As the lone Black, White, Latino, Asian, Jewish or gay teacher, what special challenges do you face?
Ray The lone Black teacher often struggles with the issue of “tokenness” and all the stigma that comes with it, such as perceptions that you were hired just because of your race or to fill a quota, that you are not truly qualified, that you are an expert on your race, and that you are the only person who can coordinate the school or district Black History Month celebrations. Kate Being the lone Black teacher, I’m continually working twice as hard as my White counterparts to get parental support, colleague support, career advancement, whatever. Unfortunately, there are still those who think it is their God-given right to receive awards, promotions, and so forth, just because they are White. It’s scary. Sometimes, at district workshops and in-services, I will sit at an empty table or row of seats. As the event fills up, I can watch White teachers fall over themselves to avoid sitting by me. Usually it’s not until the speaker says seats are available by me that others will sit with me. Th
