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The “Invisible Knapsack": Rip it open. Spend it down. - Knowles Teacher Initiative

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I used to think of my whiteness as a burden. Now I realize it is an account that I can cash in to weaken systems of unearned power in my classroom and beyond. The comedian Michael Jr. does a bit in his stand-up routine where he talks about knowing your “what” versus knowing your “why” (Michael Jr., 2015). For me, the “what” has always been teaching, but the “why” has been harder to articulate. If you had asked me six years ago why I wanted to be a teacher, I would have said something about loving to work with kids; about how satisfying it is when a student finally “gets” a concept. For a long time, the why behind my desire to teach was self-motivated, rooted in the personal satisfaction I got from helping others. Now my why is different. Now, I teach to disrupt hegemonic and racist power systems. Everything I am is the result of institutionalized practices that bolstered me along life’s journey, and I am committed to not only unlearning these practices, but intentionally and actively w

I used to think of my whiteness as a burden. Now I realize it is an account that I can cash in to weaken systems of unearned power in my classroom and beyond. The comedian Michael Jr. does a bit in his stand-up routine where he talks about knowing your “what” versus knowing your “why” (Michael Jr., 2015). For me, the “what” has always been teaching, but the “why” has been harder to articulate. If you had asked me six years ago why I wanted to be a teacher, I would have said something about loving to work with kids; about how satisfying it is when a student finally “gets” a concept. For a…

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