If I Were A Middle Class, Middle Age White Man

This past Monday, Forbes.com posted the article "If I Were a Poor Black Kid." (read it while you can, they took it down once then reposted. Who knows how long it will be up this time.) As you can imagine, it was not written by a poor black kid or someone who used to be a poor black kid. It was written by Gene Marks, a middle class, middle age white guy.... Yeah. Anyway, here is my brief response scribbled out this morning. Anything further may cause me to go into convulsions.

If I were a middle class middle age white man

-I'd probably know nothing of institutional racism and how it impacts the "poor black kids" I seem so concerned about

-I'd probably jump on the "what's wrong with black folks" bandwagon just to gain some notoriety. After all, where is the 15 minutes of fame in calling out the "power players," the ones who create policies that could potentially help (or harm) these kids?

-I'd think that simply working/studying hard is all it takes to be successful, because that's all it took for me right? I mean, the privilege that comes with melanin-deficient skin surely didn't have anything to do with it

-I'd assume that the crime found in many "lower class" neighborhoods had no effect on those not directly involved. After all, the thugs are on the street so the good kids should be at home studying! Never mind the psychological impact of fear of violence, fear of not having the necessities, having to work to help their families out, etc. may have on a child.

-I'd make grand suggestions (which are really just the same old bs on how to achieve the "American dream") with the assumption that "they just don't know" and need a savior to lead the way

-I'd probably not have any true interaction with these poor black kids I speak of, never volunteered in a school or mentoring program. But I know enough from what I see on TV right? Besides, I've given them everything they need in my article... And if they can just walk to a library in their neighborhood with decent up-to-date technology (which surely they must have) they can read all about it....

-I'd probably have the best intentions... Or at least I'd be able to convince you that I did

Afternoon Quickie: Never Too Late

I hope all of you had a wonderful Labor Day! It was pretty overcast here, thanks to tropical storm Lee. So I stayed indoors and worked on myself, inside and out. On the outside, I took care of my hair, face, hands and feet. Inside? Well, that's a bit more complicated. I'm reading business, writing... Basically trying to push myself towards the life I really want. My goal for today (and for life, really) is to realize that it is never too late to be who I might have been. (That's a paraphrased George Eliot quote by the way.)

Recently, I've been reading more and more about people who decided to forgo the "safe" path and follow their dreams, even when they were well into their 50s and 60s. Here I am in my mid-20s, why shouldn't I go for it? The thing now is determining what to go for and how to go after it. I'm seriously considering going back to school, this time for a Masters in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. Although some may see pursuing another Masters as overkill, I see it fitting perfectly in my grand scheme of things. For a while I beat myself up for not looking into PR while I was in undergrad (after I realized fashion design was out, I blindly chose business administration under the assumption that I would always be able to find a job with that). But I quickly realized that focusing on that bad decision would get me nowhere. Instead, I needed to find a solution for the here and now. Once I set my sights on that, things because clearer and I was able to start taking steps towards the life I want.

I'm encouraging each of you to follow your passions. Whether it is changing careers, going back to school, running a marathon or simply learning to cook a different cuisine... Whatever you want to do is within your reach. As long as you're breathing, it's not too late. So what are you waiting for? Go out and make something happen!

Hot Links

Sometimes, instead of rehashing certain topics, I find others who have covered it so well that I can't say it any better. There are also topics that are new to me, or beyond my scope of reference that I find myself interested in. Since these stories and topics stood out to me this week, I'm sharing them with you. Be sure to visit these sites and give a read.

Dark Girls. The preview of this documentary popped up all over the internet yesterday. I'm anxious to see it, as I could relate to a lot of what the women were saying about their experiences, especially as children. Hopefully this will not cause a further rift in the black community, but instead help to foster dialog about colorism. Check the video and conversation on O Hell Nawl. I didn't join in this time because I got too emotional every time I started to comment. I'll try to give my thoughts once I see it.

"Easy Bake Feminism" on The Feminist Griote really struck me. She speaks of Beyoncé (and other female entertainers) who claim their sexuality as feminism and "girl power," but are still stuck playing by the boys' rules. I've never self-identified as a feminist, but it has always been peculiar to me that what many seem to consider "empowered" looks much like the chauvinistic behavior of men in the past. She was able to articulate that thought a lot clearer than I ever could, so give it a read and some thought.

Recently Cornell West has been in the spotlight for his criticisms of President Obama. Although he made very valid points, many have stated that how he said it overshadowed what he said. Instead of looking at the jilted lover tone, coop10 on Jack & Jill Politics has a fresh take on "The Linguistic Problem with Cornell West's Attack on The President."

Over on The Atlanta Post, they discuss Peter Thiel. The co-founder of PayPal had the same epiphany I did (although mine was several years too late): automatically going from high school to college isn't always a great idea. He is so convinced of this that he is offering a fellowship which requires delaying higher education--or putting it off altogether. Where was he eight years ago?

Just in time for swimsuit season, The Curvy Fashionista posted about over-confidence and "big girl shame." Big girl shame is something I was all too familiar with at one point (and still struggle with from time to time). Marie Denee discusses two articles that take aim at the plus-sized women with body confidence. Excellent post.

Goddess Intellect discusses acceptance of the female body in "Naked Female Bodies and Booty Shaking." She also discusses & disagrees with the criticism of Beyoncé's video for scantily clad women and "too much booty shaking." On what side of the argument do you fall?

100 percent of school's first class college-bound

I saw this story on television a few months ago (maybe it was on the Today Show, or Black in America 2, IDK) but I don't think I shared it here. Even if I did, it's worth revisiting. I love seeing young black men going against the status quo, determined to do something with their lives! This is proof that where you're from, how poor you are and what others say/expect are NOTHING when met with positive role models who demand the best, encourage youths to follow their dreams, and give them the tools to be successful. And as a Jacksonian, I am proud that one of these young men will be a Tiger!

 

Class of 2010 students shown with their red and gold ties, signifying acceptance to at least one college.

 

By SHARON COHEN, AP National Writer Sharon Cohen, Ap National Writer – Mon Jun 28, 1:56 am ET

CHICAGO – For each boy, the new school offered an escape and a chance at a life that seemed beyond reach.
Krishaun Branch was getting D's, smoking reefer a lot, skipping school twice a week. His mother was too busy working to know what he was doing. He liked to hang out in the streets; having relatives in gangs was his armor.

When a young man came to tell his eighth-grade class about a new high school on Chicago's South Side, Krishaun wanted no part of it — until he heard students would have laptops. Suddenly, he was on board.

Marlon Marshall was nonchalant about everything, school included. His mother pressed him to go to college, but it seemed like a pipe dream. Sometimes she'd yell at him and his brothers for his bad grades. Once she just cried when she picked up their report cards.

Marlon had heard, too, about the new school. Students would be accepted by lottery so his mediocre grades wouldn't disqualify him. He thought it was worth a shot.

Marcus Bass figured there just had to be something better for him. Barely a teen, he'd been shot at, robbed a couple of times and had seen terrible things in his housing project. His parents argued constantly; life was chaotic.

He was sold by the recruiter's description of a "different" high school.

Urban Prep would be a charter high school. It would bring together some 150 boys from some of the poorest, gang-ravaged neighborhoods and try to set them on a new track. They'd have strict rules: A longer school day — by two hours. Two classes of English daily. A uniform with jackets and ties.

And Urban Prep had a goal — one that seemed audacious, given that just 4 percent of the Class of 2010 was reading at or above grade level when they arrived at the school in 2006.

In four years, they were told, they'd be heading to college.
___

From the very start, Tim King had a grand plan.
"I wanted to create a school that was going to put black boys in a different place," says the founder of Urban Prep, "and in my mind, that different place needed to be college."
It had taken four years for King to win permission to open the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men, which receives about 75 percent of its funding from the Chicago public schools; the rest is private.
King's plan was both idealistic and grounded in the harsh realities of inner-city life: He'd take boys from tough situations, many way behind in school, and if they followed his road map, they'd get into college.
If the premise seemed simple, implementing it was anything but.
About 85 percent of the Class of 2010 came from low-income families, the overwhelming majority single mother households. The students would face problems far beyond poor academics.

Safety, for example. Some kids had to alter their bus routes so they wouldn't face gangs who might see their blazers and ties as inviting targets.

The uniforms are part of a philosophy that blends discipline with an oath that is the school's guiding principle. Every morning, students repeat the creed:

"We believe... We are college bound. ...

"We are exceptional — not because we say it, but because we work hard at it ....

"We believe in ourselves. ... We believe."
___
Krishaun didn't believe.

When he discovered what he'd signed up for, he wanted out immediately.

No girls? School until 4:30 p.m.? A jacket and tie? You've got to be kidding. But his mother urged him to hang in. So did an aunt who threatened to stop buying him clothes and giving him spending money.

So he stayed, and raised hell.

He fought, he cursed the teachers, he got suspended. He wanted to get kicked out.

"I went to the principal and said, 'I don't want to be here. Just send me home,'" he recalls. "I didn't like the discipline. I didn't like the surroundings. I didn't like the uniform. I didn't like anything.'

Krishaun started sophomore year on probation. He was failing some classes and straddling two worlds: A student at Urban Prep. And a kid clinging to street life who'd tuck a white T-shirt into his bag — part of the uniform of the gangbangers — so he could hang out with them.

After fighting with another student sophomore year, Krishaun transferred to a Chicago public school. But he couldn't stop his downhill slide, earning lots of F's and D's.

Then came a brutal wake-up call. A close friend was beaten to death.

Krishaun started seeing Urban Prep in a new light. He pleaded to return.

"I knew I was going down the wrong path," he says. "I had to graduate or my life was going to be nothing. ... I'd seen the streets were not going to get me anywhere."

He lobbied Evan Lewis, the recruiter who'd visited his elementary school and had become a mentor.

"He didn't take no or maybe for an answer," Lewis says.

Krishaun was readmitted. He buckled down, and during his junior year was honored five times with a "student of the week" designation.

"My personality changed," Krishaun says. "My posture changed. My speech changed. A lot about me has changed."

But Krishaun still has a glint in his eye and an easy charm that helped him become president of the Student Government Association.

"He has made if not a 180-degree turn, maybe a 160-degree turn ... ," says Lewis, vice president of institutional advancement. "He's a very smart kid, a very savvy kid. He sees the big picture. That's the reason he survived on the streets. That's the reason he'll be successful."
___

At Urban Prep, every student has at least one mentor — maybe a coach or a teacher. About 60 percent of teachers at the Englewood campus (Urban Prep has another school and plans to open a third this fall) are black men. They serve as confidantes and role models to students, many of whom have no fathers in their lives.

All staff members have school-assigned cell phones so students (and parents) can phone day or night. And they do.

Just ask Corey Stewart, a 24-year-old history teacher.

Students will call and say, "'I'm stranded and I don't have a way from downtown to get home,'" Stewart says. "'Can you come pick me up?' Absolutely, I'm on my way. Or 'Mr. Stewart, I'm afraid that I might get jumped on after school today. Is it possible you can take me home?' Of course."

Stewart says he doesn't worry about becoming too friendly with his students and won't hesitate to fail someone who's not measuring up.

Stewart leads a "pride" (more lion imagery) — another name for home room that meets three times a day.

It's one of the unorthodox steps taken for a student population that requires extra attention. That's the reason for longer school hours, the double dose of English and mandatory 20 minutes of reading daily, the assessments every six weeks, Saturday classes and summer school for those who need it.

Of the 150 teens who started in 2006, 95 lasted four years. (Another dozen were transfers.) They've become a tight-knit group.

So when Cameron Barnes' mother died last year, he returned to school the next day. "It was like being with family," he says.

And when it came time for his mother's funeral, the members of his "pride" stood with him.
___
Marlon Marshall was in a bind.

His mother announced she was moving to Michigan. She was tired of the violence engulfing her neighborhood; her brother was shot on their front porch.

Marlon wanted to attend Urban Prep his senior year. But he had no home.

Urban Prep staff huddled, and with his mother's permission, he was taken in by assistant principal Richard Glass, a Don Cheadle lookalike with an unflappable manner and a buttery voice made for radio.

After nine months under the same roof, Marlon calls Glass "godfather" or "Pops."

Glass calls Marlon "a great young man" who falls in love easily — a declaration that prompts the 18-year-old to rub his hand over his face in embarrassment.

Marlon had moved around a lot, frequently living in neighborhoods so dangerous his mother kept him indoors.

"Living here has given me so much freedom just to be a kid," he says, sitting in Glass' spotless kitchen. "I really haven't had a childhood. I couldn't go outside."

Just having a curfew (11 p.m.) was thrilling. "I can't even the explain the feeling I had when we were going over the rules," Marlon says. "I need structure. I sometimes get sidetracked or a little bit lazy."

And when Marlon's grades began slipping, Glass pushed him to turn things around — and he earned a 3.0 average his senior year, his best ever.
__

The acceptance letters began arriving this spring.

Trinity College. The University of Illinois. Howard University. The University of Virginia. Morehouse College. Indiana State University. Tuskegee University. And on and on.

When all 107 seniors had received letters, there was a celebration.

Marcus Bass wanted to cry — but he refrained. It had been a rocky four years, riddled with doubts, struggles in biology and an attitude adjustment.

"At first, I thought everybody was out to get me," Marcus says in a barely audible voice. "I wasn't used to taking orders from anyone. I was used to just doing my own thing."

There were warnings, he says, from teachers and administrators. There were outside pressures, too.

Guys he grew up with, would say "'you ain't even with us no more ... ,'" Marcus says. "I try to tell them there's something better than that. They just ... blow me off."

He's convinced Urban Prep has kept him out of trouble. "It's hard to say how they've saved my life," he says, "but they have."

But the Urban Prep graduation is an unfolding story and King knows it.

"It's just a milestone," he says. "It's not an endgame. This is not the fulfillment of our mission. (That) comes when we are able to see our students succeed in college and that may not be apparent for four or five years."
___

On a muggy June night, the graduates are gathered in cap and gown, reflecting on their journey.

Krishaun Branch, the kid who stopped himself from going over the edge, is heading to Fisk University in Tennessee.

He rattles of his emotions: "Happiness. Sadness. Proud. Proud of myself. Thankful. Successful."

Marcus Bass, the kid who wondered if he'd make it, grins with relief as he ponders a future at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

"It feels like I don't have anything to prove to anyone but now I have to prove something to myself — and that's making it through college," he says.

And Marlon Marshall, the kid who found a new anchor in life, will attend Earlham College in Indiana. "Everybody said we wasn't going to make it," he says, "but we're here and about to do bigger and better things."

Marlon's father — he left the family when his son was 3 months old — is in from Mississippi, his mother from Michigan.

Marlon doesn't remember when he last saw his dad, but on this night, they share a tearful embrace. "You're a much better man than I ever was," Marlon Sr. says, burrowing his face in his son's chest.

"Don't blame yourself 'cause I never stopped loving you ... ," his teary-eyed son consoles him. "I never gave up on you, man. I always knew that you was trying."

There would be another embrace before graduation night was over when Marlon Sr. thanked Richard Glass — the man who guided his son to the finish line.
___

Tim King asks the graduates to take the stage and recite their creed one final time.

They repeat the lines, rapidly and forcefully. The last words are joyous, and emphatic.

"WE BELIEVE."

A few raise their arms in triumph.

Then they toss their mortarboards in the air, red-and-gold tassels flying as the crowd cheers.

Dear Haley, Kiss Ass

This week Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi, has proposed merging several of the state-funded universities as an answer to the growing budget constraints. He wants to merge Mississippi University for Women with the much larger Mississippi State University. He also proposed that Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University be merged with Jackson State University.

Really, Haley? You just happen to want to shrink the number of public HBCUs in Mississippi from 3 to 1? And it just so happens to be the one school that has gone back and forth for several years about becoming "The University of Mississippi at Jackson"? Interesting...

Needless to say, students, alumni and even faculty are up in arms, and as an alumna of Jackson State University, I am too. Of course I have nothing against the other institutions (other than the rivalries during football season) but I could not think of a worse thing (other than completely shutting down) for either of these schools. Each institution was set up with their specific purpose. Each has their own unique history and culture that they identify with. Everyone who attended these universities has a special connection with that school. Why should that be taken away from students and would-be students of ASU and MVSU?

 

 

On top of that, the proposed merger just doesn't make good sense to me. If schools need to be consolidated, why not try to find a more reasonable solution? What I would suggest is dividing the state up into either the northern & southern halves or north, central and southern regions. Then, have a set standard that the separate colleges at each university must meet (possibly number of students that graduate from the program?). Leave the top two or three of each program in each region open. 

For example, while JSU's College of Business turns out hundreds of graduates, one of the liberal arts programs may only have a handful of graduates. In comparison, USM may have a great English department but their science department may not be stellar. So in the southern half, there may be one less liberal arts and one less science program due to their discontinuation (temporarily, preferably) at these particular schools. (BTW, this is just an example. I can't speak for the performance of any other university or other programs at Jackson State. The College of Business is, however, on point.) 

Forgive me if I didn't make my example clear. It's early and I haven't had my coffee. 

My point is there has to be some alternative to completely shutting down these universities. Although Haley proposes that the schools will remain open as part of JSU, their unique heritage would be lost. 

I do not believe this will pass. As I stated, many people are upset over this. We have determined that our schools will not go down without a fight. Numerous FB groups have formed, rallies are being planned/held, and a petition has just recently been created. Although this is not the first time an idea like this has been presented to the legislature, never have we been in a position like this where everything is being considered. If there was ever a time to put up or shut up, it's now. 

Jackson fair, Jackson dear

Thee I love, My dear old college home

Thee I love wherever I may roam

Jackson fair, Jackson dear... 

Links:

Petition to stop the proposed merger

Clarion Ledger article on the proposed merger (the comments about us "crying" and not needing HBCUs burned me up! There would be rioting if he even hinted at merging Ole Miss and Miss State!)

Save MS HBCUs

Blacks & HBCUs (Pt. II: Is it the institutions, or is it us?)

Last week I pointed out some of the misconceptions about HBCUs that I have heard purported by blacks. Maybe these ideas were put in their heads by someone who was "guiding" them, perhaps they come from their own experiences or observed experiences or others. More than likely, however, they are steeped in the negative stereotypes that we as Blacks have endured for years.

But what about the numbers? Men lie, women lie, numbers don't, right? *snicker, eye roll*

So do we do worse at our own schools? Well according to some statistics, such as the one from this USA Today article, the percentage of blacks who graduate from HBCUs within six years averages about 37%. Yes, this is a dismal figure. (I won't go into how I don't believe this is a fair or accurate number, since this does not give consideration for students who transfer, whose education takes longer than 6 years for whatever reason, deaths, etc. We'll just roll with the numbers we've got.) However, our counterparts at PWIs don't fair much better. The national graduation rate is only 41%.

So that brings me to another issue: Is it really the institution we attend, or is it us? The "us" that I speak of is the black community as a whole. Those of "us" who have graduated, HBCU or PWI, do we encourage our classmates and those that come after us to continue working towards their degree? Those of "us" who have dropped out or for whatever reason did not graduate, are we planning on pursuing that degree at some point or have we already found gainful (legal) employment? Those of "us" who are in any sort of leadership capacity: are we extolling the importance of higher education and stressing that their are many possibilities and opportunities that become available through education?

How do we encourage young blacks to stay in school? The Root has an... interesting article on "Making School Cool." Is it enough? Is it effective? What more can be done?

And what, if anything, are we doing for our institutions? Many suffer from lack of funding which leads to a myriad of other issues (of which I am honestly just too lazy/sleepy to get into right now). What contributions are we making?

Blacks & HBCUs (Pt. I: Decrying Our Own)

This past weekend I was out with some friends & the conversation turns to someone's boyfriend going to school. The comment was made that her mom "had a fit" when she found out that he originally planned to go to Jackson State. Noses were turned up, comments were made about it being "hood" and "ghetto." (Somehow, I was able to refrain from yelling "Who da f*kk you callin' GHETTO?!?! We're Mississippi's urban university BIIIIITCH!")

Although I basically tried to ignore the comments as ignorance posing as urbanity, I realized that I was somewhat bothered by these comments. No, not just because I happen to be a proud alumni (Go Tigers!!). But because 1) this was not the first time I've heard these particular associates make these comments, and 2) I've noticed quite a few Blacks putting down HBCUs and discouraging young people from attending them. Now, this blog is not to argue the current relevance of HBCUs (maybe another time), but rather to address some of the "reasons" I've heard for the criticism HBCUs.

LOCATION. Yes, many HBCUs are in the "hood." Why? Because they were originally placed in locations where they would be easily accessible to the people who they aimed at educating and assisting. As blacks began to prosper, they moved away, while those who struggled with poverty and the vices that go along with it were left behind. So yes, the neighborhood may be less than desirable. That doesn't make it a scary place. (I wasn't surprised when white coworkers asked me if I was afraid to walk around campus at night; I was surprised when I got the same question from folks who were there on campus whenever there was some big event.) That doesn't even make it a bad place. And if there was really concern about the neighborhood in which these schools are located, why not join in the efforts to revitalize our communities? Oh, it's not your community you say? Your community is gated, huh? Well please note, to some of your neighbors in your gated community, you are still just a nigga with money. Class still has yet to trump race in this country. But I digress.

QUALITY OF EDUCATION. I will admit that some HBCUs do not have the diverse course offerings as PWIs. Shoot, I just made mention of that yesterday when comparing the MBA programs of schools in the Metro Jackson area. However, there is nothing to definitively say that the quality of the classes offered is any better than the comparable classes offered at Black institutions. Where this grossly ignorant statement comes from is beyond me.

DROP OUT RATES. Although I do not have the statistics on this at the moment (but trust, Pt. II with that info is coming soon), I have heard this reason being given as to why students should not attend HBCUs. The whys and hows for this vary, from classes being too hard, to being too easy, to "too many distractions." I don't particularly put too much credence in statistics anyway (because really, you can find stats to support almost any claim you want to make), but I do have a startling statistic for you: 100% of people who don't apply themselves and let themselves get involved in distracting bs DON'T MAKE IT, regardless if the school is predominantly Black, White, Asian or inhabited by some superior alien intelligence. You don't have to be a statistic! What about the thousands of students who graduate from HBCUs each year?

My point is this: Are we so desperate for acceptance and assimilation that we are willing to tear down the very institutions that were established to help build Black people up? In the words of my pastor, "It's a mighty poor frog who can't praise his own pond."

Preach.