There is an old negative saying: “If you want to keep a secret from a black man, put it in a book, because blacks don’t read.” While Africans were taken from their homeland of Africa and forced into slavery, slaves were forbidden to learn how to read and write English, which shows just how powerful education is. The slave in this country, our ancestors fought to be educated, which was denied to them, evolving into the educated Negro, the learned black and finally the African American scholar. Our ancestors saw education as an opportunity to break the chains of stigma, segregation and status that were ascribed to blacks from slavery.
Blacks advocated for integrated education and formed black colleges, fraternities and sororities to support one another in higher education. There was a time when education was a distinction of honor held by a black man; there was a time when a book was valued and not destroyed/ignored, there was a time when a school was a place to learn and teachers taught. Today’s generation has reacted to the change in education resulting from the advancement of technology. Students today rely on a computer, not the Dewey Decimal System for obtaining information; children rip up and write in books, teachers are disciplinarians and protected by unions. The school system is now modeled and functioning similar to “junior prisons” where test scores determine a child’s future. Schools are no longer a sanctuary, but a place of violence and discrimination and have become a business.
Our ancestors fought for and died for this? Why do blacks embrace education only after they are assigned an orange suit and an identification number? Education is an inherent right of every person in this country, white or black. Historically, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. William Shockley tried to scientifically justify that blacks were inferior as far as learning aptitude and intellect versus whites. The Moynihan Papers would describe the breakdown of the black families; consideration must be given to the fact that black children grow up in more economic distressed environments that contribute to poor educational outcomes.
To embrace education is to embrace one’s spirit; to demonstrate humility, dedication and sacrifice. Blacks must renounce instant gratification and unify as our ancestors did. Feeding one’s soul promotes education. Our children need sound spiritual values in order to pursue education. Today’s spiritual institutions have further segregated and isolated blacks from one another. The common phrase: “I don’t know what is going on in those other churches … but I know what is going on here!” resonates separatism among blacks. Today’s black churches support doing what it takes to get to heaven rather than what our ancestors did: doing what it takes to be a good ancestor – to serve as “we” and not as “me.” Today’s monolithic, often ostentatious places of black worship focus on monetary competition, allowing the preacher/pastor to be God-like in adhering to everything this leader says and requests – a very similar model of religious worship that was afforded to slaves by plantation owners whom did not support spiritual growth but rather maintained control over the congregation.
It is time for blacks to place value back in education where it belongs. The lack of success in education today for our youth is a form of slavery that has evolved from what our ancestors endured. Absence of strong practices in education has targeted our youth to be unsuccessful, unproductive and non-contributory to themselves and society. Until the United States of America places a consistent, proactive value on education from Head Start to college graduation, our black youth will continue to struggle and do poorly. Prisons are being built faster than schools.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” This African proverb existed long before Sen. Hillary Clinton made it a campaign slogan. Education demands dedication, self-discipline, respect, communication and spirituality. Parents and guardians have to practice sacrifice, dedication and self-discipline in the home that is exhibited in the schools, where teachers teach and administrators understand the duty of educating children today is the best sound investment for a future that any race can be proud of.