XIT’s Reservation of Education is one of those songs that reminds me of the history of people of color in the United States. The song references the history of native peoples within the American education system. It makes me reflect on the experience of the aboriginal people of this land, forced to adopt the ways of the colonizing group.
We must acknowledge that the history of education in the United States is filled with pain and struggle. People of color, women, and people with disabilities have struggled to receive an equitable education. The integration of these groups into the educational system came only after much fighting from activist around the world. Yet, we still fail to do the work needed to help those who need it.
People with disability are marginalized, considered “other.” We live in a world that believes people with disabilities as people who need to be fixed. We have collectively subscribed to the medical model of disability. The latter suggests that disability is a condition that needs to be fixed. This way of thinking only supports socialized ideas of “normalcy” that continue to sustain the discrimination of people with disabilities.
Defining Equity 