Friends, Enemies, Frenemies, Lend Me Your Ears
At the beginning of March, I was lucky enough to have the chance to go to the SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas. The opening keynote was by Chris Emdin, who teaches at Columbia University. In his talk, he used the latest album from A Tribe Called Quest as the basis for a discussion on issues in contemporary education. The title of the talk (and the title of the album) is We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service. And if it sounds like you’re being dismissed, well, you are.
He began by addressing the multiple audiences in the crowd. First, he spoke to the friends. Friends are the people who recognize that education is the civil rights issue of our time. Then, he spoke to the enemies. Those are the people who come to SXSWedu solely to sell their products or services to educators. Finally, he spoke to the frenemies. Frenemies are dangerous. They can speak the language of friends, but they have ulterior motives. Frenemies are also those who come to education with amazing intentions, but because they’re part of broken systems they end up as enemies. “Y’all wit me?”
Some of this, as one might imagine, didn’t sit well with certain members of the audience. But I’m sure I heard some “Amens,” too.
Emdin is complex, and anything but subtle. He compared the dental extraction practice of the Dinka tribe to how culture has been ripped from marginalized students in our educational system. “We are all collectively complicit in the process of devaluing the natural knowledges of certain young people, from certain segments of our population. That should rattle you. It should shake you. And if it doesn’t, I’m worried about you” he said.
Where does he find solutions? It’s not through educational theory and established research. And it’s not through technology or data, that’s for sure. He finds answers in a close examination of Tribe Called Quest lyrics. His analysis calls for spaces for student voices, the recognition of brilliance in non-academic settings and vernacular expression, and ways to promote healing from trauma. It’s not about following a leader, it’s about creating a critical mass. #hiphoped
It was a riveting, inspiring way to start the conference, and it set the tone for how many sessions were interpreted and addressed throughout the week.
I encourage you to watch the talk rather than just read about it. These words don’t do it justice, and I believe it’s worth your time.
Let Chris Emdin take it from here: SXSWedu 2017 Opening Keynote