Classroom Power Defined

"When a people are mired in oppression, they realize deliverance only when they have accumulated the power to enforce change. The powerful never lose opportunities-they remain available to them. They powerless, on the other hand, never experience opportunity-it is always arriving at a later time."
-Excerpt from The Black Power Defined, MLK, 1967

It would be misleading to tell young people that we can change the world from inside the classroom. It would also be misleading for me to believe nutrition is a top priority for most of these young people. But, putting their "enforcement of positive change" as an agenda item and giving them the skills and the reason to opt-out of the oppressive system and demand more for themselves, changes the tone of the classroom. Obviously tone isn't enough. It's not until these students actually experience a moment of enforcement that they will feel the beginnings of their power. Encouragement for them at this point is necessary because power, as was made clear by MLK, does not come knocking at the door of the oppressed, must be prepared for and seized when seen approaching.

Opting out is an interesting and engaging idea. But how can a young man living in a facility or any large urban area opt-out of the fast-food/cooking-disabled culture of the American city? Through thoughtfulness. First comes the motivation to be thoughtful and helpful to yourself and others, and then the time to plan what that thoughtfulness and helpfulness ought to look like, and then the skills to implement the plan. Unfortunately, there is difficulty at every turn in this equation. Motivation is difficult to foster, focusing in on a plan requires sketching a practical guide to get from where you are now to where you want to be in the future, and skill-building requires a teacher with the desired skills and the ability to teach them well.

This is not to say that the process is impossible. On the contrary, whenever young people are faced with a situation like this and they have the motivation to begin and the community of people to plan with, they will always find the a way to learn the skills and their energy will propel them close if not directly to the finish line.