Let’s role play!! Today, I will be your facilitator and we will team up in order to analyze how racism, a negative behavior, can be transformed into unifying behavior with the support of the education system.
Good day, class. Please take a look at the board below.
So is this statement a fact or an opinion? Well, it depends on the person who is viewing this statement. I’m sure readers would have diverse answers and explanations depending on their age, gender, race, social group, personal experiences or the source of information they use for statistics. However, over time in education, we’ve learned that some opinions have become facts and some facts have become opinions in relation to science or world history. Thus, this type of real-world discussion about race relations is just what the 21st century English classroom has to prepare for when collaborating with Social Studies and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) teachers. Furthermore, the supposedly facts as well as statistics related to racism have constantly been misinterpreted to the public. So this interdisciplinary topic would be an engaging way for students to seek the truth and define justice through Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, as well as, Technology for a rigorous race-related research project. Then, students will experience how it feels as adults to determine what is fact or fictitious. Even as adult readers and researchers, we do not know what to believe sometimes based on the statistics that are revealed to us publically. However, racism as a class lesson, especially with teenagers, is an example of a deep interdisciplinary lesson that could encourage them to embrace diversity better while in school preparing for the future workforce. Therefore, a strong emphasis on race relations in school will persuade students, in my opinion, to formulate sustainable solutions for the future of humanity if facilitated to them in an unbiased way.
Hence, I believe each high school graduate should be required to take a Diversity & Humanities class which will incorporate real historical text along with current events that will help students critically think for themselves on how we need to correct race relations in order to uplift humanity. For example, from my perspective, “Every time I hear news about an African American man, teenager, or child being a victim of a hate crime, I think about the victim and also think about the mother; the mother who gave birth to a promising male or female who was robbed of his or her dreams or reality. “ These racial crimes are hurtful, but must be acknowledged because our African children have been taken from the world for centuries and if it is still happening today, then there “must” be some academic intervention strategies that focus on these types of social issues in school for our future leaders. On the other hand, in the 21st century classroom, all students should know more of the historical truth about the indigenous people of Africa and their leadership roles that helped build the foundations of America. I know for sure African American students will become more confident about their self-worth knowing the rich and royal heritage of their ancestors. Also, I believe students of other cultures will even have a new found respect for Africans or African Americans when they learn about ancient African history in a positive light. These world history lessons I speak of could be implemented with the purpose to embrace the development of all cultures giving honor or credit to the African creators of the human race and its contributions to all civilizations. This would be an excellent way to enforce an equity policy in education where curriculum writers should be guided to diversify the information that is accessible to students. In this future Diversity 101/Humanities class, I envision that each academic indicator will embrace the truth about all cultures in order to educate students about both the deliberate or systematic racism of Africans as well as the celebratory accomplishments of all cultures that were inspired by ancient Africa. If education systems spend more time celebrating cultures instead of misleading cultures through omitted facts about world history, we can reconnect as a human race. Once humanity’s history is clarified, then diversity training can be delivered to enlighten students on how to acknowledge our differences with the same common goal: To be respected and elevated as purposeful leaders!
Additionally, the racial issue relating to role and leadership of women in society should be acknowledged more in class discussions. For example, if teenage African American girls were exposed to more positive models of themselves in public schools, I believe it would lead them places in life that they would not have imagined. In fact, one important historical truth about my heritage that should be openly discussed in the high school classroom is the African or the African American mother. This dynamic woman for centuries experienced unnecessary pain when the American society, along with other societies, systematically influenced the education and justice system deliberately to create obstacles for her children. This African woman was once acknowledged as a Queen Goddess and now she has become so powerless in many aspects of her life due to society’s war against her family that, believe it or not, was once the ancient world’s image of the original holy trinity. Furthermore, we all have to open our eyes and examine the latest current events about attacking African or African American children because I believe it is also an attack on the African or African American mother which connects with the creative writing concept expressed in the Willie Lynch Letter of 1712, The Making of a Slave written by Dr. Akwabena Ashanti. (Thank you for your reference, Queen Ayoko Moore-Shabazz)
The section of this literary work that focuses on the “Breaking Process of an African Woman” encourages slave owners to conduct a series of challenging tests toward the African woman in order for her to submit to white supremacy. The breaking process is furthered conceptualized by the fictitious character, Willie Lynch, describing controversial scenarios that encouraged slave owners to perform a variety of hate crimes toward the African woman’s children and to overwork or kill her divine husband in order to cause her emotional as well as psychological grievance. Thus, causing her to manage life matters on her own under extreme pressure so she would submit to the rules and ideology of white supremacy. I’m sure after reading this type of literature, many students may agree or disagree with this concept, but it’s a teachable moment about psychology and criminology of white supremacy. Therefore, it is essential for the school system to be a positive influence including racial issues in the secondary education’s curriculum and provide alternative informational text that reveals diverse perspectives. Then students would be given the opportunity to critically think about how they want to become change agents in the midst of this racial or cultural war. Our students deserve to know the truth! In fact, teenagers should have rights to voice the type of education that they want as well! So they should be allowed to determine from the “Making of a Slave” text, for example, whether or not that the conspiracy of attacking the African or African American family as a form of good economics is right or wrong for the future of humanity. Then, as a facilitator, I would also expect for them to write an economic plan that is fair for all races to enjoy. This is 21st century teaching and learning: Solving today’s problems with our future leaders!
Although, these are some deep topics of discussion for students, it would be a great challenge in public education to apply interdisciplinary subjects such as African or African American studies, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Business, and Humanities in order for students to develop authentic emotional or social intelligence. I truly believe that if students hear, see, and feel the hate that is being demonstrated throughout the world based on racial or social groups, it will cause them to empathize and intrinsically motivate them to strategize on solutions for all of humanity. My perspective on race relations as a form of educational psychology is that this type of learning experience of hate can actually manifest love in the innocent hearts of children. For instance, I recall having a discussion with my former students during an Anti-Bullying week campaign and they became so passionate about the topic because some were victims of bullying. They expressed how leaders did not address their issues in a way that made them feel safe. Over time, I’ve learned that not only children and teenagers are feeling this helplessness, but adults are experiencing workplace bullying as well based on their racial or social groups. So to acknowledge these issues early in education can develop some amazing compassionate leaders that we urgently need to direct our world towards global peace.
Final Argument: The education system should create learning opportunities in which teachers from various disciplines develop courses such as Humanities or Diversity 101 in order to use racism, socialism, and gender issues as a teaching tool with the intent of empowering the community to comprehend cultural awareness as well as cultural sensitivity.
Moreover, we cannot discuss race relations without acknowledging accountability. Now, of course, African Americans are not the only victims of racial or social crime. Although, I am speaking mainly about my race, please apply it to your own as well. We all deal with challenging human relations globally, but we know that love is the root of peace and prosperity. However, we have to discuss the root of all evil in order to plant seeds of goodness that will harvest economically sound communities.
So with that said, personally, I often think about the people who do not want to be accountable for their hate crimes toward Africans or African Americans. Let’s be honest…there are a group of people who do not want Africans or African Americans to succeed. These manipulative individuals would much rather African Americans to be subservient or prefer to have control over African Americans’ personal lives for their profitable gain. Consequently, this racist behavior, as well as, mistreatment causes mental, physical, and emotional bondage for the African American race in its entirety. I’ll conclude with saying, “It doesn’t matter if African Americans are rich or poor, we all experience this hatred, greed, and manipulation.”
Furthermore, it’s ironic how the individuals who laugh, gossip, and broadcast news about African Americans as if we are naturally ghetto, angry, and unprofessional, are the root of this racism problem. So who is truly unprofessional or demonstrating antagonistic behavior? Who is really spiritually sick to intentionally hurt another human being? These people that I theoretically speak of aren’t just Caucasian people, some of them are African American. However, here are some great debate questions for students, “Are African Americans truly inappropriate or is it strategically planned by social groups to cause African Americans so much grievance that it results with them expressing aggressive or obscene behavior? Is it true that people in political power, especially in the education and justice system, set up black people to misbehave or fail in order to support the prison economy, drug market, special education, and social service industries?”
This is why it should be required for “all students” to take Business Education courses to learn about corporate law as well as the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism which leads me to another class debate statement: “Capitalism is primarily based on racism, which basically means capture a majority race and build economies with that race without educating them properly, giving birth to the term, socio-economic status or corporate bondage.” We’ve all witnessed the disparities in life as a result of this type of capitalism. Furthermore, African Americans are frustrated about their socio-economic circumstances and end up harming each other when naturally we love each other. We are the most family-oriented people in the world and we accept other races as family as well. However, people in power continue to separate or divide us in order to continue this “expiring plan” for us to have a “lost culture” as well as “lost identities”. How can we “expire” or conclude this unjust way of leading humanity?
Final Argument: Education can create learning opportunities in which “all” students can immerse themselves in Business Education in order to encourage “all races” to develop marketable skills that will enhance their life styles and future careers. Therefore, racism can be used as a teaching tool to develop solutions for each diverse community by sharing power and spreading the wealth of resources to all neighborhoods with prosperity plans.
Thirdly, we all know that African Americans can be successful in life when given the proper support. However, when African American people, who aren’t supported, speak up about the injustice that they’ve experienced, people in power believe they have the right to retaliate against them and make it difficult for those individuals to thrive in life even with the Civil Rights Act in place. We, also, know that these individuals who conduct racial retaliation hate crimes know better, but they do it because they know they can get away with it and they use laws or policies to protect their unethical behavior. However, when an African American responds with having unethical behavior, they are stereotyped, blacklisted, threatened, killed, or put into jail. As African Americans, we often ask, “How can one social group make unethical decisions and get away with it? Is that justice for all?” As a visionary leader, I cannot wait for our students to redefine, Race to the Top, for education and the future workforce!
So are African Americans given a fair chance to “Race to the Top” in education and in business industries? So what will it take for an African American to be respected or economically successful in the education system or any industry for that matter? Do they have to be less like themselves in order to be accepted or respected? Maybe they shouldn’t speak up for themselves when they are not being treated fairly and continue to support the status quo. Moreover, if African Americans question authority because of mistreatment, do you believe they should be punished or ignored? Should they be given a chance to provide people in power with a viable solution for the institutional social or racial injustice? I’ve learned that some adults do not want to have these candid conversations. But if we aren’t addressing these racial issues right now, without getting offended, we will continue to have dysfunctional relationships that involve mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual abuse. So would you rather have peace and justice or racism and chaos? For this reason, that is why I encourage all races including Caucasians to stand up against the people who commit racial hate crimes because we, as a human race, should be unified, not terrified for our lives – fearing each other motives.
On the other hand, I believe and know that African American people are one of the most forgiving people on earth, yet are constantly being neglected and disrespected, as if we don’t have any worth or contributions to make to society. We, the African American race, continue to give those who hate or envy us chances to correct their behaviors, but these individuals continue to treat us as unequal or of lesser value and that just doesn’t add up. So when you have a dominant race of people who are in power, including politicians, board members, principals, teachers, or police officers making decisions for African American people, that is unfair in itself. The diversity and compassion are missing in this type of bureaucracy because several of these people in power are prejudice. We have too many non African American people in power, who are making major decisions for African American and low income citizens. Ignoring or not discussing race-based problems is not going to solve the chaos that we are experiencing as a human race right now. I believe we have to be honest with ourselves and be cognizant of how we treat one another in order to break some of the generational curses that have plagued the human race for centuries. So as education leaders what are you going to do in order to change this statement, “Racism now is worst than it was in 1964 when the Civil Rights Act was made into law.” Can people change their minds and hearts in order for the entire human race to prosper? What is your solution? Thank you and I hope my lesson encourages you to examine your role in this Race to the Top.
Final Argument: Education can help develop a unifying culture by recruiting more diverse professionals to teach courses that focus on world history that actually spotlight women in leadership, along with, fully acknowledging ancient African culture as an advanced civilization who were pioneers of innovation. Thus, education should have strong partnerships with the business community to initiate more social entrepreneurship programs that blend the past cooperative African traditions in order to economically empower all families to leave a legacy behind within various industries.
Closing Remarks
I am not a Common Core expert, but I am making efforts to become a better teacher and facilitator. I am not a trained writer. However, I am making efforts to become a successful author and blogging helps me to strengthen my writing.
So, my friends, I challenged myself to write the first draft of my book, Can I Inspire You With My Imagination? The 3 Areas of Change That Will Impact Our Lives in the Heart of Education. There are a series of essays, poems, short stories, sports analogies, and educational philosophy that I’ve written during my last year of teaching for Baltimore County Public Schools system. Some of the concepts in my book were submitted to Baltimore County Public School system’s 2012-2013 Strategic Plan and presented during the local board of education meetings between 2013-2014. I’ve learned valuable lessons as an educator and I’ve been so inspired by my experience that I wanted to introduce myself, my mission, and vision for education from an African American perspective. Thank you, in advance, for your support!
Can I Inspire You With My Imagination? – Click Here!
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