While working as a tutor at a charter high school that is predominantly African American, a young boy asks me (a Black female) if I could give him information about becoming a doctor. He knows I am slated to go to medical school early the next year and has always wanted to become a surgeon. I’m delighted and give him lots of information. The next day I am told to go to the office.
The director of the tutoring program (a White female) was angry that I would tell a young student of a charter school to go into an “academic,” field of study. When I asked why, she says, “We don’t want to give them false hope. Many of them are lucky to get into a technical field, like HVAC or refrigeration. Why should we give them a false sense of security that they can survive the rigors of college?” I was floored, stunned and angry.