Challenge Nine
Shayla goes to a dominantly white school that has has very little diversity. Even the curriculum teaches books that are written by White men. "A lot of the things you'll be taught at school are from... a certain perspective." (pg 50) A limited perspective does not allow for all sides of history to be represented correctly.
You can tell that the story takes place in a predominantly white community. "She's the only Black teacher I have" (pg.276) Not having diversity in a school can be a problem because you aren't bringing diversity of someone to see something going on in the system that could be offensive.
"And I think part of what she is saying is that I really need to get some Black friends" (pg. 121) - People throughout the novel are saying that she doesn't hang out with the Black children in the school and they think that she thinks they are too good for them. This can cause alienation with students if they think that they have
The students seem to not understand the BLM movement in the school and there are students that express they are against it. Shayla's best friends are also from a minority background of Asian and Latin American. In a conversation Shayla makes the point of "But when people make assumptions about you, no one dies" (pg. 350)
Vulnerabilities
Strengths
Shayla's strength would be learning to stick up for what she thinks is right. She learned to be very courageous. As tensions got high in the community Shayla started wearing a black arm band in honor of BLM but refused to take it off when her principle made an announcement that they were no longer acceptable. (pg. 311-316)
Shayla was also very outspoken about what she didn't think was right. During a game of 'command' that the students played on of the characters, Tyler, was dared to kiss Shayla but Shayla expressed that she didn't like it because he touched her without asking and she expressed that she wasn't okay with it. (pg. 251)
You also see Shayla begin to be more aware, involved, and questioning about the world around her. She asks more questions about the trial and asks to be more involved with protests.
Needs
While reading this book I really feel like Shayla does a great job of learning and exploring. I think that she is very inclusive in her thinking and she isn't just friends with only Black students as she has a wide range of friends and calls this out to other people at her school. She doesn't understand why everyone doesn't think that she is black enough or why she needs to hang out with only Black students. As the story goes on though she does seem to show more of an interest in the injustice that is going on in the world and her school. She stands up for what is right and calls out things as she sees them. I think that if Shayla continues on this path she could really make an impact. I think mostly Shayla needs to really stop and listen to what others are saying around her. I feel like if she would have let people speak she could have avoided a lot of the conflict that she experienced. She showed a lot of maturity.