I doubt that there are many people on Earth who will be able to understand what life will be like for Sasha and Malia Obama at Sidwell. Even though I knew that the Obamas would choose Sidwell for security reasons, among other things, I was somewhat disappointed. Not because the Obama kids going to public school would have been some kind of political symbol, but because this will likely be the first of many choices that unconsciously isolates Sasha and Malia from some of the struggles that defined their parents' upbringings, which for many parents, is just the idea. But in a city that is mostly black, they will be attending a school with few black teachers and few black students, and I wonder what they will make of that. Because of who their parents are, Sasha and Malia will be icons in ways we probably really don't understand yet, and their Sidwell experience will no doubt play a large role in shaping the people they are to become.
At my other gig over at Jack and Jill Politics, Cheryl Contee has a post up about her experience at Sidwell, particularly one surreal event involving a very political teacher and the child of a Reagan diplomat who crafted American policy towards South Africa in the '80s. (I highly recommend reading her post. It's sort of an odd coincidence that Baratunde, Cheryl and I all have District roots, but their understanding of Sidwell is different than mine since they actually went there, and I just hated on kids who went there like public school kids in DC do.) As Cheryl explains, the Obama girls may have to confront in their social lives the repercussions of whatever Obama does while in office in ways they're probably not used to.
The Obamas need to know that their children will become probably a lot better educated about their father's government, beliefs and policies than they ever have before through going to Sidwell. At a minimum, they should be prepared to answer some direct & specific questions that don't involve dolls, High School Musical, Gossip Girls, puppies nor slumber parties. No matter what reassurances administrators may give, politics is pervasive at Sidwell and really everywhere else in DC. Especially when the powerful mix.
Also, there are a very few African-American teachers at Sidwell and the Obama girls will necessarily have a slightly different relationship and experience with them than they will with their other teachers — just as I did as a kid. It's a strange phenomenon but sometimes black Sidwell graduates come back to teach there. Teachers with that profile have the potential to become powerful allies, mentors and confidantes for the Obama girls as adults who will be able to understand the way few others there will some of the feelings they will experience. Because what Malia and Sasha will experience won't be exactly like Chelsea Clinton's road through Sidwell.
No, I expect it won't be. Baratunde and Cheryl will be doing a kind of series on this, so I highly recommend checking back. The first entry is here.
-- A. Serwer
