3.2: Reflections from the Authors - Dahmitra Jackson

Growing up in Marin County asa biracial woman is certainly a unique experience. As many biracial individuals describe, we don’t simply fit into any one group, and the expectation for us to pick a side is problematic. I grew up in over seven rental homes throughout Marin by the age of 17, which gave me another unique experience as I became extremely adaptable having to switch schools frequently. It was at a new school in 8th grade that I was called a racial slur. I later had to ask my mother for the meaning. In high school, it was not uncommon that police officers would be stationed out front, sometimes even detaining students. Another vivid remembrance from high school was that it was common knowledge amongst African American students that if we were in a certain Spanish teacher’s class, we would undoubtedly be assigned to sit in the front row. I didn’t believe it until it happened to me, 2nd period Spanish was a sight to see. With this brief introduction of a few of my early experiences with education, my goal is to remind you that there are still racial prejudices students face day to day. We should continue to ask, understand, hear, and really hear the lived experiences of all people of color if we truly want to do better.

Near the end of 2020 I decided to return to college and fulfill my dream of becoming the first in my family to graduate from college. I had been working at the same organization for 9 years and early in my career I experienced burnout, another gift from the pandemic. My first semester at College of Marin I enrolled in Dr. Susan Rahman’s Gender and Society course, and after completion she invited me to contribute to this piece. Her course was the first Zero Textbook Cost course I had taken, and I enjoyed every bit of it. One thing I am grateful for in returning to college as an adult is that I am more dedicated and have a stronger passion to learn. Going over each week’s material, I could tell how much effort was put into creating content that is relevant and inclusive. OERs and Zero Textbook Cost courses also give students an opportunity to learn about work created by people of color that may not have otherwise been featured in mainstream textbooks. Dr. Rahman has a talent for asking questions that get students thinking outside of our societal norms.

I joined this project later on, yet Dr. Rahman still provided me with spaces to have a voice. Throughout this work, I have gained experience, learned a great deal, and had the chance to work with an incredible team who share a vision. I want to give Dr. Rahman a huge shout out and thank you for challenging the academic system, pushing for us to create a better future,and shedding light on this topic. I am accustomed to being in environments dominated by whiteness, especially academically, and I often don’t question or feel comfortable in questioning certain ideas and teachings. In the past, when I thought I was in a safe space to share a few of the microaggressions thrown at me, I was told I was too sensitive, not believed,and my favorite, “it’s their generation, what are they going to do.” My hope with this book is that while we are pushing for more marginalized, underrepresented BIPOC to further their education and become future leaders, we can also provide them with inclusive material to learn from, and diverse, informed educators guiding them.