Mica Pollock

“People trying to describe students of color often use words like “urban,” “inner city,” “disadvantaged,” or “at-risk” that gloss over the actual local needs of specific children and subgroups, such as racial groups (in some cases) or English language learners. Generic phrases like “low-income minority” can also mask differences in financial circumstance, like whether students are living in stable housing or rotating foster care or whether they have health insurance. These differences affect what assistance students need from educators and other opportunity providers to have an equal opportunity to succeed in school.”
― Mica Pollock, Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School

“Blanket advice to “be colorblind” regarding our students, to “celebrate” their or others’ diversity, or to “recognize” their “race” and our own is not that helpful in real life. In daily life, sometimes educators’ being colorblind is quite harmful to young people, since they live in a world that often treats them racially; sometimes a particular celebration of diversity can be reductive and stereotypic; sometimes seeing a person primarily as a member of a “race” detracts from recognizing our common humanity.”
― Mica Pollock, Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School