  q u i t e  d i f f e r e n t  f r o m  a n y  c o u r s e  t h a t  w e  n o w  t e a c h .  T h a t  w a s  o u r  i n t e n t i o n .  T h e  p r o p o s a l  t o  " g i v e  c r e d i t "  f o r  t h e  p i l o t  c o u r s e  i n  c a t e g o r y  " B "  i s  i n t e n d e d  a s  a  t e m p o r a r y  m e a s u r e .  I f  t h e  p i l o t  c o u r s e  i s  s u c c e s s f u l - i n  i t s  d e v e l o p m e n t  a n d  i n  i t s  d e l i v e r y - i t  w o u l d  l e a d  u s  t o  c o n s i d e r  t h e  p l a c e  o f  t h e  c o u r s e  i n  r e l a t i o n  t o  g e n e r a l  e d u c a t i o n .  O n e  a p p r o a c h  w o u l d  b e  t o  c r e a t e  a  c a t e g o r y  s e p a r a t e  f r o m  " B "  w h i c h  f o c u s e s  o n  m u l t i c u l t u r a l  i s s u e s  i n  t h e  U n i t e d  S t a t e s .  A s  a  s e c o n d  a l t e r n a t i v e ,  a  n u m b e r  o f  c o u r s e - s e l e c t i o n s  i n  t h e  g e n e r a l  e d u c a t i o n  c u r r i c u l u m  c o u l d  b e  d e s i g n a t e d  a s  c o u r s e s  w h i c h  f u l f i l l  t h i s  r e q u i r e m e n t .  I  w o u l d  l i k e  t o  s a y ,  i n  c l o s i n g ,  h o w  m u c h  I  a p p r e c i a t e  t h e  w o r k .  p e r s e v e r a n c e .  a n d  p r e s e n c e  o f  t h e  m e m b e r s  o f  t h i s  f a c u l t y  d e v e l o p m e n t  s e m i n a r .  A l l  o f  u s  i n  t h i s  r o o m  a r e  a c a d e m i c s ,  g i v e n  b y  v o c a t i o n  t o  c r i t i c i s m  a n d  c y n i c i s m .  I t  i s .  I  t h i n k  e s p e c i a l l y  d i f f i c u l t  t o  d i s t r i b u t e  s o m e t h i n g  i n  w r i t i n g  t o  t h e  p e o p l e  w i t h  w h o m  w e  w o r k  a n d  i n t e r a c t  o n  a  d a i l y  b a s i s .  I t  i s  p a r t i c u l a r l y  d i f f i c u l t  t o  d o  t h i s  w h e n  t h e  m a t e r i a l s  u n d e r  c o n s i d e r a t i o n  g e n e r a t e  s t r o n g  e m o t i o n a l  r e s p o n s e s .  I  t h i n k  w e  h a v e  a l l  b e n e f i t e d  f r o m  t h e  e x c h a n g e  w h i c h  t h i s  r e p o r t  a n d  t h e  e a r l i e r  o n e  d i s t r i b u t e d  b y  t h e  M u l t i c u l -t u r a l  C u r r i c u l u m  T a s k  F o r c e  h a s  g e n e r a t e d - !  c e r t a i n l y  h a v e  a n d  I  a p p r e c i a t e  t h e  s e r i o u s  c o n v e r s a t i o n s  I  h a v e  h a d  w i t h  m a n y  o f  y o u ,  i n c l u d i n g  t h o s e  o f  y o u  w h o  a r e  f u n d a m e n t a l l y  o p p o s e d  t o  w h a t  w e  h a v e  a t t e m p t e d .  I  e x p e c t  t h i s  c o n v e r s a t i o n  t o  c o n t i n u e  i n  j u s t  t h i s  s a m e ,  s e r i o u s  a n d  b e n e f i c i a l  m a n n e r .  G r a n d  V a l l e y  R e \ · i e w - 5 1  

Remarks Delivered at the Faculty Forum, November 15, 1991

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Remarks Delivered at the Faculty Forum, November 15, 1991

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