







































Education, Language and Sociology Research 
ISSN 2690-3644 (Print) ISSN 2690-3652 (Online) 

Vol. 2, No. 3, 2021 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/elsr 

Original Paper 

Culture Clash and the Oppression Olympics 
Jerell B. Hill1 

1 School of Education, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA, USA 

 

Received: July 27, 2021      Accepted: August 12, 2021       Online Published: August 20, 2021 

doi:10.22158/elsr.v2n3p87      URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/elsr.v2n3p87 

 

Abstract 

Cultural proficiency opens the window to understanding diversity and its value in society. Studies have 

shown that when communities organize, have the ability to see the differences, and respond positively, 

their interactions are effective in diverse environments. Alliance-forming approaches to grapple with 

inequities substantiate the need for communities of color to collaborate and willingly address power 

imbalances by speaking out against systems of oppression. Instead of engaging in divisive forms of 

advocacy, cultural humility encourages critical self-reflection and acknowledges that unhealthy 

comparison about racial oppression implies that power structures and privilege are reserved for one 

specific group. This critical commentary calls for increased solidarity and compassion to learn from 

one another to further the movement towards an anti-racist society. 

Keywords 

Critical Humility, oppression, Social Change 

 

The need to create a healthy space for students to discuss race is becoming ever-more prevalent. When 

these opportunities are absent, students are being denied the opportunity to develop a critical 

consciousness about who they are and understand the essential part of their being. The racism marathon 

continues, and the last time I checked, there was no podium to stand on and receive a gold medal with a 

song of victory being played for which group is oppressed the most. Teachers can reflect on the 

importance of what they accept matters as much as what they do. Elizabeth Martinez suggests the fear 

of Oppression Olympics is that when the focus shifts to one group’s fight for equality, it can make 

others may be left behind (cited in Dhamoon, 2011). Living in comparison spurs division is minimizes 

specific racial inequities that exist and are being experienced within Black, LatinX, Native American, 

and Asian communities. 

The decision of the past like adopting a color-blind ideology, have determined some of the conditions 

of today. Educators do not have to accept the impossibility of success in visioning society in the current 

state. Feelings of being deprived of power and influence teachers use pedagogies, curricula, and 

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teaching from text with the same biased. The oppression Olympics are on full display with concepts 

that enslave minds. Coupled with untreated traumas and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), 

magnify the unequal distribution of resources forcing situational poverty and unprofitable competition 

of the oppressed. Race plays a significant role in achievement and economic opportunities. Educators 

need to be brave enough to be the light when it is grey out. Having spaces for healthy conversations 

about race and the need to elevate student voices can no longer be avoided. Educators need to adopt the 

mindset of active listening because they must communicate to students what they are hearing matters, 

and there are actions that can be taken so that students can be humanized in society and schools.  

Evidence is clear that teachers from any ethnicity, racial group, cultural background, demographic 

region can be successful teachers of any group of students. Nonetheless, educators must address the 

levels of discomfort with adult-student interactions about race. The need for psychological safety 

within learning environments is necessary. The desire to dismantle racism in schools garners a lot of 

attention. However, addressing certain race issues creates certain fears of retaliation or being 

overlooked for promotional opportunities. Perhaps learning environments should be structured in a way 

that is more uncomfortable to stay silent than it is to speak up. I know from previous work around 

Dialogical Epistemology Patricia H. Collins (1990) intersectionality, challenging the dominant 

ideologies from an object point of view, and using a multi-disciplinary approach has moved the work 

forward. She emphasizes that each group speaks from its own perspective through particle knowledge 

of perceived truth and “partiality and not universality is the condition of being heard; individuals and 

groups forwarding knowledge claims without owning their position are deemed less credible than those 

who do” (p. 236) However, a pressing question remains noted from the work of Tyrone C. Howard 

(2020), how do educators anchor their interrogations of racism in education?  

This difference in perspective, reminds us to find ways to acknowledge the correlation between silence 

and microaggressions. This is not to say that teachers are not well-intentioned, but avoiding 

conversations about race does not show a willingness to embrace the new faces of America and the 

changing demographics. In addition, to engage in these important conversations, systemic structures 

must be called to task, and assumptions must be assessed, and participants have to presume positive 

intent so that when teachers engage in the necessary but uncomfortable conversations their 

communication is not perceived as racist. The capability to shift cultural perspective and adapt or 

bridge behavior to cultural commonality and difference is critical. Some of the empirical work 

examining race found that discrepancies between ability and achievement were attributed to 

socio-economic status, and it was discovered that teaches avoided evaluating race-related patterns in 

light of seeing clear evidence-based data regarding race (Rousseau & Tate, 2003). When experiencing 

the levels of persistent educational disparities, one would think that suppressing conversations about 

race only amplifies the issues and widens the achievement gap. If educational systems continue to 

utilize socio-economic status and consider poverty as a culture instead of a circumstance that can 

change over time with adequate support elevates adversity and traumatic experiences student encounter 
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while internalizing a negative self-concept. In my research the need to develop dialogue circles is 

important because educators have to differentiate between a “hand-out and a hand up.” Taking an 

approach to demonstrate the empathy quotient, educators will utilize their voices and engage in 

learning about various cultures through conversation while being reminded that intentionality does not 

mean compromising rigor or learning opportunity.  

  

Change depends on Everyone 

Teaching with the cultural eye (Irvine, 2003) allows the teacher to address any cultural 

misunderstanding within classrooms. Utilizing asset-based pedagogies (Ladson-Billings, 2014) values 

the experiences, cultures, and communities that the students come from, which is a needed to change 

the deficit models that exist. Moreover, The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) 2009, 

placed a profound value change and state: 

Change is something that presses us out of our comfort zone. It is destiny-filtered, heart grown, 

faith built. Change is inequitable; not a respecter of persons. Change is for the better or for 

the worst, depending on where you view it. Change is a muscle that develops to abundantly 

enjoy the dynamics of the life set before us. Change calls own strength beyond anyone of us. 

Change pushes you to do your personal best. Change draws out those poised for a new way. 

Change doesn’t look for a resting place; just the next launching point. Change is only a waste 

to those who don’t learn from it. (IISE, What is Change?)  

Helping with the creation of dialogue circles, Grant and Hill (2020) offer these goals: 

• Each child will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social 

identities. 

• Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity, accurate language for human 

differences, and sincere, caring human connections. 

• Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have the language to describe unfairness, 

and understand that unfairness hurts. 

• Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against 

prejudice and discrimination. (p. 49) 

Learning requires resolving conflicts between dialectically opposed modes of adaptation to the world. 

Research suggests that programs should be designed in such a way that they are creative, interactive, 

relevant, student-centered, and group-based. Educators must spend a lot of time in making effective 

strategies for facilitating difficult dialogues. Effective Dialogues instructions facilitate feedback from 

learners, make learners ask questions, and broaden the learner horizon for the course content (White & 

Henderson, 2008). 

Developing (CRT) Culturally Responsive Teaching (Ladson-Billings, 2014) teachers can provide 

students opportunities to think about what is happening in their local communities and to complete 

projects that address matters they can understand. Also, CRT suggests that:  
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•Teachers initiate student-teacher interaction, and has communication and technological skills 

to effectively implement distance education. 

•Teachers construct student-centered learning with opportunities for interaction. Students are 

responsible for learning and responsible for contacting teachers when needed. 

•Teachers give importance to the thoughts of students and promote student research, 

evaluation, discussion, and reporting. 

• Teachers know student prerequisite skills and knowledge and use this foundation to build 

new knowledge. In addition, the teacher knows how the students can learn. 

•Teachers provide prompt and accurate feedback to students to facilitate learning. 

The Oppression Olympics is a race that no one wins, and educators must understand and believe that all 

children have the capacity to learn regardless of their gender, cultural background, race, or 

socioeconomic status. Lastly, Audre Lorde reminds us that “There is no Hierarchy of Oppression.” and 

teachers must continue to use effective questioning because it opens the door to possibilities. Critical 

race discussions are not just a one- time activity, it is a continuous process. 

 

References 

Banks, J. (1994). Multiethnic education: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon. 

Banks, J. A. (2008). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational 

Researcher, 37(3), 129-139. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08317501 

Collins, P. H. (1990). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of 

empowerment. New York: Routledge. Google Scholar 

Dhamoon, R. (2011). Considerations on Mainstreaming Intersectionality. Political Research Quarterly, 

64(1), 230-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912910379227 

Grant, D., & Hill, J. B. (2020). Activating Culturally Empathic Motivation in Diverse Students. Journal 

of Education and Learning Journal of Education and Learning, 9(5), 45-58. 

https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v9n5p45 

Hill, P. C. (1990). Black feminist thought: knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. 

Boston: Unwin Hyman. 

Howard, T. C. (2020). Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap in 

America's Classrooms (2nd ed.). United States: Teachers College Press. 

https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v2i2.2916 

Institute of Industrial and Structural Engineers (2009). What is change? Retrieved August 1, 2020, 

from https://www.iise.org/details.aspx?id=3290 

Irvine, J. J. (2003). Educating teachers for diversity: Seeing with a cultural eye. New York: Teachers 

College Press. 

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: The remix. Harvard Educational Review, 

84(1), 74-84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751 
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White, J. L., & Henderson, S. J. (Eds.). (2008). Building multicultural competency: Development, 

training, and practice. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 

 

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