Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g26Gj1u14662; Wed, 6 Mar 2002 11:45:01 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 11:45:01 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <00b401c1c524$a87ddd40$449ee0d8@oemcomputer> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Mary Ann Corley" <macorley1@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:751] Discussion on the NLA List X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2525 Lines: 45 To Povracelit discussion list subscribers: This week on the NLA list, there has been a discussion of issues of racism and literacy that subscribers to the povracelit list would be interested in. The Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE) is hosting its annual conference in Charleston in May and had listed as one of its optional sight-seeing tours a visit to a plantation. This prompted an eloquent plea from several subscribers about the social conscience that is incumbent on us, as adult educators, to demonstrate. COABE planners have since apologized for the seeming lack of sensitivity and have cancelled the tour, and I applaud them their decision. I don't wish to beat up on COABE planners, but I would like the discussion of social consciousness in our field to emerge. It seems that many well-intention people often buy into and perpetuate institutional racism without thinking--simply because we have not developed this social consciousness. It has been pointed out to me in a separate e-mail that this discussion belongs on the povracelit list because, as subscribers to this list, you demonstrate your interest in creating such a social consciousness for our field. One posting, in particular, from John Gordon of the Fortune Society, got my attention. The following is a quote from John's posting: ". . . it's not only in the South that race continues to play a key role in determining who has access to education, jobs, social and political power. Questions about standardized testing, family literacy, access to education for welfare recipients, access to funding, all get approached through the prism of race--if not by us than by the people who make the decisions. What does it mean, for example, that the president is proposing to eliminate funding for prison literacy and incarcerated youth? How does he understand that and how do we understand it? Isn't that something we should be fighting over? When we walk into a congressperson's office, what are we actually advocating for, and what compromises are we willing to make? What significance does the continued presence of a Confederate Flag on South Carolina capital grounds have for a literacy conference planned for that state?" [Thank you, John, for your permission to quote you.] Anyone on this list want to join this important discussion--and, more importantly, help us all find the road to much needed change in our field? -Mary Ann Corley Moderator, Povracelit List and Director National Center for Literacy and Social Justice
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