Assignment B: Other People's Children – Lisa Delpit

Author: Lisa Delpit

Talking Point 1

One of the biggest ideas I took away from this reading is Delpit's concept of the "culture of power." She explains that schools operate using the rules and expectations of the people who hold power, and those rules are often left unspoken. I thought the 5 aspects of power were the central theme of the chapter, especially the idea that people with power are often unaware of having it, while those without power recognize it immediately. It reminded me of conversations about colorblindness because when white culture is treated as the "norm" in America, they never have to think about how their race shapes their experiences.

Talking Point 2

Another point that stood out to me was how often educators of color are left out of conversations about educating children of color. Delpit says, "all of the nonwhite respondents have spoken passionately on being left out of the dialogue about how best to educate children of color." I completely understood this point. She also explains that many white educators rely on research written by other white scholars to validate their decisions. While research is important, I think it's also important to recognize that data doesn't always reflect the lived experiences of Black and Brown children or the communities they come from. It reminded me of my own experiences in event planning. When working with mostly white venue owners and managers, we often explain what works best for our audience, but they insist on doing things their way. Then, once the sold-out event happens and they're overwhelmed by the crowd, they realize our experience mattered all along.

Talking Point 3

Delpit also challenged the idea that treating every student exactly the same creates equity. One quote that really stood out to me was when she explained that classrooms should "incorporate strategies appropriate for all the children in its confines." I immediately thought about tailoring lessons and activities meeting each child's individual needs in your classroom. In the ECE field, I also connected this to the section where another educator criticized a Black teacher for being "authoritarian" and too teacher-directed. That part made me laugh because I've received similar comments about my own classroom. What some people called "yelling" was simply a firm, calm voice, and what they called "teacher-directed" was actually structured, hands-on learning. My students thrived because many of them needed consistency and structure, not because I was trying to limit their creativity.

Argument Statement

Lisa Delpit argues that schools should explicitly teach students the rules of the dominant culture while respecting and valuing their own language and culture, because understanding the "culture of power" gives students greater opportunities to succeed without requiring them to reject who they are.

Personal Reflection

One of my favorite quotes from the reading was, "My kids know how to be black—you all teach them how to be successful in the white man's world." That statement felt very honest. It reflects the reality that many parents of color already know their children will face barriers because of race, so they expect schools to teach them how to navigate systems that were not designed with them in mind. I also appreciated Delpit's point that students should not simply abandon their own language or culture. Instead, they should learn how to use different codes depending on the situation while still valuing who they are. As Delpit explains, students need to understand both the realities of power and the value of their own identities if they are going to succeed and eventually help change those systems.