Delpit - The Silenced Dialogue

Lisa Delpit – The Silenced Dialogue                                                                                 Christina M.

Quotes:

1.       1. “There are codes or rules for participating in power; that is, there is a culture of power.” (pg.4)

-Delpit was listing the five aspects of power and this quote was number two.  What I believe she means is that statement is that to be a successful person in this society, you have to follow these unspoken “codes”. These codes are really just a way that we carry ourselves, speak, and interact with others.  She later went on to give an example about a student who spoke “black English” and that although this is something that is good culturally, in a professional setting it wouldn’t help him. Delpit suggests that students should continue to speak the way they normally do but also learn the standard English. This way they can use this formal English to become successful in our society, like playing a role.

2.  “To put our beliefs on hold is to cease to exist as ourselves for a moment-and that is not easy.”  (p.18)

- This quote was taken from the very end of the article. It’s a very powerful and true statement in which she means that in order to see what is best for the poor and black children, the silenced, we must step out of ourselves. We have to put ourselves in their position and also really listen to their needs in order to help them get ahead. This process can be a hard and uncomfortable task but is necessary to really help these students.

3. “I am also suggesting that appropriate education for poor children and children of color can only be devised in consultation with adults who share their culture.”

-  What Delpit means by this statement is that to help the children who are poor or of color, there should be at least one person involved in the discussion who can relate. Having an adult who shares the same culture will greatly benefit these students because this person should really know which way or method would be best. At the beginning of this article she states how she has felt silenced by many of her peers during discussions or meetings.  This is exactly what we must avoid because we need the input of adults who may have been where the who need extra help are.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

Of the articles we have read so far, this one was one of the more interesting ones. I agree with Delprit that we have to step outside ourselves to an uncomfortable spot and try to understand where these students are coming from. I liked the five “aspects of power” because they were things that we subconsciously all know about but don’t openly speak about.  The Silenced Dialogue gives insight on a point of view that many of us wouldn’t have experienced. This article related quite a bit with “Our House is on Fire” by Allan Johnson. They both speak about race and education.