which spaces are these linguistic tokens policed, and what histories are being cited in those spaces? And how it’s really not just about individual t… - Nelson Flores

I think one of the things that could be improved, in school, is that maybe some of those tasks could be less kind of decontextualized vocabulary lists, and more kind of actual authentic interactions.

I actually am one who’s not particular interested in what one’s intentions are. Um, and so, it’s, like, I’m sure they had good intentions, I mean, I don’t think people do research with – or, or at least social science research, without wanting to make a difference and help. But it doesn’t really matter, in the grand scheme of things-if you’re still producing racism. And, and I think that, even terms like “covert racism,” oftentimes, I find problematic, because who are they covert to? Um, like, oftentimes, the victim of it. it’s only covert to the one who isn’t aware that they’re being racist, right? so, I think that for me it’s, like, less important what their intentions are, and more about, I think that the framework that they’re using is fundamentally flaws, and has led to interventions that are quite damaging. Um, and I know that that sounds maybe extreme, in some ways, but I do think that interventions that are coming from a racist deficit perspective are damaging to children.

I think, empirically, we have the data that shows that all communities have complex, rich language practices that they engage in, but people don’t believe it because they don’t wanna believe it because they have deep investment in these ideas that certain communities have more rich language practices than other communities. At that point, you can’t disprove white supremacy. If people are invested in white supremacy, then they’re gonna be invested in white supremacy.