“Can't C Me.”
Main Article Content
Keywords
learning disability, poetry, identity
Abstract
I contextualize my poetry by using the lyrics of the song “Can't C Me” written by Lesane Parish Crooks. As a Black male with a learning disability (i.e., dyslexia), I was warehoused in an educational system that has been designed to segregate and incriminate instead of emancipate or educate (Blanchett, 2010; Ferri & Connor, 2005; Hoyles & Hoyles, 2010). Between third and twelfth grade, I not only felt segregated as a student in special education, but was also left academically behind (2014; 2013). The majority of my educational journey, I felt hopeless about obtaining a bright future because I couldn't read, and had low self-esteem (Robinson, 2015a; Burden, 2005; Wang & Neihart, 2015). Further, my voice was silenced as a Black male who had been identified with multiple labels, and written off (Connor, 2006, 2005; Ferri & Connor, 2014; Gillborn, 2015). To date, there are scholars who examine the intersectionality of race, disability and giftedness (Barnard-Brak, Johnsen, Hannig, & Wei, 2015); however, the voices of Black males living at the intersection of dyslexia and giftedness, and how they understand their position in the education system are nonexistent in those scholarly reviews (Petersen, 2006; Robinson, 2016a). A major factor of their voices being absent is that there are some teachers who frame students’ academic potential from a ‘deficit’ perspective (Robinson, 2016b). Therefore, this poetic account will serve two purposes: (1) shatter all notions that Black males with dyslexia in special education can’t succeed academically, and (2) offer an inside perspective of how it feels knowing that there are a million pairs of eyes staring at me, but some teachers “Can't C Me.”
References
Barnar d-Brak, L., Johnsen, S. K., Pond Hannig, A., & Wei, T. (2015). The Incidence of Potentially Gifted Students Within a Special Education Population. Roeper Review, 37(2), 74-83.
Blanchett, J. W. (2010). Telling like it is: The role of race, class, & culture in the perpetuation of learning disability as a privileged category for the white middle class. Disability Studies Quarterly, 30(2).
Burden, R. (2005). Dyslexia & self-concept: Seeking a dyslexic identity. Philadelphia, PA: Whurr Publishers.
Connor, D. (2006). Michael’s Story: “I get into so much trouble just by walking”: Narrative Knowing and Life at the Intersections of Learning Disability, Race, and Class. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39(2): 154–165.
Connor, D.J. & Ferri, B.A. (2005). Integration and inclusion --A troubling nexus: Race, disability, and special education. The Journal of African American History. 90(1&2), 107-127.
Crooks, P. L. (1996). Can't C Me. http://genius.com/2pac-cant-c-me-lyrics
Ferri, B. A., & Connor, D. (2005). In the Shadow of Brown: Special education and overrepresentation of students of color. Remedial and Special Education, 26(2), 93-100.
Ferri, B.A. & Connor, D.J. (2014). Talking (& not talking) about race, social class, & dis/ability: Toward a margin-to-margin approach. Race Ethnicity and Education, 17(4), 471-493.
Gillborn, D. (2015). Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and the Primacy of Racism: Race, Class, Gender, and Disability in Education. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(3), 277-287.
Hoyles, A. & Hoyles. M. (2010) Race and dyslexia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 13(2), 209-223.
Petersen, A. (2006). An African-American woman with disabilities: the intersection of gender, race and disability. Disability & Society, 21(7), 721-734.
Robinson, S. A. (2016b). Remediating the Learning Disabilities of Black Males: Implications for PK–12 Teaching. Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, 15(1), 159-173.
Robinson, S. A. (2016a). Triple Identity Theory: A theoretical framework for understanding gifted Black males with dyslexia. Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals, 41(1), 147-158.
Robinson, S. A. (2015a). Overcoming dyslexia with fortitude: One man’s journey for an education. Wisconsin English Journal, 57(2), 36-48.
Robinson S. A. (2015b). Navigating The Academic Systems Through Three Perspectives: A Twice Exceptional, Black Male, with Dyslexia. An autoethnographic account (Doctoral Dissertation). LC 4818.38.R63. Milwaukee, WI: Cardinal Stritch University.
Robinson, S. A. (2014). Black males with dyslexia in Wisconsin getting left behind: Recommendations for academic attainment. Wisconsin English Journal, 56(2), 55-67.
Robinson, S. A. (2013). Educating Black males with dyslexia. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 3(3), 159-174.
Wang, C. W., & Neihart, M. (2015). Academic Self-Concept and Academic Self-Efficacy: Self-Beliefs Enable Academic Achievement of Twice-Exceptional Students. Roeper Review, 37(2), 63-73.
Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.
Blanchett, J. W. (2010). Telling like it is: The role of race, class, & culture in the perpetuation of learning disability as a privileged category for the white middle class. Disability Studies Quarterly, 30(2).
Burden, R. (2005). Dyslexia & self-concept: Seeking a dyslexic identity. Philadelphia, PA: Whurr Publishers.
Connor, D. (2006). Michael’s Story: “I get into so much trouble just by walking”: Narrative Knowing and Life at the Intersections of Learning Disability, Race, and Class. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39(2): 154–165.
Connor, D.J. & Ferri, B.A. (2005). Integration and inclusion --A troubling nexus: Race, disability, and special education. The Journal of African American History. 90(1&2), 107-127.
Crooks, P. L. (1996). Can't C Me. http://genius.com/2pac-cant-c-me-lyrics
Ferri, B. A., & Connor, D. (2005). In the Shadow of Brown: Special education and overrepresentation of students of color. Remedial and Special Education, 26(2), 93-100.
Ferri, B.A. & Connor, D.J. (2014). Talking (& not talking) about race, social class, & dis/ability: Toward a margin-to-margin approach. Race Ethnicity and Education, 17(4), 471-493.
Gillborn, D. (2015). Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and the Primacy of Racism: Race, Class, Gender, and Disability in Education. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(3), 277-287.
Hoyles, A. & Hoyles. M. (2010) Race and dyslexia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 13(2), 209-223.
Petersen, A. (2006). An African-American woman with disabilities: the intersection of gender, race and disability. Disability & Society, 21(7), 721-734.
Robinson, S. A. (2016b). Remediating the Learning Disabilities of Black Males: Implications for PK–12 Teaching. Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, 15(1), 159-173.
Robinson, S. A. (2016a). Triple Identity Theory: A theoretical framework for understanding gifted Black males with dyslexia. Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals, 41(1), 147-158.
Robinson, S. A. (2015a). Overcoming dyslexia with fortitude: One man’s journey for an education. Wisconsin English Journal, 57(2), 36-48.
Robinson S. A. (2015b). Navigating The Academic Systems Through Three Perspectives: A Twice Exceptional, Black Male, with Dyslexia. An autoethnographic account (Doctoral Dissertation). LC 4818.38.R63. Milwaukee, WI: Cardinal Stritch University.
Robinson, S. A. (2014). Black males with dyslexia in Wisconsin getting left behind: Recommendations for academic attainment. Wisconsin English Journal, 56(2), 55-67.
Robinson, S. A. (2013). Educating Black males with dyslexia. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 3(3), 159-174.
Wang, C. W., & Neihart, M. (2015). Academic Self-Concept and Academic Self-Efficacy: Self-Beliefs Enable Academic Achievement of Twice-Exceptional Students. Roeper Review, 37(2), 63-73.
Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.