Attempting to Prevent the School-to-Prison Pipeline, Kinda

The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other country in the world. There are now more black and brown men in prison than in college. The White House has announced a new initiative aimed at curbing this trend. We now have approximately two million people of color on lock down in this country. It's no wonder that there is a renewed interest in investing in education to properly empower all young people with the skills and knowledge necessary to life a healthy and happy life. Furthermore, we know that a high school education is not enough. A recent article, in the New York Times, title, "Is College Worth It?" shows the income gap between those who have a four-year bachelor degree versus those who simply have a secondary diploma. However, with many schools challenged with supporting students social and emotional needs, our communities are often not equipped to deal with students lure for street life and dysfunctional home lives. How do we support students who do not want to do school? Those who simply are deviant and refuse to listen to anyone in the school and they are empowered by their parents to fight those who simply lay their hands on them? Furthermore, many youth believe that quick fame and fortune will come through sports or quick money of the streets. Today for me was an eye-opening experience. Here was a young man that was most definitely headed in the direction of incarceration. As I spoke to him about why he got suspended, he displayed little remorse and as I continued the conversation, he simply said to me, "You're wasting your time, I don't really care." He went onto to say that he didn't care who laid his hands on him (this included the principal, other teachers, etc.) that he would fight them. 

Holla' If Ya' Here Me: Black Male Teachers Now!

Ask any youth what they want to be when they grow up and the answer is unlikely to be: "a teacher." It's even less likely for a brown or black youth to also want to do so. So its no wonder that less than two (2) percent of the teaching population is people of color. There are certainly more well paying positions that are available. Perhaps, it's not just about the money here. 

White Privilege, Race, Power and the Bigotry of Low Expectations

Over the past week, I've had the pleasure of being on a panel as a guest speaker at the University of Detroit and at the Detroit Food Policy Council's Race to Good Food Summit both in the World's Greatest City. In preparing for my guest speaker conversation, I had a revelation: many of my experiences around race have been repressed and pushed out my memory. As I began to unpack my own experiences, being told I was "sun-tan" by my white mother as a child or being nearly arrested while sitting in the passengers seat because "I fit the description" of someone the police were looking for I thought deeply about the ways in which I was forced into notions of race, privilege and identity. I asked myself "Who else has pushed such memories aside and what can we learn from each other?" There were great questions from our UDM brothers and sisters such as "Isn't race more entrenched in ideas of power?" and "How much of race has to do with conditioning?" I was honored to share space with two Ph.D's who were well versed in the topic but I've had some lived experiences that sometimes trumps academic credentials. I shared I never necessarily chose to enter into notions of race and class and growing up I frequently had to answer the question, "What exactly are you?" Those questions birthed my life-long quest to answer questions and identify my passion for serving people in so-called marginalized communities. How does this notion of race and power effect our schools and our students? How do these notions effect our food system? I'm only beginning to understand how I might begin to answer each of these questions; as our food and schooling systems depend upon our work to create equity and justice. 

Black History Year: A Tribute to Tray'von and Jordan

"The more things change, the more things stay the same." This post is a tribute to two young brothers who lost their lives way too soon for no reason other than the color of their skin: Tray'von Martin and Jordan Davis. How does our K-12 educational system either support or remove these acts of racist violence occurring in our country? How are we preparing today's educators to confront notions of race and to break down stereotypes that have been prevalent since blackface and the minstrel show? We need to attack and de-mystify the images that we the people believe to be false. I propose that our schools become places to educate and eliminate these ideas. One year I was fortunate to teach a summer course with a group of young black men from our high school. It was amazing how much power and hope and love that group of young men had. Our courses in school can't just be about how every one is equal which is certainly a notable and honorable way of introducing primary year students into this notion. However, how are we getting young people active in eliminating these barriers while many still worship this thug lifestyle and outlook which so often gets associated with black people. I will share more thoughts on this later but right now lets all take a moment to honor these two young promising and honorable young men that left us too soon.... 

What Inspires You? Discover It and Never Let It Go

Enough said. 

Starting with the Heart: Crucial Conversations

What I've learned in doing values work in both communities and schools is that there's conversations that were not having that determine the culture in which we live and work. These crucial conversations shape our lives and even in some instances can take someone's life. As a child of the 1980's perhaps no bigger event shaped my life than the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion where seven men and women lost their lives. The "faulty o-ring" was the part of the wing that could not withstand the temperatures in the atmosphere. As a result the Challengers wings caught fire and burst the entire shuttle into flames.  Upon further investigation NASA engineers had known for months that the o-rings were faulty. The obvious question becomes: why didn't the engineers simply say something about this? Well, at the time the engineers were afraid of questioning those executives and leaders that were higher up in authority and feared raising their concerns might cost them their reputation and their jobs. This is just one reason why we must have these crucial conversations in our organizations, with our loved ones, in our schools and communities; so how do we have these conversations when emotions are high, the stakes are even higher and there are opposing viewpoints? Stay tuned! 

Our Kids Deserve Better: Beyond College Admissions

With so much talk about how to make sure kids are college and career ready, I wanted to share an approach that I very much value. I'm sure plenty of people are familiar with the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools whose mission is to make sure that every single kid is college ready. I've spoken about KIPP in my previous post about particulary how KIPP graduates "stop-out" while in college.  I'm not entirely against KIPP schools - I just believe that there is a much better approach - one that get kids into college and promotes youth to be happy, passionate leaders and people. 

This is why I really enjoy the work of Dr. William Sedlacek ; at its core is the basis for developing more sound and meaningful people in this world. Are there other factors besides the ever-ominous grade point average that might also be an equal predictor of college success? And if there is - can we prove it? This is exactly the questions that Sedlacek researched at the University of Maryland. He wanted to know if there were other equally important factors that contributed to a young persons college success especially among people of color. His work is known as  non-cognitive variables - those factors and characteristics that youth should demonstrate during college and life to best be successful and happy. The eight non-cognitive variables are much better indicators of whether or not kids will be successful in both college:

Positive Self Concept or Confidence 
Strong self-feeling, strength of character. Determination, independence.

Realistic Self-Appraisal 
Recognizes and accepts any deficiencies and works hard at self-development. Recognizes need to broaden his/her individuality.

Understands and deals with racism 
Realist based upon personal experience of racism. Is committed to fighting to improve the existing system. Not submissive to existing wrongs

Prefers long term goals to short term or immediate needs
Able to respond to deferred gratification.

Availability of a strong support system 
To whom to turn in crises.

Successful leadership experience
In any area pertinent to his/her background (church, sports, non-educational groups, etc.)

Demonstrated community service 
Has involvement in his/her cultural community.

Knowledge acquired in a field 
Unusual and/or culturally related ways of obtaining information and demonstrating knowledge. Field itself maybe non-traditional.