Last Thursday I attended Bill Blackwell’s presentation on Social Justice held at the ACA hosted by Higher Education. The lecture provided the public with an insight into the workshop that Bill would facilitate the following day at the ISD 166 Social Justice program.
One of Bill’s repeated themes was that our perceptions depend upon the lens through which we view. Two people can experience the same thing, yet have different viewpoints about it. He stressed that the purpose of the Social Justice program was not to gain agreement or a common perception on any given subject. Instead, by understanding and accepting the differences in perception, we can open dialogue and communication in order to deal with the subject.
At the end of Bill’s public presentation, several parents asked questions about the Social Justice program which was to occur the next day. These parents did not know all the details about the program, including the fact that the students had some ability to select the sessions they wished to attend.
The following day, the News- Herald included a letter to the editor from Pat Campanaro, written several days before the event. Pat wrote “Parents and community members were encouraged to attend the conference and aid the effort from its inception.” She continued “I urge everyone to visit the school’s website and see for yourself the many opportunities students can choose to attend. No one is dictating to them what they must do.”
The two things illustrate perfectly Bill’s point about different lenses that people see things through. On one side concerned parents who don’t have the information they want. And on the other side, organizers trying hard to communicate.
It is easy to see how this could be frustrating for both parties. We need to take responsibility to seek information about current issues relevant to us. And as providers of information, we need to recognize that our voices may not be heard by all, for a variety of reasons. It takes a lot of work on both sides.
Gary R. Latz
Lutsen
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