I teach Business to Business Marketing on Thursday nights at UC. I don't know all my students to the effect that I could easily call them by their names. But I recognize when certain people are missing.
I only have 3 African-American students in my class - 2 male, 1 female.
Last night the female walks up to me and says, "I'm so sorry that I missed class last week..." and proceeds to tell me a story about why she missed class that isn't necessary to be repeated. Anyway, I probably noticed at the time that she was missing, but it wasn't necessarily something that I was thinking about right at that moment.
I jokingly said, "Oh, I noticed you weren't here, and we missed you terribly."
To which she responded, "There are only a few of us in the class, I know that you notice when I'm gone."
Uh... long pause.
Student watched me trying to determine if I respond that she is correct, is it considered racist?
Then she said, "It's cool, I said it first. I'm the only black girl in here."
You can't really convey her reaction in writing, but as she went on to talk, I decided that I like her just a little more than the others... other students in general that is. She gets an A! Well, maybe... I mean, she did miss that one class...
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