Casual Comment Demonstrates the Power of Words 

By Bridget Arndt

One day early in my teaching career, classroom discussion was escalating out of control with complaints about an upcoming test. In an attempt to use sarcasm to regain control, I shouted, “Stop your cotton-pickin’ bellyaching.” A young African-American male student quickly responded, “You don’t have to be so racist!” I didn’t realize the impact of what I had said. The whole class fell silent. I asked him to explain what he meant. He said that my statement offended him as a black person whose ancestors included slaves who picked cotton.

To me, the phrase was just an expression associated with being frustrated, and I had used it often. I never equated any racial slur with the meaning. I can only imagine how this made him feel — the stories he had been told from his great-grandparents about slavery in the South, the oppression and the suffering that his relatives had experienced, and the negative connotation associated with picking cotton. What had I been thinking when I used the expression all these years? Moreover, why had no one ever confronted me about this before? Had I used other deficit thinking and not been aware? It never dawned on me that I was a white woman making a racial comment.

After discussing the incident, I apologized for offending him and asked that he forgive my ignorance. He responded favorably, acknowledging that I don’t display prejudice toward anyone and that I had not intended to discriminate against him.

When I got home from school that evening, I immediately called my mom. I needed to talk to someone about the incident. I needed to know if this made me a racist or if my childhood beliefs were seeping out — beliefs my parents and I had tried so hard to change after I was adopted. As an educated woman, I couldn’t believe that I had used that phrase and never realized the implications of my words. My mom assured me that I am not racist. She told me that a racist would have used the phrase purposefully to evoke power over a group or individual. I had no malicious intent when I said the phrase. I just chose the wrong words to express my frustration.

This interaction made me aware of what and how I say things every day as well as my perceptions of people. The student’s response heightened my awareness of my behaviors and challenged my thinking. I had always considered myself compassionate and accepting of the diversity of others. The incident with my student made me take a step back and question myself. I needed to re-evaluate my interactions with all people, not just my students.

Nine years later, that classroom incident remains fixed in my memory. I believe that I am more aware of diversity and have better relationships with students because of that awareness. My classroom environment fosters a mutual respect for all people. I was able to turn a negative into a positive by using it as a learning experience that has benefited my daily interactions with diverse populations.