Showing posts with label african american education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african american education. Show all posts
Tuesday
Intelligence More Precious than Silver and Gold
After spending years observing our people and hearing racist whites and others speak negatively about some, I recognize the ignorance and lack of intelligence from those individuals. However, I also see, even nowadays, the stereotypical behaviors playing themselves out with not just blacks, but other ethnicities too on various reality shows.
From nasty attitudes to explosive tempers, the mean-spirited men and women, who don't want to be depicted as unintelligent, ugly, or crazy, are being just that! The ring leaders and producers of these shows do not mind exploiting ignorant people, who typically have low-self-esteem, personality disorders, and more. Racists are sitting on couches laughing at how blacks act on television and elsewhere saying, "I told you so! See why I don't want my daughter or son dating those people!"
When you think back to days when you were in school, you may have recalled some individuals who were known for being trouble-makers and you may have noticed how they looked. Some may have been pretty, handsome, and others ugly or scary looking. You might have noticed a pattern with these students. The ones that came from decent backgrounds and were considered smart tended to do well in school while others who didn't look or act the part missed out on much. Instead of putting one's head in his or her studies, those who were considered disadvantaged or at risk, were too busy commenting about the smarter students, "They think they better than us...they are treated better...why they get this and that and we don't?"
As a child, I questioned why darker skin individuals tended to act strangely at times with me. I was one of those students who had a strict upbringing so there was no talking smart to teachers, cursing with friends, smoking and drinking, and if you acted like you wanted to be with a boy, there was going to be hell to pay. I wondered why I had a disconnect with some of our people especially darker skin black males. The conversation back then was non-existent unless of course one wanted to "talk" to me. What came out of these boys mouths was laughable and the truth was they weren't doing much in school other than playing sports or playing girls.
I was aware of what parents and grandparents had told some of us kids about light skin and white individuals and also heard what they said about dark skin people. What was wrong with these adults? Why were they so focused on what someone looked like? Why did they think that people who were lighter acted better? Much of this foolishness came from past programming, but some things were evident. Light, dark and white people did behave in ways that were negative at times because adults encouraged nasty behavior. If a mother made a big deal about skin tone, hair and the appearance of a child's body, then of course the child was going to behave as if he or she was better or not so much depending on the kind of programming he or she received. Then there were those who acted as if they were smarter, but the truth was that many whites and lighter skin blacks did behave differently and were doing well in school. However, I noticed that many of the mixed children were in Advanced Placement classes and were a part of extracurricular activities while those who were considered "more black" were struggling in some studies.
Now there has been past research done dealing with mental aptitudes and racists love promoting the scores between whites, blacks and mixed people, see here. Unfortunately, those that I attended school with many were more focused on music, television, sports, and could care less about anything outside of those categories. These interests were passed down from previous generations who didn't think that knowing much outside of what a teacher put in front of a child was necessary.
I am disappointed when I look at our modern day society and I see the same nonchalant attitude regarding education and wisdom being encouraged. Why is there such a disinterest in advancing one's intelligence starting with self, next one's own children and then community? It is pitiful! Wise words invite eye-rolls, deep sighs, followed by a negative attitude that refuses to listen to anything thought-provoking especially with most blacks who prefer to be entertained by a TV screen then to read a book. Many of our people go about their business, having very little to say about things of substance. If it isn't about weather, money, sex, cars, clothing, and other related things, the eyes don't widen, the eye-brows don't perk up, and the ears are barely listening.
Fathers and mothers often too busy to teach children critical thinking skills; find it more important for a child to play and stay out of the parent's way. Isn't this what many of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did with us? Didn't they want us to be seen and not heard? Didn't they expect us to go off somewhere and stay out of their hair? So many of us repeat the past and then become angry when confronted about it. Some will make excuses and claim they are not like their fathers and mothers. Others will say something like, "I expect my children to do great things in the future," but how much time and energy are some black parents putting in to build up their intelligence? Are you giving them opportunities to make decisions on their own? Are they able to get dressed, organize their things, and tend to tasks without your doing everything for them or berating them for not getting things done? Are black parents taking advantage of school breaks and introducing children to useful material that will keep their minds become sharp and competitive?
I admit I haven't figured it all out when it comes to increasing the mental aptitude of our people, but what I can say is that running to non-blacks to solve one's issues with parenting, relationships, business, and spirituality might be helpful to some. But those that have enough sense to make sense of what is happening with the spiritual black man and woman's relationship, should be doing what they can to preserve it. I'm not referring to just any black person, but those who have been set apart to do the will of their Creator. Those that know his voice, know what they are supposed to do. They must stop down-playing wisdom or making excuses by saying they are too busy to learn some things to better their lives and those coming after them. Notice black folks know how to make time to watch TV.
Intelligence isn't like the latest fashions that come and go, it is and will always be in style!
Nicholl McGuire
Check out more on Race and Intelligence here.
From nasty attitudes to explosive tempers, the mean-spirited men and women, who don't want to be depicted as unintelligent, ugly, or crazy, are being just that! The ring leaders and producers of these shows do not mind exploiting ignorant people, who typically have low-self-esteem, personality disorders, and more. Racists are sitting on couches laughing at how blacks act on television and elsewhere saying, "I told you so! See why I don't want my daughter or son dating those people!"
When you think back to days when you were in school, you may have recalled some individuals who were known for being trouble-makers and you may have noticed how they looked. Some may have been pretty, handsome, and others ugly or scary looking. You might have noticed a pattern with these students. The ones that came from decent backgrounds and were considered smart tended to do well in school while others who didn't look or act the part missed out on much. Instead of putting one's head in his or her studies, those who were considered disadvantaged or at risk, were too busy commenting about the smarter students, "They think they better than us...they are treated better...why they get this and that and we don't?"
As a child, I questioned why darker skin individuals tended to act strangely at times with me. I was one of those students who had a strict upbringing so there was no talking smart to teachers, cursing with friends, smoking and drinking, and if you acted like you wanted to be with a boy, there was going to be hell to pay. I wondered why I had a disconnect with some of our people especially darker skin black males. The conversation back then was non-existent unless of course one wanted to "talk" to me. What came out of these boys mouths was laughable and the truth was they weren't doing much in school other than playing sports or playing girls.
I was aware of what parents and grandparents had told some of us kids about light skin and white individuals and also heard what they said about dark skin people. What was wrong with these adults? Why were they so focused on what someone looked like? Why did they think that people who were lighter acted better? Much of this foolishness came from past programming, but some things were evident. Light, dark and white people did behave in ways that were negative at times because adults encouraged nasty behavior. If a mother made a big deal about skin tone, hair and the appearance of a child's body, then of course the child was going to behave as if he or she was better or not so much depending on the kind of programming he or she received. Then there were those who acted as if they were smarter, but the truth was that many whites and lighter skin blacks did behave differently and were doing well in school. However, I noticed that many of the mixed children were in Advanced Placement classes and were a part of extracurricular activities while those who were considered "more black" were struggling in some studies.
Now there has been past research done dealing with mental aptitudes and racists love promoting the scores between whites, blacks and mixed people, see here. Unfortunately, those that I attended school with many were more focused on music, television, sports, and could care less about anything outside of those categories. These interests were passed down from previous generations who didn't think that knowing much outside of what a teacher put in front of a child was necessary.
I am disappointed when I look at our modern day society and I see the same nonchalant attitude regarding education and wisdom being encouraged. Why is there such a disinterest in advancing one's intelligence starting with self, next one's own children and then community? It is pitiful! Wise words invite eye-rolls, deep sighs, followed by a negative attitude that refuses to listen to anything thought-provoking especially with most blacks who prefer to be entertained by a TV screen then to read a book. Many of our people go about their business, having very little to say about things of substance. If it isn't about weather, money, sex, cars, clothing, and other related things, the eyes don't widen, the eye-brows don't perk up, and the ears are barely listening.
Fathers and mothers often too busy to teach children critical thinking skills; find it more important for a child to play and stay out of the parent's way. Isn't this what many of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did with us? Didn't they want us to be seen and not heard? Didn't they expect us to go off somewhere and stay out of their hair? So many of us repeat the past and then become angry when confronted about it. Some will make excuses and claim they are not like their fathers and mothers. Others will say something like, "I expect my children to do great things in the future," but how much time and energy are some black parents putting in to build up their intelligence? Are you giving them opportunities to make decisions on their own? Are they able to get dressed, organize their things, and tend to tasks without your doing everything for them or berating them for not getting things done? Are black parents taking advantage of school breaks and introducing children to useful material that will keep their minds become sharp and competitive?
I admit I haven't figured it all out when it comes to increasing the mental aptitude of our people, but what I can say is that running to non-blacks to solve one's issues with parenting, relationships, business, and spirituality might be helpful to some. But those that have enough sense to make sense of what is happening with the spiritual black man and woman's relationship, should be doing what they can to preserve it. I'm not referring to just any black person, but those who have been set apart to do the will of their Creator. Those that know his voice, know what they are supposed to do. They must stop down-playing wisdom or making excuses by saying they are too busy to learn some things to better their lives and those coming after them. Notice black folks know how to make time to watch TV.
Intelligence isn't like the latest fashions that come and go, it is and will always be in style!
Nicholl McGuire
Check out more on Race and Intelligence here.
Monday
African American Education - It's Important
I can’t tell you how many times I have discussed something
offline with people about things related to education from African American
history to African American inventors and my words are met with, “Oh, huh. That’s
nice. Now about that song that just came out …Did you watch TV last night? Did you see when…” Can I just say, what is it with some of our
people when it comes to conversations that are outside the box—more specifically
the radio and TV boxes?
I couldn’t help, but think about myself and others when I sat
back and viewed some things on the Internet created by fellow African Americans. Many are trying to educate the masses. But the question still remains, "Does the masses really want to be educated?" Education is important. Black
education is something worth talking about.
Why do some of our people get so excited about things like a reality
show, but when you start talking about something that challenges them to think,
they want you to shut up, because “I got things to do. I don’t know about all that—don’t want to
hear it.” There are a lot of things that
don’t interest me either, but when it comes down to what someone or a group is
trying to teach myself and children, I have to be aware. It is a must that I stay awake!
When talking to people about things like education, watch
their expressions. If you find you are
doing all the talking, you might want to consider that a sign not to "cast your
pearls to swine," like the Bible says.
Sites that offer some insightful information on African American educators, education, government, etc. Whether you are in the field or just interested in learning more, check out these sites to get you started.
The White House Blog
Black Educator
Articles worth mentioning:
Will the White House African American Education Initiative Make History?
Now when it comes to educating our children, we ought to purchase educational products to keep them interested and most importantly be involved in showing and teaching the children on how to get the most enjoyment out of them. Consider buying things like, workbooks, flashcards, educational electronic games, and toys that look like us to help with self-esteem.
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African American Planet: Relationships, Education, Products & Lifestyle by Nicholl McGuire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com.
