Question

1) What do you remember from childhood about how you made sense out of the great range of human differences? What did you do when you noticed that someone was "different" Did you ask questions? If not who or what stopped you? If you did ask questions who did you ask?

2) What are your earliest memories of noticing differences such as skin color or economic class? What words if any, did you have to describe what you noticed? What feelings did you absorb from adults about those differences?

3) What topics did you learn were not for children to discuss? How did you feel about those topics?

4) What keeps you silent today when you hear or see evidence of prejudice.? What would it take for you to speak up when you hear or see evidence of prejudice or discrimination?

5) Summarize what you learned from Chapter 4 about why silence is not ok, why we need to have clarifying and brave conversations, and what you can do when you don't know what to say.

Answer 1

1. The things that I remember from childhood about how I made sense out of the great range of human differences are that I became wise and vigilant to understand what other people want. I have seen many people who were self-centered. I have also seen people who were generous. These are two extremes of human differences. Hence, I remember that I understood them greatly and know their next step.

When I noticed that someone was different, I asked questions of how they were successful. For example, in my school days one of my class mates was very fluent in high level vocabulary. I questioned her how this was possible and she told me that everyday her mother would give her a word to be used each day in her conversations.

2. My earliest memory of noticing differences was skin color. The word that would best describe what I have noticed is discrimination. The feelings that would absorb from adults about those differences are that they are unfair and biased.

3. The topics that I learnt that were not for children to discuss are social issues such as discrimination and prejudicial treatment of other people. I felt that life is short and this kind of discrimination is not required. There should be love and harmony in the society.

4. The things that make me silent today when I see evidence of prejudice is safety. I wanted me and my family to be safe. If I voice out my opinion, then there is a high probability that people mob in front of house harming my family. It all takes one to be courageous to speak up when you hear or see evidence of prejudice or discrimination. Without courage and guts, no one would speak up about the prejudice they have witnessed.

5. Silence is a form of lie when we don’t speak up about the prejudice that we have witnessed. Silence is dangerous because it will lead to harmful consequences. Silence is dangerous because it will not protect us. We need to be brave and clarifying conversations to avoid being silent and not victim of any social drama. When we don’t know what to say, we need to atleast tell the person who is unfair that they are unjust and compromise on their ethical decisions. We can also share our experience to grievance cells who would speak on behalf of us. This would protect us and let others who are unjust to know that they are being watched and they cannot continue this biased treatment on others for a long time.

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