For those who watch football, imagine; Pats are deep in their own territory and they run the ball every play, straight up the middle. Now, for those who don’t watch football, just know, that's a pretty ridiculous strategy, even though it's called football not throw ball. Fact is, different strategies and plays will have varying chances of success depending on a variety of factors. Adapting for those factors makes the difference between being 5-1 or 2-4 going into next week's game.

Now, imagine going into every school, every corporate event, every school board meeting and saying, "you are all racists and you are holding up a system based on White supremacy. Feel your White guilt, throw off your White privilege and change." Ummmm, yeah. That's running straight up the middle. Before you can get that 10 yard sentence out, the opposing team will shut you down. 

What are your goals in having conversations on issues of equity and inclusivity? Do you want students to feel welcome whether they are in the majority or minority on campuses? Do you want the stories and heroes our kids learn about to reflect all kinds of people? Do want the musical, artistic and scientific accomplishments of various populations to be known so that we see the world in all its diversity? Do you want students to learn from curriculum that allows them to understand that everyone has something of value to contribute? Those are my goals and I talk to people with those goals in view. I don't run up the middle on every play. It's not effective, it can even be counterproductive. Running up the middle is not the play coaches pull out in every situation so why should it be a foundational strategy for those of us working toward societal change?

This isn't football, it's more like persuasive essay writing. It's about helping people to see the goal so that they want to get on board with making classrooms and campuses welcoming places for every child every day. I'm gonna run up the middle with this one and say, STOP GOING UP THE MIDDLE. Use language and strategies that inspire. The work is too important to do otherwise. 

Here's more on playing to win from Friday's A Spoonful of Sugar, as well as E44, Isms and Phobes.