How do we come together as a nation of Black Americans to take a stand against the moral degredation that's plaguing our communities?

[Brian Kennedy]

I am a leader and activist in Washington D.C. I want to lead my city on a journey to moral reform. I need some feedback on this subject, so I can objectively form a meaningful discussion no this matter.

[Rodney Prince]

So, we galvanize the people around the issue of a failed school system.  We petition elected officials to push for policy changes that allow charter schools.  We do this all under the leadership of someone who has worked in charter school administration and can provide vision and direction.  We keep the community active and interested by engaging them through protest/activism.  We allow consensus recommendations to be built in to the structure of the schools. Does charter schools have a Board of Directors?  If so, is this board voted in by people of the community?  What I am thinking is that the members of the board can reflect the will of the people if they were voted in by the people......that way if a new norm or value needs to be transmitted, the board can vote and that will serve as community consensus.  These board members can be made up of identifiable community leadership.  Just my thoughts.  What do you think?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

i think other members and yourself spoke to how communities need to mobilize and, first, acknowledge that there is a moral degradation; second, these meetings should honor solutions to this plague. i believe it more effective for a community to propose a charter school than for a charter school to outreach because parental (community) involvement is vital in the success of youth empowerment. we should look to the parents of mckinley elementary school in compton, ca who chose to request a charter school in lieu of their present school that has failed their children for years. schools cannot miraculously saves lives; the saving force comes from an entire village(community). to request a charter school is a step by step process that varies from state to state but i suggest targeted communities have the the willpower to ferociously petition and withstand tedious board meetings. 

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Min. W.D. Patterson]

I am genuinely pleased and impressed about the fact that Smiley & West took it upon themselves to start this "thought provoking and intelligent conversation" that exemplifies to true dialog and character of Black-American culture. As a social scientist I have concluded that the local black culture is in high demand but the least understood culture in the world from a geographic perspective.

 

Since the dissolution of the institution of slavery for labor exploitation there's been no real tangible need for blacks anymore. Therefore, the evolution of the newest and survivingest culture on planet earth has been intentionally phased into the background of everything needed in order to equate the competitive state of being and mere existence in the USA. In other words other cultures from whom we need and depend on have never been required to know anything truthfully about black culture thus rendering them culturally illiterate and incompetent of providing the necessary services that blacks so desperately need and depend upon. On the other hand blacks have to know everything about every other culture in order to interact and communicate their needs as consumers. This is primarily due to the fact that blacks do not own, manufacturer, or produce anything marketable except their talents and skills to entertain. These are not tangible products that can be traded or sold to consumers around the world. Cotton is no longer king of cash crops internationally! Are blacks to be considered not as good or inferior to whites of European descent because of this?

 

The "minstrel professions" as I have scientifically termed are the only areas where blacks overwhelmingly succeed. There are many extremely wealthy Oprahs, Cosbys, O.J. Simpsons etc in show business and sports. But what does this tell the rest of us who are in professions such as medicine, scientist, engineers, architect and so on? Why are they not allowed to excel as the blacks in the "minstrel professions?" Clue: Research Roman history and the gladiators and make your analysis and comparisons. Expendable? Yes! There is a cost to be paid and it's usually a fatal one at a disproportionate ratio. There are however a few exceptions such as Famous Amos Cookies and Bronner Brothers Hair Products mostly consumed by the blacks anyway. And to add insult to injury I am told that Famous Amos is no longer black owned and operated.

In summary what I have shared to provoke your thoughts and imaginations is that since slavery there no longer exist a demand or need for blacks which basically makes us a burden. Therefore blacks are a risk to the economy. When you are in this classification you are considered highly expendable by any means necessary. We can certainly wake up and look around us to see that there are systems in place which allow the applied science of Holocaust amongst blacks.

 

"Some people still believe that Hitler was the most evil man in the world. Hitler killed over 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. Hitler disliked the Jews. He was trying to kill all Jews because of their beliefs and because he felt that Jews were not as good as Germans. We need to learn about Hitler and all the evil things he did."(http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210520/hitler.htm)

 

Can you note or see any parallels and/or similarities here? What do you propose to do about this? What are you doing about this state of affairs in the United States of America? If you are one of those naive blacks whose living well amongst the top white ruling class and thinking all is well, do you think for one moment that they will just come out and reveal this well-thought out plan to you? Well, the digital study of their behaviors over a long expanse of time reflects a different view. A view that is not readily visible to the naked uneducated and untrained eye. Especially those of us both black and white who do not know our true black history in order to self-deprogram for a healing to occur from within.

 

feel free to humbly send your direct or confidential comments to: [e-mail]

Min. W.D. Patterson said:

To the "leader and activist in Washington D.C,"

I am with you and wanted everyone to see just how it is that we should come forward in support of each other despite our past differences. I commend you on your positive position of leading your city in a movement for "moral reform." Though there are various names and terms that are being used to encapsulate the same ideology we must commit in unity to move forward and upward. I am a black social scientist who has been thinking and living outside of the box for some time now.I have come to intellectually realize the sickening state of affairs with our national culture. I have personally termed this as a "Post Antebellum Healing & Debriefing" movement. However, we need to be as real as real can get about this and seek out the adversary amongst us first. I  have termed this entity as "B.T.H.O.B.B.'s" (Blacks That Hold Other Blacks Back). The term "Uncle Tom" is too offensive, not original, and has out-lived it's usefulness in this day and age. B.T.H.O.B.B is more respectful way of identifying those of us who have forsaken their past identity in order to survive with the fittest (white-privileged) groups in our society. Let's STOP FAULTING EACH OTHER for this and move forward with or without them? Then and only then will a proactive stance of freedom from white control be inevitably measurable!! Contact me at [e-mail] and LISTEN to LIVE Internet TALK-RADIO Shows every Saturday at 9:00pm PST by calling 1-661-449-9333 and tuning in to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_black_plight-in-america to provide your own insight and input to the global listening audience. There are more people outside of the USA that have an interest in the upward mobility of Black-America than there are amongst Black-Americans themselves according to recent research polls. A shameful thing to ponder that we are all locked up with the keys in our pockets!

Min. W.D. Patterson THINKING ABOUT IT 1st?

[Bro. Zak X]

Nicely said Good Sister. Question for you. In respects to education, what is your opinion on starting Boarding Schools verses Charter Schools?

"Separate schools for OUR girls, and boys." My reasoning for this is, if we are going to do it right, we need to look at all the conditions that have created this Mutation of an Hue-man-Being the so-called African American. One being, is the the black home is not normal in the first place, and in many situations parents, and or guardians are just as uneducated in their responsibilities of establishing the basic foundation of a (Mentally and Physically) healthy home environment .

So in establishing this institution, we need to consider removing all possible contaminates from are children leaving no room for toxins (inferior ego complex) ever seeping in the mind and hearts of are beautiful future. Returning the Black Man and Black Woman to their rightful place in this universe.   Peace be unto you all and your families.
safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

 

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Bro. Zak X]

Amen to that Sister Sweet Tea!!! The rearing of children Starts and Ends at home. Schools are just an addition to the factor. Mathematics=Logical and practical thinking, which begins from the cradle.

 

In educating a child, we need to Over-stand how the mind is impacted with information. We have the ability to teach Directly by are own Good, and or Bad behaviors, or Indirectly by not properly putting in check our wrong behavior's, as well as our children's.   So when we sending them off to school, we create an environment of learning, and respect verses a TERROR DOME!  

SweeTea said:

moral standards come from parents first and foremost.  No parents than somebody else will teach our children morals.  Gang members have no problem stepping in as substitute parents.  Teach one, tell one.  Schools are institutions of learning, that is all.  Having schools teach moral values is like going to the hospital to rent a car.  If you go the the emergency room talking about you want to rent a car, they are going to admit you to the psych ward.  Teachers have a hard enough time teaching the material let alone instilling moral standards, that is not their responsibility.

[Bro. Zak X]

Peace and greeting Brother Rodney. With all do respect Brother "Petitioning politician is like petitioning the Devil for a water cooler in hell".  This is where we fail to acknowledge our past and current relationship with our enemies, both White Folk, and House Negro's and their slave mentality.... Which by the way, is one of the main reasons why we're in this debacle.

 

Begging White folks for God given rights, and at the same time demanding respect is completely Perverted, and an Abomination.  We have applied this methodology for generation's, and it has failed every time.  It is time we stop rationalizing with the truth, and unionize our beautiful GOD given common sense.  Peace Family.

Rodney Prince said:

So, we galvanize the people around the issue of a failed school system.  We petition elected officials to push for policy changes that allow charter schools.  We do this all under the leadership of someone who has worked in charter school administration and can provide vision and direction.  We keep the community active and interested by engaging them through protest/activism.  We allow consensus recommendations to be built in to the structure of the schools. Does charter schools have a Board of Directors?  If so, is this board voted in by people of the community?  What I am thinking is that the members of the board can reflect the will of the people if they were voted in by the people......that way if a new norm or value needs to be transmitted, the board can vote and that will serve as community consensus.  These board members can be made up of identifiable community leadership.  Just my thoughts.  What do you think?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

i think other members and yourself spoke to how communities need to mobilize and, first, acknowledge that there is a moral degradation; second, these meetings should honor solutions to this plague. i believe it more effective for a community to propose a charter school than for a charter school to outreach because parental (community) involvement is vital in the success of youth empowerment. we should look to the parents of mckinley elementary school in compton, ca who chose to request a charter school in lieu of their present school that has failed their children for years. schools cannot miraculously saves lives; the saving force comes from an entire village(community). to request a charter school is a step by step process that varies from state to state but i suggest targeted communities have the the willpower to ferociously petition and withstand tedious board meetings. 

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Bro. Zak X]

Yes Sir!!! Good Brother... True Indeed, True Indeed!!!!

Brian Kennedy said:

I think that the school system could be proactive in a push for moral excellence but it's going to take a push from the community to make that a reality. We have a responsibility to make it a goal to have moral excellence taught in every learning environment so that it will become normal to say 1+1=2 and love+integrity=character.

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Bro. Zak X]

Peace and Greeting Bro. Minister. Much truth indeed. But I beg to differ with your comment on the so called Jews and the their Holocaust. Without writing extensively about that event, I would like to set up the parity for our beloved family to what we have been taught by the various mediums on this subject with these recording of

 

Benjamin H. Freeman (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F5BE694962EA793E).

 

This way we have some what of a balance of information on that subject, so that with our beautiful minds we can render what really happened. Peace 

Min. W.D. Patterson said:

I am genuinely pleased and impressed about the fact that Smiley & West took it upon themselves to start this "thought provoking and intelligent conversation" that exemplifies to true dialog and character of Black-American culture. As a social scientist I have concluded that the local black culture is in high demand but the least understood culture in the world from a geographic perspective.

 

Since the dissolution of the institution of slavery for labor exploitation there's been no real tangible need for blacks anymore. Therefore, the evolution of the newest and survivingest culture on planet earth has been intentionally phased into the background of everything needed in order to equate the competitive state of being and mere existence in the USA. In other words other cultures from whom we need and depend on have never been required to know anything truthfully about black culture thus rendering them culturally illiterate and incompetent of providing the necessary services that blacks so desperately need and depend upon. On the other hand blacks have to know everything about every other culture in order to interact and communicate their needs as consumers. This is primarily due to the fact that blacks do not own, manufacturer, or produce anything marketable except their talents and skills to entertain. These are not tangible products that can be traded or sold to consumers around the world. Cotton is no longer king of cash crops internationally! Are blacks to be considered not as good or inferior to whites of European descent because of this?

 

The "minstrel professions" as I have scientifically termed are the only areas where blacks overwhelmingly succeed. There are many extremely wealthy Oprahs, Cosbys, O.J. Simpsons etc in show business and sports. But what does this tell the rest of us who are in professions such as medicine, scientist, engineers, architect and so on? Why are they not allowed to excel as the blacks in the "minstrel professions?" Clue: Research Roman history and the gladiators and make your analysis and comparisons. Expendable? Yes! There is a cost to be paid and it's usually a fatal one at a disproportionate ratio. There are however a few exceptions such as Famous Amos Cookies and Bronner Brothers Hair Products mostly consumed by the blacks anyway. And to add insult to injury I am told that Famous Amos is no longer black owned and operated.

In summary what I have shared to provoke your thoughts and imaginations is that since slavery there no longer exist a demand or need for blacks which basically makes us a burden. Therefore blacks are a risk to the economy. When you are in this classification you are considered highly expendable by any means necessary. We can certainly wake up and look around us to see that there are systems in place which allow the applied science of Holocaust amongst blacks.

 

"Some people still believe that Hitler was the most evil man in the world. Hitler killed over 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. Hitler disliked the Jews. He was trying to kill all Jews because of their beliefs and because he felt that Jews were not as good as Germans. We need to learn about Hitler and all the evil things he did."(http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210520/hitler.htm)

 

Can you note or see any parallels and/or similarities here? What do you propose to do about this? What are you doing about this state of affairs in the United States of America? If you are one of those naive blacks whose living well amongst the top white ruling class and thinking all is well, do you think for one moment that they will just come out and reveal this well-thought out plan to you? Well, the digital study of their behaviors over a long expanse of time reflects a different view. A view that is not readily visible to the naked uneducated and untrained eye. Especially those of us both black and white who do not know our true black history in order to self-deprogram for a healing to occur from within.

 

feel free to humbly send your direct or confidential comments to: [e-mail]

Min. W.D. Patterson said:

To the "leader and activist in Washington D.C,"

I am with you and wanted everyone to see just how it is that we should come forward in support of each other despite our past differences. I commend you on your positive position of leading your city in a movement for "moral reform." Though there are various names and terms that are being used to encapsulate the same ideology we must commit in unity to move forward and upward. I am a black social scientist who has been thinking and living outside of the box for some time now.I have come to intellectually realize the sickening state of affairs with our national culture. I have personally termed this as a "Post Antebellum Healing & Debriefing" movement. However, we need to be as real as real can get about this and seek out the adversary amongst us first. I  have termed this entity as "B.T.H.O.B.B.'s" (Blacks That Hold Other Blacks Back). The term "Uncle Tom" is too offensive, not original, and has out-lived it's usefulness in this day and age. B.T.H.O.B.B is more respectful way of identifying those of us who have forsaken their past identity in order to survive with the fittest (white-privileged) groups in our society. Let's STOP FAULTING EACH OTHER for this and move forward with or without them? Then and only then will a proactive stance of freedom from white control be inevitably measurable!! Contact me at [e-mail] and LISTEN to LIVE Internet TALK-RADIO Shows every Saturday at 9:00pm PST by calling 1-661-449-9333 and tuning in to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_black_plight-in-america to provide your own insight and input to the global listening audience. There are more people outside of the USA that have an interest in the upward mobility of Black-America than there are amongst Black-Americans themselves according to recent research polls. A shameful thing to ponder that we are all locked up with the keys in our pockets!

Min. W.D. Patterson THINKING ABOUT IT 1st?

[Beverly Parker]

i agree with you sister safirah 100% to further that, we need to look into state and federal mandates in standardize education and testing, with regards to how does it marginalize our children. even if you start a charter school, it will still be controlled by these government mandates. schools in areas of inner-cities often have difficulty recruiting good teachers and many colleges don't really teach them multicultural education; let alone anti-bias curriculum. many schools and teachers, because of the testing atmosphere, are having to "teach to the test," which results in rote, superficial learning. critical thinking skills are left by the wayside. there are many problems resulting from this. one is that the testing ends up including thinking skills after 4th grade. students are at risk of "tracking" but we don't use that term any more. the thinking skills are what are most critical. teachers often base intelligence on reading skills and they think reading skills are of utmost importance but if you think about it, in the civil rights movement in the 1960s they had to teach black adults to read in order for them to vote. could they not think? well of course they could and many brilliant minds they were. i digress.

point at hand-i believe #1 dialog such as in this forum, is powerful. #2 i believe critical thinking skills need to be insured for our children, at home, in our communities and at school. #3 parents need to exercise their presence and power in the school system. just be there, be visible, ask questions...

how many times have you heard of kids doing stupid things and you say to yourself, "what were they thinking!" when it comes to gangs, crime and drugs, that's where i ask myself, if they had a sense of belonging and purpose in there community AND critical thinking skills, how might this all change?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Beverly Parker]

just a quick comment about safirah's mention of technology. it is essential to provide technology to all students in this day and age but it doesn't ensure success. i work at a school that's population is primarily native american (casino money) and we have EVERYTHING! whole classes where each student has an iTouch with internet access on their desk! computer lab, class computers, LCD projectors, Elmos, all wireless. the district has full subscriptions to many online sites, you get it....well our kids are failing "the tests" and not motivated to be in school. dropping out in high school....: (

Rodney Prince said:

So, we galvanize the people around the issue of a failed school system.  We petition elected officials to push for policy changes that allow charter schools.  We do this all under the leadership of someone who has worked in charter school administration and can provide vision and direction.  We keep the community active and interested by engaging them through protest/activism.  We allow consensus recommendations to be built in to the structure of the schools. Does charter schools have a Board of Directors?  If so, is this board voted in by people of the community?  What I am thinking is that the members of the board can reflect the will of the people if they were voted in by the people......that way if a new norm or value needs to be transmitted, the board can vote and that will serve as community consensus.  These board members can be made up of identifiable community leadership.  Just my thoughts.  What do you think?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

i think other members and yourself spoke to how communities need to mobilize and, first, acknowledge that there is a moral degradation; second, these meetings should honor solutions to this plague. i believe it more effective for a community to propose a charter school than for a charter school to outreach because parental (community) involvement is vital in the success of youth empowerment. we should look to the parents of mckinley elementary school in compton, ca who chose to request a charter school in lieu of their present school that has failed their children for years. schools cannot miraculously saves lives; the saving force comes from an entire village(community). to request a charter school is a step by step process that varies from state to state but i suggest targeted communities have the the willpower to ferociously petition and withstand tedious board meetings. 

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Min. W.D. Patterson]

Beverly, Rodney, & safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu:

First of all I'd like to thank each of you for your wise input into this discussion. Apparently you've taken the leadership here and not by choice I assume? What I mean is that I know there are more people who read this Smiley and West thread since its inception. I feel that this evidences an invaluable sampling as to just where most blacks are at when it comes to restructuring the/an educational system in the United States of America that is both user friendly and inclusive of the least accomplishing of our youthful populace in this day and age.

 

Based on what you three have shared here in this forum I motion that you three are ceratinly qualified to head-up a new agency inside of the Department of Education as Czars for Action in Undertaking Scholastic Education (C.A.U.S.E.) for all black descendants of slavery in this country. <---This is my own personal recommendation to President Barack Obama and his current administration! We know very very that the very foundations of education in this country were not inclusive of blacks/negroes. As a matter of fact the Horace Mann Curriculum is yet widely practiced here. When this foundation was laid if a black had been caught with a book it would have meant certain punishment, usually death. This is very serious to me and should be to every reader of this forum. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why our children do not measure up and/or lack interest to standards and measure designed to fail them by not including their basic cultural behavioral factors.

 

I have for years been modeling my own behaviors and actions in a very noticiable public fashion in order to influence others in the ways evidenced to work successfully for our chiildren. I chose this method based on past studies and documented evidence of learned from experts and laymen alike as to what not to do in many cases when it came to the failure of educating black youths. having once been a black youth myself I could toatlly relate to my discoveries. Therfore, in my mind this qualifies me to nominate the three of you to the highest positions in the land for the post antebellum restructuring of education for the targeted groups.

Unless we become proactive and take a momentuous and continous stand for implementing these ideas both now and into well the future we will inevitably continue to fail them as in the past. In order to build a parallel foundation of education for our brilliant minded youths such ideas and strategies should not be an option up for argumant nor debate! I am here for you to do my small part in whatever way that God allows. Let us keep our ears to the rail and our hearts full of compassion for our black culture while we join together to go where no one has lead us before onward into the 21st century?

 

Lastly, Beverly Parker mentioned evidence of how technology impacted students of a similar dilema on the reservation. Having done scientific research under the Digital Divide Acts of 1999 & 2000 during the Clinto Administration I can share that the findings suggest a parallel behavior for blacks. Unless black students are taught this technology by culturally-competent instructors and tutors using state of the art equipment and software applications that are keep up-to-date we very well could be fighting a loosing battle. We blacks have a well-known inherent fear of this computer and internet technology which is totally treatable. The first step is an admission of this and being innocently ignorance through no fault of their own. This would clear the slate learn a technology that was not designed with blacks in mind and make the interest more appealing to our chlidren in a classroom setting.

 

I know a lot of what I've written here may sound silly but that's what was thought of us when this all this technology came into existence. The same way it came in we must employ a similar more inclusive strategy to usher that ideological mindset out. <---for what its worth-->my 2 cents!

 

Beverly Parker said:

just a quick comment about safirah's mention of technology. it is essential to provide technology to all students in this day and age but it doesn't ensure success. i work at a school that's population is primarily native american (casino money) and we have EVERYTHING! whole classes where each student has an iTouch with internet access on their desk! computer lab, class computers, LCD projectors, Elmos, all wireless. the district has full subscriptions to many online sites, you get it....well our kids are failing "the tests" and not motivated to be in school. dropping out in high school....: (

Rodney Prince said:

So, we galvanize the people around the issue of a failed school system.  We petition elected officials to push for policy changes that allow charter schools.  We do this all under the leadership of someone who has worked in charter school administration and can provide vision and direction.  We keep the community active and interested by engaging them through protest/activism.  We allow consensus recommendations to be built in to the structure of the schools. Does charter schools have a Board of Directors?  If so, is this board voted in by people of the community?  What I am thinking is that the members of the board can reflect the will of the people if they were voted in by the people......that way if a new norm or value needs to be transmitted, the board can vote and that will serve as community consensus.  These board members can be made up of identifiable community leadership.  Just my thoughts.  What do you think?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

i think other members and yourself spoke to how communities need to mobilize and, first, acknowledge that there is a moral degradation; second, these meetings should honor solutions to this plague. i believe it more effective for a community to propose a charter school than for a charter school to outreach because parental (community) involvement is vital in the success of youth empowerment. we should look to the parents of mckinley elementary school in compton, ca who chose to request a charter school in lieu of their present school that has failed their children for years. schools cannot miraculously saves lives; the saving force comes from an entire village(community). to request a charter school is a step by step process that varies from state to state but i suggest targeted communities have the the willpower to ferociously petition and withstand tedious board meetings. 

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Rodney Prince]

Beverly, are you saying that these mandates are culturally and/or class biased? Are you saying that our children are not passing these tests because they haven't been exposed to the experience or information that will allow them to interpret the questions? The reason I am asking, is that I heard that this is the case. I was once given an example that illustrated how a child born into a middle class family would have been exposed to certain words that poorer children would not have been exposed to. If this is what we are dealing with, we should demand that these mandates be created after class and cultural differences have been taking into consideration.
Beverly Parker said:

i agree with you sister safirah 100% to further that, we need to look into state and federal mandates in standardize education and testing, with regards to how does it marginalize our children. even if you start a charter school, it will still be controlled by these government mandates. schools in areas of inner-cities often have difficulty recruiting good teachers and many colleges don't really teach them multicultural education; let alone anti-bias curriculum. many schools and teachers, because of the testing atmosphere, are having to "teach to the test," which results in rote, superficial learning. critical thinking skills are left by the wayside. there are many problems resulting from this. one is that the testing ends up including thinking skills after 4th grade. students are at risk of "tracking" but we don't use that term any more. the thinking skills are what are most critical. teachers often base intelligence on reading skills and they think reading skills are of utmost importance but if you think about it, in the civil rights movement in the 1960s they had to teach black adults to read in order for them to vote. could they not think? well of course they could and many brilliant minds they were. i digress.

point at hand-i believe #1 dialog such as in this forum, is powerful. #2 i believe critical thinking skills need to be insured for our children, at home, in our communities and at school. #3 parents need to exercise their presence and power in the school system. just be there, be visible, ask questions...

how many times have you heard of kids doing stupid things and you say to yourself, "what were they thinking!" when it comes to gangs, crime and drugs, that's where i ask myself, if they had a sense of belonging and purpose in there community AND critical thinking skills, how might this all change?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.

[Rodney Prince]

So, we must ensure that the curriculum fosters a sense of self plus community, and gives vision and purpose? If we combine this with access to the latest technology, we will be preparing them to not only take their place in society, but to also be inclined to use their education to better the community in which they live.
Beverly Parker said:

just a quick comment about safirah's mention of technology. it is essential to provide technology to all students in this day and age but it doesn't ensure success. i work at a school that's population is primarily native american (casino money) and we have EVERYTHING! whole classes where each student has an iTouch with internet access on their desk! computer lab, class computers, LCD projectors, Elmos, all wireless. the district has full subscriptions to many online sites, you get it....well our kids are failing "the tests" and not motivated to be in school. dropping out in high school....: (

Rodney Prince said:

So, we galvanize the people around the issue of a failed school system.  We petition elected officials to push for policy changes that allow charter schools.  We do this all under the leadership of someone who has worked in charter school administration and can provide vision and direction.  We keep the community active and interested by engaging them through protest/activism.  We allow consensus recommendations to be built in to the structure of the schools. Does charter schools have a Board of Directors?  If so, is this board voted in by people of the community?  What I am thinking is that the members of the board can reflect the will of the people if they were voted in by the people......that way if a new norm or value needs to be transmitted, the board can vote and that will serve as community consensus.  These board members can be made up of identifiable community leadership.  Just my thoughts.  What do you think?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

i think other members and yourself spoke to how communities need to mobilize and, first, acknowledge that there is a moral degradation; second, these meetings should honor solutions to this plague. i believe it more effective for a community to propose a charter school than for a charter school to outreach because parental (community) involvement is vital in the success of youth empowerment. we should look to the parents of mckinley elementary school in compton, ca who chose to request a charter school in lieu of their present school that has failed their children for years. schools cannot miraculously saves lives; the saving force comes from an entire village(community). to request a charter school is a step by step process that varies from state to state but i suggest targeted communities have the the willpower to ferociously petition and withstand tedious board meetings. 

Rodney Prince said:

How can schools involve community in defining the desired norms and values?  Or, how can community develop shared norms and values and in turn partner with schools to help reinforce those norms and values?  Is there a step by step process?

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

hi rodney. yes i do believe schools should play a more active role of defining and transmitting the norms and values of its community. it's such a sticky issue because we can hardly define american norms and values. that's why i suggested a charter school that spoke to an african-american community. the school should reinforce what the parents instill in their children. we could free up from the politics of US public education and focus on knowledge of self and a god-fearing moral compass. studies have shown that the black literacy rate has decreased since integration. i condone separate but equal politics. if the black schools  had the same technological resources as white schools, i guarantee a higher graduation rate among blacks. if the black youth understood their heritage, even from the civil rights movement, they would be more aware of the odds against them and hopefully become more inspired to equip themselves with tools to postively impact society.
Rodney Prince said:

Hello, Safirah......I have a two part question. Should schools play a more active role in defining and transmitting norms and values? How would our children benefit from attending an afro-centric school versus a euro-centric school? 

safirah chinwe ibenana ofoegbu said:

youth empowerment. if we could start our own afro-centric charter schools. establish a youth mentoring program where mentors could garner college tuition.