A five-year-old boy goes to school with a white net over his hair—he has scalp ringworm, and it is very contagious. The little boy goes home, and his parents tell him that the school called, and that he gets to be a part of a program that will cure his ringworm. But, when the little boy goes in for treatments, his body is subjected to radiation. The adults giving the radiation did not know how to use the machine. He hears one of them say, “Oh no! I’ve given him too much!” That amount of radiation should have caused death.
Now, he lives with a plate-sized wound on his skull. He used to wear wigs; now he wears a beanie. He never got married, never trusted anyone enough to show them his bloody, pus-filled hole. A friend recalls him saying that only 4 people have ever seen it. This is the life of Vertus Hardiman, an African-American man born in 1921. The radiation experiment was performed on him in Lyles Station, Indiana.
Dr Wilbert Smith, whose documentary Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed delves in Hardiman’s world, spoke on campus this winter as a part of the Martin Luther King Jr Study Weekend. During his community conversation at Umble Center on January 20, 2013, Dr Smith addressed the issues of health care and race, and a Peace and Conflict Studies class provided information regarding the long history of African-American medical experiements. Although Dr Smith’s presentation was not focused on education, much of what he said was directly applicable to the life of a teacher.
“What are you going to do when the next Vertus Hardiman walks into the room?” asks Dr Smith. “Even if you don’t know that you are, you can be a part of the problem.” Dr Smith challenged us to know others. It is only through recognizing that we have so many similarities, and so few differences, that we can turn our stories into ones that avoid injustices like Hardiman experienced. Regina Shands-Stoltzfus called students to remember that stories are precious, and holding others’ stories is an important part of our work as human beings.
As an English teacher, the idea of the importance of holding others’ stories really spoke to me. I think of my future classroom—what will they look like? Whether I teach in the suburbs or the inner city, I need to know my students and understand their stories. Multicultural literature is a beautiful way to show students that not only is their story valued, but it a part of the set of writings worth reading. Multicultural literature allows students to take pride in their own experiences and culture, and also reminds them of the importance of knowing others’ stories as well.
In some sense, English teachers are charged with a more practical goal than other teachers. Gilberto Perez, a professor of social work at Goshen College, reminded the audience that despite the perceptions of Americans, the US is not living in a post-racial society. Teachers, and other authority figures, need to work to eradicate racism. One of the most important steps to its eradication is awareness and acknowledgement of its existence by the younger generations. By carefully selecting the texts, authors, and messages—aiming to widen the literary canon and celebrate authors from all races, religions, ethnicities, and orientations—our community can begin to heal old wounds and prevent new ones. Shalom, a peace and wholeness of body, spirit, and mind, will be possible for us as individuals and our wider community when stories are known and valued.
