Posted on 11/09/2003 3:06:55 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Each time I had a black student, I spoke with her or him about my concern. A handful understood and began to read and show interest in other intellectual matters, such as watching television news each night and hanging out at museums and exhibits.
Most, though, dismissed me either as an Uncle Tom or a strange old man with nothing better to do than to "f-- around with books and white-people s--," as a student told me when I taught at the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle. When I inquired as why he was at U of I, he said, "To get my degree and get out." His vehemence persuaded me to drop the whole thing then and there.
Right now, the hottest book in education is The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other, by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Harvard University sociologist and education professor. I have read the book and believe that it makes a valuable contribution to showing teachers and parents ways to ease, if not eradicate, their adversarial exchanges when they meet for conferences.
Although the book's subject is of utmost importance for all Americans, it means next to nothing to many black parents who, for one reason or another, do not comprehend the inherent value of education. What good is parent/teacher conferences if the parents are not totally invested in their children's learning?
During the last four weeks in different parts of the nation, local African-American leaders have asked me to identify the most pressing issue facing the nation's black communities.
My answer is unequivocal and always the same one: education.
What do I mean by education? Blacks must attend class, earn good grades and score high on standardized examinations. (These three things we can do, although we are not doing so in great enough numbers in 2003.) More important, however, we need to accept and inculcate the love of learning itself. For me, the love of learning is the enjoyment of seeking knowledge and respecting it when it is gained.
Learning is free and can occur anywhere. It is devoid of race, gender, nationality, religion. And it feeds on itself.
I know from personal experience. Even though my father did not graduate from high school, he was an excellent teacher. In fact, he taught me how to read before I started first grade. He would put me on his lap and read comic books to me for hours at a time. I especially loved The Phantom and Superman. I do not know what method he used, or if he knew, but I learned to recognize letters, words, sentences and concepts. My father read all of the black magazines and newspapers and Signet paperback novels, of which he had a large collection. During each meal, he read. His behavior grew on me: I, too, read during each meal.
I did not need a formal head start program; my old man was my head start.
As a college teacher, I met many white students who came from love-of-learning backgrounds, where at least one adult had loved learning for its own sake and passed it on. On the other hand, I met few black students smitten with the love of learning.
Each time I had a black student, I spoke with her or him about my concern. A handful understood and began to read and show interest in other intellectual matters, such as watching television news each night and hanging out at museums and exhibits.
Most, though, dismissed me either as an Uncle Tom or a strange old man with nothing better to do than to "f-- around with books and white-people s--," as a student told me when I taught at the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle. When I inquired as why he was at U of I, he said, "To get my degree and get out." His vehemence persuaded me to drop the whole thing then and there.
As a historically deprived group, American blacks must find an effective means of throwing off institutionalized shackles. But before we can do that, we must destroy all of our self-imposed barriers.
Education/learning is the surest path. The obvious and most natural place for education/learning to happen is in the home. If the home fails, the next best place is the church, our most powerful institution.
Many will disagree, but I believe that education/learning should become our new religion. If anything is to consume our time on Sunday morning and the rest of the week, it should be instilling in our children the love of learning. Our churches literally govern many of our lives, persuading us to take certain courses of action and convincing us to hold certain beliefs.
The love of learning should be part of every gathering. Teachers, lay and professional, should be on hand to teach parents about their responsibilities to their children's learning. We need to start emulating other minority groups, such as Asians, whose children lead in education.
We - African-Americans - need to establish a genuine collaboration between our homes, schools, churches, civic and social organizations, government agencies and earnest individuals.
Our churches - because of their power to influence - should lead the way.
I had the same reaction. It says so much!
I fail to miss your point? If you mean what I think you mean, missing the point is exactly what you have done.
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