Today is my last day at Breakthrough Urban Ministries. it is a sad-sweet feeling. it has been 2 Summer internships and 3 years of challenge and growth. I first came to Breakthrough as a 19yr old who had just finished his first year of college. I have learned so very much in the past 6 years. I have found my learned about the city, the gospel, race, justice, and what it means to love my neighbor. I have learned to b4e confident in my abilities and confident in God's supremacy. I will always be thankful to the staff at Breakthrough for being so influential in my spiritual and personal growth. I will miss Breakthrough dearly, and am excited to see how God is going to continue to bless and grow their ministry in Garfield Park.
I am leaving Breakthrough to work with International Teams Urban and Ethnic Ministries. I am joining a team that works with youth under the leadership of a neighborhood church in North Lawndale. I am excited to continue to discover my gifts and my calling. I will keep all of you in the blogospher posted about what I am learning, and how I am growing, during this transition.
To the staff at Breakthrough: I love all of you and will be praying that God continues to bless you. Thanks for being so influential in my development. Thanks for believing in who God has created me to be.
Blessings,
Noel
Friday, May 23, 2008
"I wish no white people went to my school!"
What make us fear the "other"? What makes us desire to separate from those different from us?
I work with kids. Sometimes kids have a frankness, and openness that adults could never have. The following is a conversation I had while driving a 2nd grade boy and a 4th grade girl to the afterschool tutoring. The two are some of the brightest children that I have ever met, and this conversation is high enlightening
We were passing by Marshall High School, a large CPS school in our neighborhood
Karl (2nd Grader): "man, there aren't no white people that go to that school!"
Noel: (at moments like this, I usually say little and wait for the real thoughts) "Thats interesting isn't it"
Karl: "I wish no white people went to my school!" (Karl goes to a more diverse school, mostly black with a few litinos and whites)
Noel: (Slightly amused silence)
Jenny (4th Grader): If there weren't no white people at our school, there wouldn't be a school...."
Noel: "Hmm, Why not?"
Jenny: "Because all of the teachers there are white..."
Karl: "I still wish no white people went to our school, Mexicans are ok, though..."
Jenny: "That's racist you know..., Isn't it Noel"
Noel: "It depends..."
Karl: "Well I'd allow some white people to come to our school, but not too many"
How early do children become aware that race is an issue in our society? When do we start to train our kids that being the majority is better...or does it just happen?
What make us fear the "other"? What makes us desire to separate from those different from us?
I work with kids. Sometimes kids have a frankness, and openness that adults could never have. The following is a conversation I had while driving a 2nd grade boy and a 4th grade girl to the afterschool tutoring. The two are some of the brightest children that I have ever met, and this conversation is high enlightening
We were passing by Marshall High School, a large CPS school in our neighborhood
Karl (2nd Grader): "man, there aren't no white people that go to that school!"
Noel: (at moments like this, I usually say little and wait for the real thoughts) "Thats interesting isn't it"
Karl: "I wish no white people went to my school!" (Karl goes to a more diverse school, mostly black with a few litinos and whites)
Noel: (Slightly amused silence)
Jenny (4th Grader): If there weren't no white people at our school, there wouldn't be a school...."
Noel: "Hmm, Why not?"
Jenny: "Because all of the teachers there are white..."
Karl: "I still wish no white people went to our school, Mexicans are ok, though..."
Jenny: "That's racist you know..., Isn't it Noel"
Noel: "It depends..."
Karl: "Well I'd allow some white people to come to our school, but not too many"
How early do children become aware that race is an issue in our society? When do we start to train our kids that being the majority is better...or does it just happen?
What make us fear the "other"? What makes us desire to separate from those different from us?
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