Taking action means dealing with the messiness of the world.

Photo by Onni Anttoora on Unsplash

I tutor adults who, for whatever reason, weren’t well-served by the education system as younger people. Most of them are trying to get a high school equivalency certificate, or otherwise improve their lives via education.

I know some of the people I have served are racists. Some have bad attitudes towards women. They don’t generally tell me outright since I don’t tolerate off-topic conversation like that during our class time, but I can safely assume that among those I have served are people whose behavior and politics I would find disagreeable. Their tattoos also give them away sometimes.

I believe that by serving students in this way I am helping them resolve the confusions and insecurities that helped give rise to their racism and sexism, along with whatever other moral failings they might suffer from. They see me serve black women with the same care as I serve white men, and I hope that means something to them. I’d like to think that by gaining their respect and trust I am able to move them away from their bigotry by modeling better behavior.

Serving them also helps humanize them in my own eyes, which I hope helps make me a better person.