Black Grade School Teachers: The Frontline of the Future

This is the second section within the topic on the Role of Education.  This discussion will focus on the trials, tribulations, and admiration of the Black grade school teachers and how their presence and job impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Is it pivotal to have Black school teachers in the educational system for Black students?

2. Are you more or less comfortable with the idea of you or your child having a Black school teacher, or does it not matter?

3. What can the Black Community do to help Black school teachers?

FRONT STREET

Depending on where you grew/are growing up at, the chances of you having no Black grade school teacher can be high.  Many of the people I know and myself included can count how many Black teachers we had prior to going to higher institutes of learning on one hand.  Although, most of us did not “suffer” from not having Black school teacher in grade school, there was a void noticed whenever you were fortunate enough to have one.  With the undeniable fact that teaching is one of the most important professions in the world, we felt obligated to ask the question of whether Black school teachers can save the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 7/27/2020.

Black Grade School Teachers [unedited]

HBCU & PWI: The Advantages, Disadvantages, and Discouragement of an HBCU Education

This is the fifth and final section within the topic on the Role of Education.  This discussion revolves around the difficult choice for college-bound Black students and whether going to an HBCU or PWI impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What is, was, or would be your biggest reason for attending any university?

2. Do you consider HBCU’s or PWI’s better schools for Black students?

3. Do you agree or disagree with the notion that HBCU’s do not prepare you for the “real world” and are antiquated?

FRONT STREET

As a graduate of the illustrious Hampton University, I can truly say that HBCU’s are different.  The atmosphere, the culture, the populations, and the Homecomings!!!  Honestly, it was a life-changing experience and I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.  However, I have plenty of friends, relatives, co-workers, associates etc. who attended PWI’s and to be frank they don’t view college the way HBCU grads view their alma maters.  They often looked at college as a business preposition and cited, scholarships, technology, and “more diversity” as the main upsides of their experience.  I think both options have value, but the future doesn’t look bright for HBCU’s.  Between the “diversity” warriors seeing HBCU’s as self-imposed segregationist, and well-meaning Blacks seeing them as antiquated and depleted, the age old question of whether Black students should go to HBCU’s or PWI’s has come to the forefront once again.  Are HBCU’s unknowingly playing a hand in the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 10/18/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

HBCU & PWI’s

The Negro Dialect: How Our Language Hinders and Helps Our Younth

This is the third segment within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion will examine how the use of language has played a role in Black peoples lives and how the perceptions of using a particular way of speaking can impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe there is such a thing as talking Black?

2. Do you believe “talking Black” is a hindrance for Black students/people?

3. Should the way people, particularly Black people, talk matter?

FRONT STREET

Harry Reid, the former Democratic Senate MajorityLeader, said it…  He said what many White, if not all, people thought whenever they heard the oratory stylings of Obama. “He [Reid] was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ according to Halperin and Heilemann.  Although Harry Reid later apologized for his insensitive comments, what he said is indeed a troublesome stereotype that Black people have to overcome constantly.  Does the way we talk, speak to our level of intelligence?  Why does code switching have to be a part of any successful Black persons repartee?  Hip Hop is the most listen to form of music in the world, why do Black people need to change the way we speak if it’s obvious that people can understand what we are saying?  All of these questions are jammed into the idea of “talking intelligently” and how the perceptions of Black people is always about proving our worthiness.  In short is the Negro dialect contributing to the destruction of Our Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on MONTH/DAY/YEAR during the discussion which is now airing on YouTube.

Charter vs Public Schools: Which is Better for Black Students?

This is the fourth portion within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion looks at whether charter or public schools are better for the Black students to thrive and succeed in education and how that decision impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe school choice is necessary for Black people, why or why not?

2. Have public school systems failed the Black Community, why or why not?

3. If money was equally distributed to every school no matter where the students lived, would that help or hurt the education system?

FRONT STREET

There are many people who believe education was best for Black students prior to integration.  Although this is literally another topic within the Black Advancement’s focus, it begs the question of why some would feel that even under the oppressive conditions of segregation, our children were better served.  Why would they believe this, simply, is because they believed the teachers, parents, and community were all invested in the school system and the success of all the students.  Believe it or not, this argument is very similar to the charter or public school debate, specifically concerning Black students.  With the education achievement gap seeming to never close and the proven systematic biases against Black students in public schools, many more are looking to other options to educate their children.  In spite of all of those facts, there is a legit argument for having a public school option, primarily that it’s free and provides for a wide range of educational levels.  With all things considered, do you believe that charter and or public schools are contributing to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 09/23/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

Charter vs Public Schools

Lies My Teacher Told Me: The Indoctrination of  White Heroism

This is the first section within the topic of the Role of Education.  This discussion will focus on the mistruths, misinformation, and misunderstandings perpetrated in schools all across America and how ignorance and euro-centristic curriculums impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What is the biggest lie perpetuated in American schools and does it impact Black people?

2. Should teachers be given more freedom to craft a curriculum or would you rather there be a universal curriculum for grade school?

3.  Do you believe the American school system is meant to indoctrinate children or to educate them?

FRONT STREET

It is no secret to any person that pays attention while attending or parenting a child in the American school system that the materials have a pro-privilege bend.  Although this isn’t exclusively reserved for White people, a majority of this “to the winners the spoils go” type of education, Whites come out as the fathers and mothers and leaders of most of the achievements we as a society deem worthy of learning.  The impact of this reinforcing some notion of supremacy is at the very least arguable, if not down right the sole reasoning for the educational system being set up in such a manner.  With this bias view guiding the children of this nation, the question has to be asked to all children of color, but specifically for Black children for our cause, does this type of education contribute to the destruction of the Black Community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 8/9/2020.

Lies My Teacher Told Me [unedited]

Sports Exploitation: Million Dollar Slaves

This is the third and final section within the topic of TV Imagery.  This discussion will focus on the trials, tribulations, and admiration of the Black athlete and how their treatment both positively and negatively impact the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Do you believe Black athletes are exploited, why or why not?

2. Do you believe Black athletes have to be role models, particularly outside of the field of play, why or why not?

3. Should We petition great Black high school athletes to go to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU)?

FRONT STREET

The speed, power, agility, and stamina are the perfect traits one would look for in a hardworking slave…or athlete.  Often times, the difference between the two is as slight as the description used to define a good one.  I know, seems pretty dramatic.  But I ask you to consider how much money is made off the Black athlete.  How many jobs are dependent on the greatness of a Lebron James, or the skills of a Cam Newton.  How much colleges and universities benefit from the Zion Williamson, with no guarantee of a future in his sought after profession on the field or in the classroom and yet the school will sell his jersey for $25 a head.  Does the Black community, in general, believe one of the only ways out of the desperation of poverty is the biological lottery?  Yes, the sports business can be a dirty game, but does this exploitation of the Black athlete add to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 1/24/2021.

Sports Exploitation [unedited]

Trap Music: Drugs, Thugs, and Automobiles

Trap Music is the second section within the topic of TV Imagery. The focus of this discussion is centered on the perceptions, realities, and the impact of Hip-Hop culture in the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. What impact has Hip-Hop had on your life?

2. Is the current Hip-Hop culture toxic or has it always been toxic or is it the same as it ever was?

3. Does the Black community give Hip-Hop culture too much credit/blame for the current state of the Black community?

FRONT STREET

Hip-Hop has become the language of the world.  It has the ability to give voice to political freedom fighters, disenfranchised youth, and the kid just trying to express themselves.  As positive as it can be, Hip -Hop is often portrayed as music for thugs and a thuggish lifestyle.  This portrayal becomes even more problematic when you realize the genesis of this genre was created by poor Black children looking for a way to express themselves in a none destructive way.  So why does both the Fox News follower and some older generation Black people agree that this culture is destructive to the Black Community?  As tired and unfair as this argument seems on the surface, there is something to be said about the glorification of some of the ills talked about in the music.  For every Fight the Power and Fuck the Police there is a Ten Crack Commandments or G’s Up Hoes Down.  So how can We as a community rectify this dichotomy in something so pivotal to Our daily lives? Is Hip-Hop culture, specifically the music, some how contributing to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 06/03/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

Trap Music [unedited]

TV Imagery: The Hollywood Shuffle

TV Imagery:The Hollywood Shuffle is the first section within the topic of TV Imagery. This issue focuses on the stereotypical roles Black people tend to occupy in media such as news and entertainment such as TV and movies and how it impacts the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1.Do you believe the news, entertainment, and social media coverage of the Black community is overly critical in your eyes? Why or why not?

2. Does a black actor/actress choice in a role diminish/uplift them in your eyes yes or no and why?

3. Is the impact and influence of TV imagery over stated in terms of its effect on the Black community?

FRONT STREET

When we first created Black Advancement Inc. approximately six years ago, many of the groundbreaking and free spirited shows with Black leads and themes did not exist.  Think about that sentences, no less than six years ago there was no Atlanta, Insecure, Luke Cage, Blackish, or Get Out, Black Panther, or Girls Trip  etc.  Only recently have the executives of major studios believed in what We as a people already knew, We are an ingenious people with a wide breath and depth of experiences and stories that, while relatable to all, are uniquely Black.  Be that as it may, media overall continues to focus on all of the negative stereotypes applied to Black people as often as ever.  Turning tragic situations like the murder rate of a predominantly Black city into an indictment of Our humanity and using it to support the policies that helped create such situations in the first place….but I digress.  We are here to talk about the continued negative imagery We are subjected to in the hollywood shuffle and the news cycle and to see if this TV Imagery truly contributes to the destruction of Our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on 11/01/2020 in our Roundtable which is also available on YouTube.

TV Imagery: The Hollywood Shuffle

Black on Black Crime: Perceptions, Realities, and the Impact of Crime in the Black Community

Black on Black Crime is the fourth section within the topic of Justice or Just Us. The focus of this discussion is centered on the perceptions, realities, and the impact of Black on Black crime in the Black Community.

The 3 Questions

1. Does the Black Community make too many excuses for the criminal element within the Black Community, why or why not?

2. Do you feel that Black on Black crime is a ploy to make Blacks seem more dangerous or a big problem within the Black Community?

3. What do you feel is the biggest reason for Black on Black crime and what do you believe can be done to stop it?

FRONT STREET

Every time there is an incident that garners the attention of the “Black leaders” and the nation, some news network trots out the token spokes person to speak on behalf of all of Us against a “conservative” that no matter the situation see the victim as the one to blame.  The argument continues with both sides hardening their positions and then the conservative panelist drops the ultimate trump card…  “Well, where is the outrage when Black people are killing Black people in these neighborhoods?”  We’ve all seen this play out over and over again and each time it becomes more and more frustrating, because not only do We get blamed for crime in general, but We also have to be perfect victims in order for people to believe that We deserve justice….but I will digress from that subject.  To be fair though, just because some talking head may have an agenda attached to their rhetoric doesn’t make what they have to say automatically false.  There are high rates of crime in Our community and lack of opportunity and in some cases a lack of outrage over the horrific conditions We have been subjected to generation after generation.  With that being the starting point, let’s discuss how much Black on Black crime is to blame for the destruction of our community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on MONTH/DAY/YEAR during the discussion which is now airing on YouTube.

Do Not Pass Go: Prison and It’s Impact on the Black Community

Do Not Pass Go is the second topic in the  discussion on Justice or Just Us. The focus of this discussion is centered on the impact that prison has had on the Black Community and whether we can do anything to hinder it.

The 3 Questions

1. Does the Black Community benefit more than it suffers from the use of prisons in America as currently constituted, why or why not?

2. What do you feel is the biggest reason for such a disproportionate number of Blacks in Prison?

3. Is prison the new form of slavery?

FRONT STREET

Monopoly is my favorite board game ever because of the competitiveness and tactics necessary to survive and thrive in it.  The game teaches you how to invest, how to take a financial lose, and that sometimes the wrong roll of the dice can land you in prison.  All games aside, going directly to jail has been a reality in the Black and impoverished communities for decades.  There are a myriad of theories and thoughts about why the pipeline from Our neighborhoods to prison exist, but the problem isn’t the how it’s the why!  Why does it seem like 25% of Our male population is destined for trouble with the law?  That means if you have 4 sons and you are Black, one of them is going to go to prison!!  Are We really that bad?  Are the rules really that strict?  Are We ever given the benefit of doubt?  Is the idea of the laws heavy handedness with Us to blame for the destruction of Black community?

Please write in and response to our 3 poll questions or post some questions that you would like to see asked.  These question and more were addressed on March 18, 2017 during the discussion which is now airing on YouTube.

Do Not Pass Go Part 1

Do Not Pass Go Part 2

Do Not Pass Go Part 3