Educational Crisis

Alarming statistic: Only 12 percent of black fourth-grade boys are proficient in reading, compared with 38 percent of white boys, and only 12 percent of black eighth-grade boys are proficient in math, compared with 44 percent of white boys. This should be viewed as a crisis for blacks and whites. (SEE and read: The 2009 National Assessment for Educational Progress} (NAEP)

I am an advocate of change for our education system, change at the highest level because the one we now have has been broken for a long time.

While all other institutions have grown into the modern 21st century our education structure is stuck back in the 18 hundreds with children still being sent home for parents to teach them and books that are never read or taught at standards far below grade level.

I am an advocate for teachers and believe that they are burdened with all kinds of extra duties and responsibilities leaving no time to be teachers. They are simple workers in a system that does not have any responsibility. The education of our children should be their responsibility instead the current system has only a responsibility to protect their status quo and provide defense for their failure.

All children unless they have a mental deficiency can learn and some with a mental deficiency can. There are systems in place like a school in Massachusetts that has a 95% proficiency in reading and math is doing a great job. A school in Harlem is graduating students at 100% and all are being highly recruited for major colleges throughout the US and abroad. In Chicago, LA, MD and other places there are examples.

These schools have decided to buck the system and bring their education process into the modern world with teaching and learning being done at school not at home and with parents involved, not by choice but by demand, and yes charter schools are failing just as bad or worst.



We should place the same responsibility on the education system as we have on other corporations, after all the education system is a corporation with its product being to provide our children with an education suitable to compete in the world knowing subjects that allow them to perform anywhere. When a corporation produces a faulty product there is a means to make correction. When the car company put a car on the street with bad brakes, bad steering or leaking oil system, they are recalled and if their product create injury there is recourse in the courts for damage and correction.

We have to make our education system responsible the same way and provide them with the tools to teach our children. Qualified managers, teachers, tools, and a support system that allows teaching to take place must be our goal. Teachers are to teach all other items are for staff support managed at the highest level.

The beneficiaries of a well educated child should help pay for this service correcting any problems when they are found. That means giving corporations a say in providing education, after all businesses operate best with a well educated employee.

A qualified teacher is not just one who finishes school and get a certificate to teach either, many professionals are capable teachers but are not allowed to teach. That makes no sense at all.

When the education system places a child out in the world after 18 years without a quality education they should be held responsible and made to pay and correct their mistake.

All children should be required to attend school until graduation, no matter the age unless it is determined a mental problem exist that causes them to be unable to learn. (Why does it take 18 years to teach what can be taught in half that time anyway?)

When a person robs a store he or she is apprehended, sent to jail or court and pays for the crime. It is a crime to allow our children to go to school and not be given a proper education disabling them for life and relegating them to a life of welfare or crime. (Just think we put young people in prison after not teaching them and pay $40,000.00 a year to keep them there and it would have cost far less to teach them and make them productive citizens.) There is something wrong with thinking we can’t do better.

History teaches us that if we fail to improve our population we end up with them becoming angry and at some point rebelling against the rulers. So I am hopeful that our leaders will wake up and do what we need them to do. Overhaul the education system and make it a system that teaches all our children and give them all a quality education in which they can compete in the world anywhere, all of them.

(Comments are welcomed)

Observation on Understanding Regarding Racism

Observation on Understanding Regarding Racism

From my prospective the subject of racism comes up often. Many people I know or have known have expressed in some way their position on racism and most all say they are not racist but know someone who is. Someone from both sides black or white from many communities or countries.

An African friend of mind mentioned recently that American Blacks are racist against Africans. A white friend once told me that he felt that all Germans disliked his people whom are French. A Korean friend once stated he could not understand why Blacks did not like him but that most Koreans did not like Japanese people including him. There are many examples.

In the south where I grew up we, all black people I knew or know were of the opinion that white people in the south were racist and disliked all black people. Many blacks have said about whites in the south that they wanted to take them, black people, back to being slaves so they could have free or cheep labor.

I remember meeting a white coworker who never would talk to blacks and often would be in a group of whites talking and when I or any other black joined the group he would say nothing. Once when I joined the group the conversation was on welfare and I gave my two cents worth stating that in all societies there were welfare and all people shared in some way in welfare. I farther explained that if a group of people ended up on an island in time there would be those who rose to the top of the economic ladder and those who fell to the bottom and unless those who raised to top helped those at the bottom then they would cease to exist therefore hurting the ones at the top because their labor was needed. Help for them usually came in the form of them working for those who rose to the top thereby increasing their wealth.

The fellow who would always say nothing later caught me alone and asked me where was I from and how did I come to think the way I did. He later told me he had grew up with many blacks working for his family and they were all either not educated or did not speak with him or his family. He went on to say that his family had been members of the clan and he was taught that blacks were inferior and that he should not talk with them or associates with them and never to help them in any way except get them to work for lowest wages.

We became friends, talked often and he admitted he had been taught wrong and he learned that all people are the same and the only difference was there position on the economic ladder and education. He also stated that he now felt that if blacks had been given the opportunity, without the institution of obstacles, they would be much better off.

I learned much from him and I remember that we, blacks, (prior to the 1980s) were taught to observe whites, stay out of their way, know our place and never sassy or do anything to cause them to create a situation where the police were called or where they notified there friends or business members to not give us a job. We had to learn how another white felt about you without having to speak to him or her and whether or not they were a, good or bad, white person. We had to know their expressions toward us well enough to draw a conclusion as to whither they were racist or not, good or bad.

Racism is very difficult to determine. I have been called names, cursed at, refused service, ignored, and even had rocks thrown at me, did the people doing all this consider themselves racist, did I consider them racist? I did not consider all of them racist, I did not know anyway.

Recently a friend of mind had a disagreement with a person over the phone and he called the person a racist. That person was responsible for providing my friend contracts, since that time my friend has been blackballed and cannot get a contract from that office. Is that racism?

Juan Williams was abruptly fired by NPR after giving a statement about how he felt about a group of people when he saw them at the airport. Was Williams a racist, or was NPR being racist?

In reading what Williams said is similar to when I go out to a location and there are a group of white guys with rebel flags flying, I get nervous, or when a white person meets a group of young blacks on a deserted street, I’m told by them they get nervous.

I attended an NPR event recently and among over 500 people there were less than twenty blacks there, none that I could determine worked for NPR. I was nervous there too. Is NPR operating from a racist viewpoint, many of my friends have always thought so. They say there are no black radio personalities on NPR and view NPR as being bias against blacks.

So where do one draw the line on racism, is there people who are really racism or just people without understanding and knowledge like my friend who were taught to dislike blacks?

When we buy homes, cars and other items in predominantly black neighborhoods we pay more, interest rates are higher and in many cases credit are denied. Is that racism?

We support companies, individuals and organizations all the time that deny access to there activity. Take a look at churches on Sunday.

What do you think?

Passing Friends

Yesterday I had an opportunity to reflect on friendship.


Since I left home at the age of 18 I have met, kept and loss many friends from it seem all over the world. Friends that were close, friends that were short in knowing and friends that later turned out to not be friends.

Recently about a year or so ago I had a conversation with a friend about friendship and we discussed the meaning of friendship. We accepted some definitions and rejected others but the final meaning was simple. A friend is someone who is there whether you need them or not and is one who stops for your care or the care of others without being asked and never, never give an excuse or ask for recompense.

After some thought I came to the realization that a friend is someone you learn from, someone you admire and share your thoughts with, someone you can depend on to give you advice and someone that will tell you what you should know not what you want to know.

I came to the position that I have been very fortunate and blessed to have friends that meet that definition. Some of my friends I have known a life time almost, some for a few years and some whom I seem to be in the process of making.

In this reflection I remember a close friend that either I would call every few years and sometimes months and knew if he needed me or I needed him we would respond to each other without question. He was killed while on duty as a policeman in New York many years ago. I miss him.

I mention this because in my reflection I lost another friend a few years ago to sickness. We would talk about politics and business for hours on end. I miss him too and I treasure and am blessed having know them along with others.

I have friends now that are like those two, we talk, we discuss issues and we get in heated discussions about all kinds of things and I would not trade those moments for nothing. We have been meeting to talk now for over 25 years and we think we know how to do everything. :)

There are others who I speak with almost daily and I am as I said blessed to have them as a friend and I will go when they call or give them my shirt if they need it, or my wallet no matter what may be in it if they ask.

So you see a friend is "A good Samaritan" and one who stops everything else when there is a need for you or someone else.

Johnnie, my classmate, my friend was such a person. He touched many lives. We talked often about all things. He talked about his children, his grandchildren and his work. Although I did not know his children and his grandchildren I felt like I did when he talked because he showed the love he had for them.

I can hear him telling me how he took his son to the airport and learned later his son loved to fly and became a pilot. How he met his wife and his love for riding his motorcycle.

Last Tuesday he rode to have breakfast with me and my friends whom he met for the first time and was accepted as if he had been coming for the last 25 years too.

Friendship is a valuable commodity and something that has to be protected and defended and never misused. Once one understands that, friendship comes much easier and is much enjoyed and missed when gone.

I will miss Johnny, he passed unexpected the other day but, I am blessed to have know him for all these years and I have a treasure of memories as a result of that friendship. Yes I'll miss the voice on the phone (Hey, Bro George).

Should his family read this, please know this is my way of expressing my heartfelt symphony for your loss and know that because of him I will forever be in your debt for sharing him with me. Should you ever have a need to call or talk or whatever I will be there because of his friendship?

God Bless You and May you Rest in Peace Johnnie.

2010 Thoughts Of Yesteryear

Recently I decided to signup and try facebook (FB). It has been a gasp and I am enjoying the contact with old friends and new. It is like meeting friends and others in the coffee shop or the mall somewhere that either you haven’t seen in awhile or just got introduced to.


While the conversations are mostly not business or confidential they are entertaining and provide some relief from other activities. The few moments of getting reacquainted or learning that another friend or classmate is located in your town or somewhere that you can call and say hello to is worth the effort of becoming a FB fan.

I am reminded by some that fb is a place of gossip or where too much information on one can be disseminated but I find that the only information you find there is what you want ot be there or information that is already in the public already.

As stated I am enjoying it and having a great time at it for now. I am sure in time it will wear off and I'll be away more than I am on but what the heck, enjoy while I can, and I will.

With that said FB has reminded me of many years ago when life was much simpler, or I at least thought it was, when we didn't seem to have much to care about except where we went, how to keep cool in summer, warm in winter and whither we could go to the drive in on the weekend.

I don't know about you but watermelon tasted better and so did Pepsi and ice cream. Maybe it is that as we grow our taste buds get old and don't work as well as when we were young. Remember when a cold glass of ice tea was the greatest thing on a hot day or lemon aid was dew from heaven? What happen to those days?

Are kids today enjoying things as we did back then and enjoying it or are they simple watching TV, texting and gaming so much they are not getting to enjoy the things we did, or maybe we just don't understand today’s young people. Tell me, what do you think?

I read what the young people are writing and I'm amazed at some of their language and writing ability. Yes most are polite and courteous but it seem that to many are not really interested in what their future will be or trying to shape their future. Is this a result of social media? Social media being right at ones finger tips with real time pictures no matter where one may be, right next door or half way around the world, are we evolving and some of us are not seeing it?

A friend, a smart intelligent friend told me the other day that time did not permit them to be on the computer and they did not care for email or any use for the computer so they did not use it except when they had to. I found that somewhat troubling. Are they being passed by, ignored by those who do use email and the computer for almost everything?

I am on the computer daily and I talk to all my friends and acquaintances via computer, I send co-professionals email and documents via computer and never use a fax or the Post Office unless I absolutely have too. Am I ignoring those I know that don't, I hope not but I do notice that I talk with them less because they are not on email or FB or some other social medium so I can interface with them.

Most of the professionals I know are on LinkedIn or some other network and it is easy for me to find them, talk with them and exchange information. Isn't that what we want, especially the younger people? I do believe although those simpler things we enjoyed when we were young may be missed by the younger generation but they have many more toys, advantages and opportunities to advance than we did, I just hope that not too many miss out on that opportunity.

Well, that is what’s on my mind for this session, Tell me what you think?

Until next time!!


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