vol. 37 • no. 1 GIFTED OHILD TODAY

COLUMNS

Why Education Must Be MulticulturalAddressing a Few Misperceptions With Counterarguments

Donna Y. Ford,

Abstract: Tbe United States is considered the land ofitnmigrants and cultural diversity, and our natioti's everchanging demographics attests to this. Yearly, our nationand schools become more racially and linguisticallydifferent. In what ways, we must ask, are schools welcomingand providing for students who come from different culturalbackgrounds, especially Black and Hispanic students?The author contends that schools and educators must beculturally responsive; however, tnisperceptions binder theirappreciation of and respect for multicultural educationand, thus, the adoption of culturally responsive practicesis infrequent and/or met with reservations. Several (byno means all) misperceptions are share accompanied bycounterargutnents.

Keywords: multicultural education, misperceptions,culturally responsive education, gifted education

The goal of creating an education that is tiiulticultural orculairally responsive is increasingly in demand in ourclassrooms and schools. The need is particularly

itiiportant given the large percentages of Black, Hispanic, Asian,and Native American students in our schools and the reality thatour nation is the most racially diverse in the world. As of 2012,altnost half of students in public schools are non-White (Audet al, 2012), and the percentages increase yearly.

This article was written with two major purposes in mind.First, educators must ensure that students have deep andauthentic educational experiences about the lives of others whodo not share their cultural and racial background andexperiences. Second, educators must ensure that culturallydifferent saidents learn about thetnselves in rigorous andrelevant ways. Combined, these objectives reflect the value andgoal of all students having mirrors and windows in theireducational experiences—books, literature, visuals, media, guestspeakers, topics, issues, and more.

While some educators support multiculairal education andendeavor to incorporate multicultural content into thecurriculum, a few widespread misconceptions about whatmulticultural education is and how it should be irnplementedhinder the process (e.g., Vargas, 2010). In this article, I shareseveral reasons multicultural education must be addressed inclassrooms; these reasons are divided into three categories: (a)Which students need multicultural education? What must betaught about racially and culturally different groups? (b) What isthe purpose of multiculairal education? What are the benefits ofmulticultural education? (c) What does rigorous multiculturaleducation look like (e.g., models)? To address these overarchitigquestions, I first share myths and/or misperceptions, and then areality or counterargutnent for each.

Which students need multicultural education? And what mustbe taught about racially and culturally different groups? Threemisperceptions are addressed.

1. In a predotninantly monocultural school and/orcomtnunity, there is no need to study other cultures.(Why should we satdy other cultures when there are onlyor primarily Whites in the class and/or community?)

2. White students do not need an education that ismulticulairal, regardless of the demographics of theclassroom, school, and cotntminity. Multiculairal educationis only for "minorities!"

3. There is no need to focus on subgroups of racially andculturally different populations; those who arecategorized as Hispanic/Latino, for example, are the samein culture.

Multiculairal education is for all saidents. The more raciallyand/or culturally homogeneous the classroom, school, andcommunity in which students live and learn, the more studentsmust be exposed to tnulticultural education to prevent andcounter stereotypes learned in their homes, schools,cotnmunities, and the media. If students primarily or onlyinteract with those from the sarne racial and culairal

D0l:10.1177/1076217513512304.From1Van(JerbiltUniversity, Nashville, TN, USA. Address correspondence to: Donna Y. Ford, PhD, Peabody College of Education, VanderbiltUniversity. One Magnolia

Circle BIdg., 230 Appleton Place Vander, Nashville, TN 37203, USA: email: donna.ford@vanderbilt.edu.

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GIFTED CHILD TGDAY January 2014

T o VIEW EACH

RACIAL/CULTURAL

GROUP AS IF THEY ARE

MONOCULTURAL IS NOT

ONLY INCORRECT BUT

ALSO CREATES OR

REINFORCES

STEREOTYPES."

backgrounds, how and when will they learn to understand andinteract with other cultural groups? Multicultural educationprovides such opportunities. High-quality books, literaaire,videos, biographies, as well as a focus on the history, lives,customs, values, and accotnplishments of racially and culturallydifferent individuals and groups are essential.

What must be taught about racially and culturally differentgroups? When curriculum is color-blind and/or not multiculturalat the highest levels, stereotypes can be created or promotedamong students. For example, when lesson plans and booksfocus mainly on clothes worn by culturally different groups,without historical context andwithout authentic learning about thecultural group, then White studentsmay develop stereotypes. I recall arecent activity where elementarystudents were asked to come toschool dressed as AfricanAmericans. The letter sent home toparents indicated that if thesecond-grade children did not haveAfrican American attire, they couldcome dressed as zebras, tigers,lions, and so on. In another lessonplan at a different school, the thirdgraders learned about slavery.Soon thereafter, the White studentswanted to reenact slavery by _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

taking on the role of slaver ownerscapturing and bidding on slaves (their Black classmates). TheWhite students were taught that they were superior. TheBlack students were taught that they were inferior and acommodity.

Lesson plans that focus on the major racial/cultural groups'without attention to subgroups fails to capture the uniquenessof each subgroup relative to their speciñc history, experience,language, and other cultural aspects. When we talk with andlisten to those designated as Latino or Hispanic or Asian orPaciflc Islander, educators and students will learn that they arenot homogeneous. Mexicans are similar to and different frotnCubans, Chinese are similar to and different from Japanese, andso on.

To view each racial/cultural group as if they aremonocultural is not only incorrect but also creates or reinforcesstereotypes. According to John Ogbu (1978), every "minority"group has a unique history in the United States that needs to besaidied, understood, and validated to more authenticallyunderstand, suppoa, and educate them.

To paint a broad stroke about those categorized or labeledas Hispanic/Latino or Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, orBlack/African American is to discount meaningful differenceswithin and among such cultural groups. One helpful resource isCulairegrams (see www.culturergrams.com), which describesauthentic histories, attitudes, values, habits, customs, andtraditions among over 200 cultural groups and subgroups.

In addition to addressing misunderstandings about culturalgroups and subgroups, it is important to focus on curricularissues. Four misperceptions are given attention.

1. Information taught about one racial/cultural group isapplicable to other racial/cultural groups. "Minorities areminorities."

2. Books and literature about other cukires are often authentic.3. Multicultural education lacks rigor.4. Multicultural education should be taught as a separate

subject.

To view difl̂ erent racial/cultural groupsas if they are homogeneous is erroneousand can contribute to color blindness (akaculaire blindness) among students. Whencultural differences are ignored or evendisparaged, conflicts in schools are likely.To decrease and ideally eliminate culturalconflicts, students must learn about thosewho are different from them in authenticways. Lee and Low (2013) reported that, in2012, a whopping 93% of children's bookswere about White children. Keep in mindthat students from all racial backgroundsare disadvantaged. Culairally differentstudents have virtually no opportunity toread about themselves; and White studentswill rarely read about others. See Ford

(2011) for other information and multicultural resources toaddress this imbalance. Teachers who want to teach about othercultures may unintentionally choose books that are racist or notrepresentative of a particular group. Many culairallyinappropriate books exit—text and illustrations can beinaccurate. For example, in one book series, slaves areconsidered immigrants. This is inaccurate and a grave historicalinjustice.

The Council on Interracial Books for Children publishedGuidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks (seeDerman-Sparks, 1989). The guidelines suggest (a) checkingillustrations for stereotypes; (b) checking the story line thatpromote/reinforce stereotypes; (c) weighing power relationshipsbetween racial and cultural groups; (d) noting the heroes andvictitns; (e) checking for loaded words, terms, and phrases; (f)examining the author's perspective and motives; and (g) checkingthe copyright date to see if current or outdated. All of thesesuggestions and more are necessary to determine tlie effect on allstudents' self-perception and racial identity, as well as cross-cultural relationships.

James Banks' (in press) multicultural model is useful forhelping educators to examine tlieir lesson plans and avoidpromoting stereotypes and otherwise miseducating students. Hismulticultural curriculum tnodel is divided into four approaches—from least rigorous and authentic (contributions and additive) tomost rigorous and authentic (transformation and social action;

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vol. 37 • no, 1 GIFTED CHILD TCDAY

Multiple viewsEmpathyAll subjects

FoodFunFashionFolklore

ChangeEmpowermentEquity & Justice

SafeAppendageTemporary

Figure 1. Keys terms and concepts associated with each approach in Banks' multicultural education model.

see Eord, 2012): (a) contributions approach, (b) additiveapproach, (c) transformation approach, and (d) social actionapproach. Key words or descriptors for each approach appear inEigure 1, The contributions and additive approaches are the mostcommon and least rigorous—stereotypes are often promoted andreinforced. The transformation approach promotes criticalthinking and even empathy by providing more than oneviewpoint and opposing views, while social action requiresstudents to take make plans and take steps for positive changes.The voices of all groups must be heard and validated. Thepurpose of teaching multiple perspectives is to develop anunderstanding of diverse perspectives that can lead to anunderstanding of what motivates the behavior of others. It shouldalso encourage saidents to examine their own beliefs andattitudes—and behaviors.

To promote both rigor and relevance, I have created theBloom-Banks Matrix, described more fully in MulticulturalGifted Education (Eord, 2012),

Multiculairal education is often taught as a separate subjector class rather than embedded in all courses. Having a separateclass sends the wrong message—that such groups are on themargin of society, and their history and experiences aresecondary to and disconnected from Whites, Multiculturaleducation is not an add-on or something to do; multiculairalconcepts, issues, topics, and groups should be infusedthroughout the curriculum.

In this final section, I consider several multicultural goalsand objectives. What is the purpose of multicultural

education? What are the benefits of multicultural education?In addressing these questions, two misconceptions come tomind,

1, Multicultural education is divisive,2, Historical accuracy suffers in multicultural education.

Critics of multicultural education say this approach fostersgroup conflicts by being anti-White and encouraging negativeattitudes toward the United States (see Gorski, 2006; seehap://www,nameorg,org/resolutions/definition,html).According to Banks (in press), the goals of multiculturaleducation are (a) an expanded knowledge of various culturaland racial groups; (b) educational equity; (c) empowerment ofstudents, caregivers, and communities; (d) the promotion ofcultural pluralism; and (e) cultural harmony—intercultural/interethnic/intergroup understanding and respect in theclassroom, school, and community. Multicultural education isnot designed to rewrite history but rather to correct distortionsand inaccuracies.

SummaryMulticultural education is a progressive approach for

transforming education that critiques and corrects color-blindand discriminatory curriculum, practices, and policies ineducation. It is grounded in ideals of social justice and equity,critical pedagogy, and a dedication to providing educationalexperiences in which all students reach their full potentials as

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GIFTED GHILD TODAY January 2014

socially and culturally aware and responsive citizens.

Multicultural education, therefore, acknowledges that schools

are essential for providing an education that helps to eliminate

racial injustices and increase racial hamiony. Thus:

• All curricula rnust be analyzed to ensure accuracy and

completeness. Curriculutn must be exatnined to

determine how it is (re)cycling and supporting oppressive

societal and cultural conditions.

• All subject and content areas must be presetited from

multiple and different (even opposing) perspectives.

Saidents tmtst be encouraged to think ctitically about the

cutTiculutn: Whose voices are they hearing and not hearing?

• Teachers must be prepared in colleges, professional

development, and scholarship to foster a culturally

responsive classroom climate for all students.

Conflict of InterestThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with

respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this

article.

FundingThe author(s) received no financial support for the research,

authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Note1. The U.S. Census Bureau must adhere to the 1997 Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and ethnicitythat guide the Census Bureau in classifying written re.sponses to therace question—Wbiie: A person having origins in any of the originalpeoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Biack or AfricanAmerican: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groupsof Africa. American Indian orAiaska Native: A person having originsin any of the original peoples of North and South America (includingCentral America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or communityattachment. Asian: A person having origins in any of the originalpeoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinentincluding, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea,Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Isiander. A person having origins in

any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other PacificIslands. The 1997 OMB standards pertiiit the repotting of more thanone race. Also note that Hispanics/Latinos are considered an ethnicgroup. Source: http://www.census.gov/population/race/about/

ReferencesAud, S., Hussar, \V., Johnson, F., Kena, G., Roth, E., Manning, E., . . .

Zhang, J. (2012). The condition of education 2012 (NCES 2012-045).Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center forEducation Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch

Banks, J. (2014). An introduction to multicultural education (5th ed.).Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Derman-Sparks, L. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Toois for empoweringyoung children. Washington, DC: National Association for theEducation of Young Children.

Ford, D. Y. (2012). Multicultural gifted education (2nd ed.). Waco, TX:Prufrock Press.

Gorski, P. (2006). The unintentional undermining of multiculturaleducation: Educators at the equity crossroads. In J. Landsman & C. W.Lewis (Eds.), White teacbers/diverse classrooms: A guide to buitdinginclusive schools, promoiing bigh expectations, and eliminating racism(pp. 61-78). Steriing, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Lee and Low (2013). Why hasn't the number of multicultural booksincreased In eighteen years? [Web log postl. Retrieved from http://blog.leeandlow.com/2013/06/17/why-hasnt-the-number-of-multic'ultural-books-increased-in-eighteen-year,s/

Ogbu, J. U. (1978). Minority education and caste: The American system incross-cuiiuralperspective. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Vargas, M. (2010). Critical multiculturalism and higher education: Resistanceand possibilities within teacher education. In S. May & C. E. Sleeter(Eds.), Griiicai multicuiiuralism: Theory and praxis (pp. 19-31). NewYork, NY: Routledge.

BioDonna Y. Eord, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Special

Education where she teachers courses in multicultural

education, poverty, and gifted education. She writes, presents,

and consulls extensively on the recruitment and retention of

Black and Hispanic students in gifted education, multicultural

gifted education, and other topics related to closing the

achievement gap.

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