Jeff Duncan- Andrade Speech Review

The video above was shown to us in class and we were asked to share our thoughts about the video. If you have not seen the video I would encourage you to give it a try. Also check out the website where it shows the project he is involved with HERE .

Jeff Duncan-Andrade's speech is about the growing violence in Oakland and the effects on the children that grow up there. When we were watching this video in class our instructor stopped the video at the beginning and asked us what we thought the video was going to be about. The majority opinion was that it was to be about discrimination, poverty, or the problems with privilege. This video did not go that route, he starts talking about how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is what the kids are facing. Duncan-Andrade says that because of the constant trauma that the "post" is unnecessary, since it is current. There are people in my life who have PTSD, I know how hard it can be to live with it, and to imagine these children or teens living with it is just horrible. 

My particular favorite thing about his speech is that he wants to help Oakland from within it's schools. That he and other teachers can provide a sort of "safe haven" for the kids is a genius idea. It reminds me of what I was saying in an earlier post, that teachers need to be more caring for their students. It is not surprising that this video and the Passion Project both believe that when teachers are more understanding to their students in the classroom. The result is that children feel safer and that school will be a more enjoyable experience. School can be an escape from the dangers in their neighborhood.


We were asked to provide some questions for the readers to consider. I had a tricky time coming up with these, nevertheless here they are:

• What are some techniques teachers could use to make the classroom feel like a safe place?
• Do you think that improving the school system in Oakland will eventually lower the murder rate in Oakland?
• Do you think that treating children for Post Traumatic Stress in schools is a good idea? If not, where else?