An unfortunate teachable moment in Upper Darby
It is, lamentably, what you could call a “teachable moment.”
But in this instance, it unfortunately teaches us about the worst in our human nature, and, despite the great strides we’ve made in race relations, it underscores just how far we still have to go.
Of course it involves social media. And yes, the whole thing was captured on video. Isn’t everything these days?
In this instance, what started seemingly as an innocent fender-bender in the parking lot of the Drexel Hill Middle School quickly descended into a racially charged verbal confrontation.
The incident involved an African-American man and a white woman.
The heated conversation turned ugly, with the woman showering the man with racially charged invective. And, of course, it had to include the Nword.
Yes, that still happens.
But that is only part of what makes this incident so regrettable.
He was the parent of a middle school student. She was not. She actually was a teacher at the middle school.
The father captured much of the confrontation on his phone and immediately brought the situation to the school district’s attention.
To their credit, school officials did not hesitate to take swift action. Superintendent Dan McGarry announced the teacher was placed on immediate leave.
There is an unmistakable irony in the fact that this racial incident took place in Upper Darby. That’s because if you really wanted to test the notion of America as a melting pot, Upper Darby is your town.
Students in the district come from every corner of the globe. There are more than 70 dialects spoken in the district. It is the American dream come to fruition, a bastion of multi-culturalism where traditions and customs merge under a Royal Blue sky.
The district rightly rejoices in its diversity, providing a lesson plan for others to follow – and emulate.
That’s why it is especially hurtful that such invective could come from a person of trust, a teacher, in whose hands we place our most precious possessions, our children.
The hope is that they learn that the things that make them different, so special, are honored, not denigrated. The hope is that they come away from their school experience knowing that they are all an integral part of a community, an incredibly diverse one.
It is out of that varied background that they emerge as one, a community united. The nightmare is how quickly a few hateful words can still divide us.
The job of healing that wound, of bringing us back together, of uniting us in the face of such divisive rhetoric, now becomes the teachable moment in Upper Darby.
The importance of this moment has not been lost on McGarry.
“The deeply troubling comments and actions of this teacher are not indicative of the hundreds of outstanding teachers working in our schools each and every day,” McGarry said in a statement that was also delivered to district families.
“We are a district of over 12,400 students and a community of over 82,000 residents from over 60 countries, with over 70 different home languages. We are a community of many cultures and backgrounds, and we value our diversity. It strengthen us.”
Given the weekend in which his district suddenly became the focus of national news, McGarry’s resolve only grew firmer. On Monday he announced he would recommend the teacher involved be fired and that he will present the disciplinary action to the school board.
As superintendent, no one knows better than McGarry the technicalities of such a move, and the legal process that must be followed.
That has not changed this lifetime educator’s resolve to use this most troubling incident as the basis for something more, something to make us better, more united than ever.
First, he wants it made clear that this single incident does should not represent the district – either its administration, its dedicated teachers, nor its diverse students and families.
His vow is a good one to keep in mind, that this incident in no way can be allowed to define Upper Darby School District.
“I do not want this incident to define who we are,” McGarry said. “Instead, I would like for all of us to use this unfortunate incident as a teaching tool to authentically reflect on the harm caused by such hurtful words and actions.”
Words matter. They are powerful things. They can be used for good. And regrettably, at times for bad.
As a society we have made great strides when it comes to race. But to believe it is not still an issue lingering just below the surface of far too many of us is part of our problem.
The problem in Upper Darby is not a celebration of one of the most diverse communities in Delaware County. The problem is the possibility of a single incident blurring the reality of the diversity and unity that is celebrated there every day.
A teachable moment, indeed.