ISSN: 2151-0806
As I share my research publically, I argue that there is a critical need for educators to engage in a meaningful dialogue that respects all cultures, ‘races’ and religions. To begin this process, schools must acknowledge the grievances felt by a religious community that is often the target of prejudice and stereotyping. Religion has largely been ignored in most discussions about institutional racism. In order to counter discrimination like Islamaphobia, individuals must be held responsible for their attitudes and beliefs, and discriminatory practices must be made visible. No longer can we remain silent and complacent about issues that matter. Just as Pollock (2004) calls for educators to participate in the everyday act of talking about racial diversity, I would add that educators should expand these conversations to include religious and cultural diversity and their intersections. For the educators of East African Muslim youth, that means having on-going conversations with students to better understand what Islam is, to become aware of the difficult experiences these youth face in U.S. schools and society, and to develop inclusive practices that promote tolerance and understanding. With growing numbers of immigrant and refugee youth, public schools are faced with enormous challenges of educating all students while demonstrating necessary ways to accommodate their cultural, racial, and religious identities. In the meantime, many Somali communities are deciding that culturally specific charter schools may be better able to meet their children’s needs. The results of my research reveal that, for the case of Kalsami High School, there are many positive outcomes of attending a culturally specific school. While we cannot generalize that all culturally specific schools will produce the same outcomes as Kalsami, these findings suggest that educators should give more consideration to these kinds of schools. Yet Somali youth and the culturally specific charter schools that serve as a refuge for them are vulnerable. In the case of Kalsami, I have come to see the necessity of using my role as a member of the academy to support youths’ perspectives, to dispel notions that their culturally specific charter school might be breaking the law, and to address other common (and sometimes erroneous) concerns that surround the cultural and religious practices of Somali youth in American K-12 schools. By presenting and publishing my research locally and nationally, to Muslim communities as well as to leaders in education, I hope that I have now placed myself in a position to re-present and interpret the voices of these youth. I hope that my research will serve educators to better understand the academic issues and social demands associated with being a black, Muslim immigrant in U.S. schools and reveal to others how these experiences come to shape their identities. Additionally, I hope that this study has helped to fill a void in the research that investigates the rapidly growing culturally specific charter school phenomenon. Ultimately, I hope that this study will shed further light on how all schools can decrease the barriers students face in schools and demonstrate constructive and necessary ways to accommodate and respect the academic, cultural, religious and racial identity of Somali youth.
References ACLU of Minnesota v. Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy, Civil No. 09-138, Memorandum Opinion & Order, July 21, 2009 (a). Peace Studies Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 3, July 2013
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