Coping in Copenhagen: From Berlin and Back
Years ago, I read Edward Said's Out of Place and upon reading it I was struck by the lack of positive role models he had as a child, growing up. His teachers seemed to negate his very existence and it reminded me of how very opposite my experiences in the New York City Education system had been. Mind you, this is written by a woman who as a girl had gotten suspended from school in the 5th grade, and who also attended what was considered the worst High School in New York City: Washington Irving (we made it on the front page of the New York Post the day we installed metal detectors). So bear this in mind as I weave the rest of this tale: I always loved school. School offered me respite from the chaotic nature of my home life. At school, I was given structure and I excelled. I also came into contact with incredible human beings--the teaching staff and students. I attended P.S.152 on Glenwood Avenue and when I began, something peculiar had already been in the process: Blacks were m...