The seeds of a U.S economic decline are being planted by the lack of educational opportunity in the classroom for Black and Latino students; and also by the lack of diversity in the corporate boardroom when those students become adults.

          The ethical and fairness factors connected to the promotion of diversity in the corporate “culturally limited” leadership circle, is perhaps beyond their capacity to comprehend. In most cases they have not moved beyond the often pitiful and pathetic: “minority marketing events”; i.e. a “Black History Month Calendar” or the “Three Kings Key Chain” day. But maybe they can at least wrap their brains around the fact that a diverse leadership body is just plain good business sense. They undermine their own profit potential by not utilizing the creative minds of many capable members of the U.S. family. This terrible costly error by Target (and they are by no means alone) is only symptomatic of the many missed opportunities perpetuated by U.S. companies in their failure to engage a rapidly growing (soon to be majority) non-Anglo consumer.

“Target Admits Reminding Managers That Not All Hispanics ‘Wear Sombreros’– Huffington Post 7/10/13

“Target used a training document at one of its warehouses reminding managers that not all Hispanic employees eat tacos and burritos, dance to salsa or wear sombreros, the company said Tuesday. A lawsuit filed by three former warehouse workers in California’s Yolo County shed light on the document, titled “Organization Effectiveness, Employee and Labor Relations Multi-Cultural Tips,” which included suggestions on managing Hispanic workers, and addressing stereotypes about how they eat and dress. Molly Snyder, a spokeswoman for Target, confirmed to The Huffington Post that the document was used during conversations at a company distribution center. She said it was not part of any “formal or company-wide training.” Snyder added that the retailer holds itself responsible for the contents of the document and that Target is “truly sorry.” “It is never Target’s intent to offend our team members or guests and we apologize,” she said.

According to the lawsuit, the document stated the following:

a. Food: not everyone eats tacos and burritos;

b. Music: not everyone dances to salsa;

c. Dress: not everyone wears a sombrero;

d. Mexicans (lower education level, some may be undocumented);

e. Cubans (Political refugees, legal status, higher education level); and

f. They may say ‘OK, OK’ and pretend to understand, when they do not, just to save face.

“The content of the document referenced is not representative of who Target is,” said Snyder. “We strive at all times to be a place where our team and guests feel welcome, valued and respected.”

The three former employees, Robert Gonzalez, Bulmaro Fabian and Pedro Garcia-Ayala, also claim in the lawsuit that their Caucasian bosses regularly used racial slurs when addressing Hispanic employees, and when Gonzalez reported the problem to the human resources department, his supervisors retaliated. Later, Gonzalez, Fabian and Garcia-Ayala were fired. All three claim that their terminations were racially motivated.”  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/10/target-discrimination_n_3570717.html

Creating:

An educational revolution as if the disenfranchised and disinherited children of our nation mattered.

A revolution in your personal life, and then declaring independence; as if your personal life mattered.

I found this video so very much Inspiring; so that, after watching it for the third time I took notes:

• Her difficult childhood in growing up in the projects: “..It was scary, like every day” and; “..I felt trapped in a life that was not pleasant..”  For too many children, they arrive to school every day burdened with so many thoughts that would weigh heavily on even the strongest adult. And yet we expect them to magically leave those fears, hurt and disappointments outside of the school building. For those financially well-to do “Re(de)formers”, who say poverty does not matter, clearly they have not felt or understood the overwhelming pain of poverty; the multidimensional, overwhelming and comprehensive aspect of that pain; and how it asserts and inflicts its punishment on the lives of these young people and their families; every hour, every moment and every day of their existence. Children, don’t come to school having left their lives, their families and their histories at home.  On the other hand, for the re(de)formers misguided liberal cousins who say that poverty is the final determiner of a child’s fate, the deciding variable that prevents their learning; I reject their cynical fatalism as a theoretical rational (aka, excuse) that allows them to not fight hard for the educational success of all children. A school must serve as a lighthouse, a sanctuary, an antidote to the challenges young people face in their personal lives. The school must be a purposeful conscious cultural model of achievable hope; and the positive change mechanism of what is, and can be possible.

• Sadly, there is always an “enabling-cooperating” factor in any (psychological or physical; subtle or dramatic) abusive relationship. It is therefore important, that one should seek to create a revolution in your personal life, (in your personality), and then go on to declare, and live a life Independent of self- allowed degradation. Personal history is not destiny. At any moment in your life, you can (without asking permission) choose to live a life that does not require that you serve as the psychological (or in this case also physical) punching bag for those whose goal in life is to find someone  who can help them to create meaning in their lives, by filling the other person’s life with feelings of despair and the absence of meaning. Why, stay in a situation where one is not appreciated?  I recently express to someone who called to tell me that I was missed from…………. “Being appreciated”, I thought, but did not say: “is more important than being missed.” For, one can be missed for all of the wrong reasons. Ah, but to be appreciated means your essential and healthy (mutually beneficial) contribution is a critical component to the successful outcome of the project, or relationship. In a most important way this speaks to a spiritual symmetry of rewarding results. Therefore, any type of abuse (personal, corporate or collective), is by definition a spiritually  asymmetrical relationship.

First, the task is to find, and grow your natural sense of self-appreciation. This can be achieved through the development of your unique gifts and talents. Second, take care, be good and strengthened yourself; that is, your physical and psychological self. Then, and only then, can you live and work in a space that is truly worthy of your presence and contribution.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/03/strive-to-thrive-wendy-ida-first-step_n_3542907.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices

           “As Court Punts, Thomas Compares Arguments for Affirmative Action to Those for Slavery..”

              An inadequate, incomplete or a failed educational experience has consequences…very often causing bad things to be said, or to happen. Alas, contrary to a popular saying; there is no bliss, no sanctuary, and no safe place to be found in ignorance. Ignorance can cause suffering, pain and death; starting with the “owner” of that ignorance; and then reaching out to harm others beyond themselves. How does one emerge from High School, college and a law school experience, and not fully comprehend the terrible, violent and vicious dehumanization of the American Slavery Institution? It fails badly as a metaphor, and contemptuously spits on the spirits of those who suffered under that horrible system of human capitalization. Whatever problems exist with the current actualization of “affirmative- action” would surely have been traded by our enslaved ancestors for their experience of daily degradation, and the denial of their fundamental rights of person-hood. For sure, there are many credible methodological and ideological critiques of “affirmative-action” that could have been rationally and respectfully argued; (making a sound and sensible argument without offending your audience should have also been learned in the before mentioned educational settings). The irony of the entire event is that it is the affirmative-action of Judge Thomas’s black skin that allows him a special license and preference to get away with such an insulting remark; a remark that would have caused an uproar if spoken by one of his White colleagues on the court.

“As Court Punts, Thomas Compares Arguments for Affirmative Action to Those for Slavery..”

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/supreme-court-affirmative-action-fisher-texas-thomas-dissent

Come on educators, be honest; this makes up for everything that didn’t go well; everything that did not happen for you; that time when you didn’t feel appreciated; for every moment you felt bad; the evening and weekend work; the never ending stream of “educational ideas” (talk about taking your work home with you!); those moments when you thought that nobody cared; or maybe, in a very low moment you even wondered if it was at all worth it, well…..

“Wow. Thanks Mr. Johnson. I’m so blessed to have been privileged by your care and leadership at one of the most influential stages of my life. You and Science Skills Center provided me the support, resources, and opportunities most New Yorkers never get. I still have my Playbills from all the Broadway plays, and the admissions tickets to all the museums and trips we took on college tours. Who knew that 15 years later, I’d be graduating from law school with a joint degree JD/MS?! God is good! Thank you for your support and encouragement!”….Zahrah K. Taylor 5/11/13

           I really adore my Yoga Teacher (Sariane Leigh). OK, come back some of you wandering minds!  Now this is an old-fashion word that is either slipping away (from its old usage), from lack of use; or having lost its power by its continued use in a minimalist way, as in: “I adore your outfit”; or has drifted away from  its true meaning as it serves as “just another word” in some of our favorite love songs.  I like the “old version” of the holding someone in high regard, in high esteem, in a place of great respect and honor. The context/meaning I am using “adore”, is the feeling you have for a person who gives you something that is greater than a gift of money, silver or gold. The gift they are giving you can’t be brought at any price; after encountering this person, you are simply, and essentially, not the “same” person. She is very much a master teacher because (For you professional educators I offer the “pedagogical rubric”), although I am aware that I am in a class of 20+ people; I always feel like I am the only student in the room, alone, and learning from the teacher. Yesterday we had a wonderful workshop on promoting a healthy lifestyle (my title). The question of quantitative and qualitative goals came up. After spending 30+ years in a heavily quantitative educational professional setting; I realized that I have always “pushed back” to open the door for an equal representation of qualitative measures; which I think are equally important. For example:  “Do students feel safe and honored?”; Do you the principal know them as an individual student, not as just the “student body?”; “Do parents feel welcomed and appreciated?”; “Does the staff and faculty feel supported, do they feel you care about them as individual persons; not as just faceless position holders?”  One of the most important qualities of an educator is “Efficacy” (essentially what we as adults are willing to do,  to sacrifice in order to make a student successful) I am not sure how to quantify it mathematically; but I can immediately recognize its elements in a teacher, and students also know it when they see it!             And even at this point in my career I am still not completely sure as to how you professionally develop efficacy in an educator. I saw “efficacy” in the eyes, and heard it in the voice of a teacher I met at a conference in San Francisco, many years ago. That gentleman (Jaime Escalante; the real guy ,not the “Stand and Deliver” actor) was overflowing with the spiritual fire that ignited his expectation that he would be successful with all of his students, no matter what it would mean for him personally. You left his presence with the sense that he would exhaust all of his personal resources to push his kids to a win! There is a belief (I believe) that every educator must bring to the battle. The idea that God has presented, and charged you with a divine being (not just a classroom of beings); and it is your responsibility to assist that student to realize their full possibility and calling in this world. And when we fail at this mission (which we do from time to time); that individual is not the only one harmed; in fact harm is visited (by that individual) upon someone else, or upon the entire planet; in fact, upon all of humanity; yea, the entire universe. I have found on many occasions that the his-story line of a student “bully”; is most often himself a victim of psychological and/or physical bullying at home (sometimes it is 5 minutes into the parent conference and you say: “OK, I see where this child’s anger is coming from!”)

        I always think about the power of a student encountering an educator that embodies efficacy, after a Boston Marathon like tragedy. Perhaps this is just my personal bias concerning what I believe to be the “Power of Education”. I think that at some point in the past these two perpetrators were children in somebody’s school. And what if some teacher, custodian or cafeteria worker could have opened their hearts to the idea that, no matter how painful, or even possibly justifiable their grievance, it could never justify the hurt and harm inflicted on innocent people.  What if some educator taught them to think like Nelson Mandela; that under the most harsh and oppressive conditions, you have the power of not denying your own humanity, by seeking to deprive others of their humanity. I imagine that if we could just get people who because of their personal pain, choose to respond to that pain by inflicting pain on the world.  If we could only get them into a loving, meta-cognitive, self-actualizing and nurturing classroom.  A place that is driven by the powerful spirit of adult efficacy; we could, I believe, greatly reduce the amount of tears in the world. Is this wishful thinking? Is it, in the words of The Temptations: “Just my imagination”?  I hope not, as I so adore, and despite our many failings, hope for the better, and best from the members of my species. 

‘Ben Carson: White Liberals Are ‘The Most Racist People’ ; The Huffington Post ; 4/2/13

(Or as one student once told me: “The main character in this novel is going from worse to worser”)

          Dr. Carson is magnificently transforming himself from a model of Black perseverance and academic excellence, into a  2^nd rate right-wing minstrel side show; destined for a very short run. In the end, his newly discovered conservative friends are simply going to walk away, and search for the next contradictory “model-minority” performer. A racial pretender who can disingenuously confirm the right-wings  love and concern for the darker American others. The less intellectually gifted among them have even deluded themselves into thinking that people like Dr. Carson or Mia Long represent the true face and voice of Black America; if only they (Black America) were “liberated” from those terrible White liberals. This is the working definition of: “Going from good, to bad, to worse”.                         

         Full disclosure here: for many years as an educator I promoted Dr. Carson’s Book, Gifted Hands as a powerful inspirational story for young people (I have purchased thousands of copies). But there is something very dangerous about fame and adulation that seems to push our sense of importance to destructive lengths. It does not help when people like me (Further disclosure: I once gave Dr. Carson an award and brought him in as a speaker) convey our sincere praise and appreciation for your work. It is at that moment that we truly need a “centering” mechanism in our head and heart that can whisper to us that: “You ain’t all that”. Without moral breaks we seem to speed toward the title of one of my favorite films: “A Bridge too far”. There is the very terrible danger of getting ahead of our calling; of getting ahead of God’s plan for us; and the risk of getting behind stupidity. Success can breed delusions of grandeur. We are at that moment cast in the roll of Jesus being shown all of the kingdoms of this earth. “All of these things can be yours”; says satan. But this terrible decision to choose the “glory and praise” of a materially full but spiritually empty world condemns us to a loss of our true calling; simply because it does not offer enough to satisfy our ever-growing with hunger ego. The final descent is being drawn into a comic self-delusionary state; where something is true simply because, we think it so. We in esscence live in the unreality we have created in our imaginations; encouraged of course by the false adulation of an insincere fan base; they wait earnestly for our next joke; and you of course provide the punch-line not realizing the joke is about, and on you.                    

           The main criteria for any Black role in the Republican party is to simply be “anti-Obama”; not be for something that could truly change the plight of Black Americans. The limited casting rules and roles should lead any intelligent person to say: “wait, something is wrong here; I am more than the anti-Obama chocolate flavor of the month; I can think!” Dr. Carson’s description of : “Liberals as the most racist”; not only seeks to turn history on its head (the good guys become the bad guys; and the bad guys show up as good). It further mocks the contributions and sacrifices of an entire class of people who set out to make sure that our Nation could realize it’s true calling to be fair and just to all of its citizens. Many of those “liberals” left the safety of White Privilege” and lost their lively hoods and in many cases their lives in our struggle for freedom and equality. Who in the world is Dr. Carson speaking about: William Lloyd Garrison and other abolitionist? The thousands of union soldiers who lay buried all over the south far away from their place of birth? Viola Liuzzo, Andrew  Goodman, Michael Schwerner and other liberals killed in the civil rights struggle? The liberal White freedom bus riders or that Democratic Liberal president Lyndon B. Johnson, who move to codify and put into law much of the goals of  the civil rights movement. Perhaps more time with brain psychology, as opposed to brain physiology would inform  Dr. Carson that Black Americans are not stupid. They know what they see  when they see it. And what they see is a very racist national effort by his conservative collogues to hinder and deny them the right to vote. That is racism.

        For sure all of the efforts of “liberals” have not always been totally helpful; and the Democrats have a long way to go in building up enough courage to again speak openly of building a “Great society” where all can enjoy the possibility of realizing their full human potential. But I would take a misguided White liberal any day (there is at least the hope of redemption), over a right-wing conservative who is philosophical dedicated to the denial of my human and civil rights.   

              Dr. Carson come back; be the wonderful model you were destined to be; inspire our young people to greatness; reject the false call of the glitz and glitter of this world. An ego satisfying illusion that only seeks to pull you away from your (good/best) self.

“Try not. Do or do not, there is no try”….Yoda; Star Wars

“Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”….Yogi Berra

        I confess that I see the world through the corrective lens of education. Every waking moment is for me, a teaching and learning opportunity. We are (all of us) always teaching; we teach by what we do; and by what we fail to do. We teach volumes by what we give to those around us; and by what we withhold from them. And I suspect that the really smart and successful people know that they are always teaching.  They “decenter”, and are like good classroom teachers able to step outside of themselves and see themselves teaching, as if they were sitting in their own classroom. But great and wise teachers are constantly aware that at every moment of their lives they are also students. The goal is to achieve a state of learning to be excellent in every aspect of one’s life (spiritual, relationships, professional, creative gifts, etc.). But excellence is like reaching infinity via the number line. As soon as you reach the highest number imagined; you realize that by just adding the single digit 1 means there is another higher number. Does the seeking of excellence sound like a meaningless journey and effort?  Not quite, the true meaning and purpose of the effort, is in the effort. I would think that if one actually was able to obtain excellence; that state would be meaningless, and boring; for it is our imperfections, short comings, and incompleteness, undiscovered and underdeveloped gifts, which make both us and life interesting. The “trick” is to be every ready to receive the ever-present lesson. The best Learner is not distracted by the age, race, gender, educational level, credentials, social status, material wealth or titles of the teacher. What they are intrinsically attracted to, is the ultimate value for growth from the lesson. Settings can also be misleading; as some of the best and most important lessons take place outside of formal educational settings.  The best Learners see the entire world as just one big classroom.

              One of my first out of school learning experiences occurred  during the 4 years I worked the 12: AM-8: AM shift at the post office, and attended college full time. The many Black American “mail-handlers” I worked with had every reason to be bitter and not wish me well. Many of them were intellectually capable to go to college but opted to take care of their families by securing a “safe” civil service job; many indeed had college degrees but were unable, because of racial discrimination, to obtain jobs in their fields of study. But the opposite happen.  These men collectively willed me to gather strength every day to travel after work, up to CCNY and take a full day of classes. I needed all of the support and encouragement I could get since I faced moments of extreme exhaustion, and often said: “I can’t do this”. On one of those days I did something I had never done before, or since. We were unloading a truck full with heavy bags of mail, loading the bags onto skids that would take them to other trucks. While dragging a bag to a skid; I felt more tired than I had ever felt in my life. I was thinking about all of the class assignments I had to complete and in particular the demanding work of the “Clark Brothers”; I was taking a class in history with John Henrick Clarke; and a psychology class with Kenneth Clark. They both demanded nothing less than your best; it was just impossible to fake a “weak” paper pass these brilliant professors; they were both masters in their fields of study.  All this is going through my mind as I am (as least believing to be) dragging this heavy mail bag across the floor; when suddenly I hear a loud: “Johnson!” it seemed; that I had actually stopped, and had fallen asleep standing up. The guys told me to get off the floor before I injure myself.  I was sent to the “swing-room” (locker room) to get some much needed rest. “We will cover for you”; just make sure you do something with that schooling, and help somebody”.  I have never forgotten their lesson of kindness, or their charge for me to use my education, not to make money, but to be able to perform a service for others.  I was thinking about them this week as I started the first session of my Yoga classes. I find joy in things I have not already accomplished and mastered.  I am also interested in noble efforts, where there is a strong possibility I can lose or fail (or why bother?). But as I attempted to do some of the powerful stretching positions in the class, my age “told on me”. I thought: “I can’t do this”. I was struggling to even get into a position that looked similar to the one being demonstrated by the instructor. I have learn over the years to give myself permission for a few moments of regret at the beginning of a challenging effort;( knowing that my feelings of regret are on a limited timer) I thought: “What was I thinking about when I signed up for this class?” and, “Why did I let my “exercise fan” doctor; who thought yoga was a great idea; talk me into this. What am I doing here? I am feeling ancient, but not in the wisdom sense. The younger folks around me seem to bend and twist into the many simple yet complex positions with much less psychological and physical effort then I was expending. Ten minutes into the class I said to myself; that if I can escape from this alive I will never come back again; “this, is killing me”. I was stretching and exercising muscles both known and unknown; and all the while the sister teacher kept saying: “Now watch, and manage your breathing”. “ Well”, I thought hoping she could not hear my thoughts; “Whenever I am able to catch my breath, I will indeed try to watch it”. I thought at some point: “I am making a complete fool of myself; and that I really need to “act my age”. But paying attention to your own breathing; mentally observing the resistance and surrender of your own muscles, forces your thoughts to go inside of yourself.  Quite honestly, I always thought Yoga wasn’t “that much”. After all people aren’t running for miles, shaking their “Zumbas”, or lifting heavy weights. They are not “moving around that much”; and so how hard can this be? It was hard, very hard. At that moment I felt as if I was receiving some type of cosmic pay back for all of the dismissive thoughts I had about Yoga.  A sister yogi next to me,  surrounded me with encouraging words; she help to  carry me through what seem like an entire day (1 hour) of exhaustive, strenuous exercise. She gently, graciously, quietly and softly encouraged me forward even as I made a physical mess, and an unintended mockery of just about every Yoga position. She was at that moment the Black women of my youthful church, who encouraged the children in every, public speaking, every Shepherd (with towel around head) role in the Christmas plays, recitation, publicly reading scripture, or memorization and presentations of the books of the bible. It never occurred to us kids that even when we made a mistake in our presentations, we still received the same standing ovation, the same wonderful encouragement. When I look back, the tremendous praise and adulation of those mothers of the church was like my Yoga sister probably more than I deserved. But they knew what they were doing; they were insulating us against self- defeat, and against a world committed to defeating our sense of self-hood.   The instructor (Anacostia Yogi) is a wonderful teacher; and having evaluated teachers for so many years, I know good teaching when I see it. All excellent teachers seem to have the similar quality of effortlessly delivering efficacy while making the student feel welcomed and worthy of the teachers hard work. She both pushed and carried us to do our best.  Her persistent encouragement along with my fellow classmate reminded me of my 70’s post-office buddies (without the salty language of course). If we are to be successful human beings; we are in many ways the end results of encouragement, both internal and external.  When we feel tired we need the strength of another, to see our own strength. When we are unwilling, or our will is weakened by a perceived or real limitation; the kind words of another can will us forward to a different possibility. And, as often is the case, when we feel we don’t have enough of what is needed for the moment; a great teacher, and a caring fellow student can gently push us into our unrealized strength. You then feel obligated to succeed based on the pact you made through their inspirational and emotional investment in you.  And at some point in the class something interesting occurred.  I became less conscious of my struggling self, and more aware of another less conscious self.  I was no longer concerned about what I could not do; and felt very powerful in what I was able to do. I felt powerful and accomplished when I made even the smallest progress. I became aware of myself improving at every moment.  I compared myself to myself at the start of the class, and to where I was now in the present moment. Progress can be known, and had form one minute to the next; the key is to continue to move forward.  At the end of the class I felt I had been on a spiritual journey; like an earlier version of myself who went mountain climbing in Canada (Oh, didn’t know that?). It is that time; after you reach the top, and leave the total concentration of the physical climb behind; that you look down and realize that you are both the mountain, and the climb; at that moment your entire life comes into focus. After spending more than 35 years in high stress positions; the last meditating position we assumed in the class put me into a relaxing state that took me back to my adolescence. I could see myself in my youthful activity of kite flying. We young Brooklyn aviators made our kites climb and sour to the clouds over Prospect Park (and we believed the planet earth itself). At some point in kite flying (and kite flyers will fully appreciate this); there is a moment when there is no distance between you and the kite, you are tethered to something great, high and wonderful; you are magically attached to the freedom and power of the sky; or you forget you are holding the string; and you feel yourself, and not the kite dancing just below the canopy of the clouds. The kite soars, you soar, the kite descends, and you descend. When the kite returns to earth; you mentally plan the necessary repairs; and all you can think about on the walk home is the next flying date. The moment the yoga class ends; is the moment I begin; in all of my fleeing exhaustion, to miss it. A strange feeling for an I, who for so many years found himself not missing much of anything outside of working in education.  I begin to feel; “There is a life, after (or alongside) a life”; hidden from us; but accessible; reached by Kite or on this particular day, Yoga.

           Driving home from the class I was amazed at my vivid memory of the details and techniques of childhood kite flying.  Where had that memory gone for so many years? Perhaps you can only find your deepest childhood memories in a safe space; a place where you are relived of the heavy burden of managing a image. That night after the Yoga class I experienced a powerful sleep; a deep sleep; the type of sleep I last felt many years ago; when a very tired 20 year old was pulling a mail bag across that post office floor; back then nothing, and I mean nothing in the world existed at that moment, except sleep.

‘Preachers’ Daughters’ Premiere: 17-Year-Old Taylor Wants To Be A Porn Star Or Stripper…’ ….. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/preachers-daughters-porn-star-stripper-video_n_2866229.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%20Voices

            I guess my concern is that the crazy and lowest denominator is presented as the “reality-norm”. And whose reality is it, really? I suppose that every type of known or imagined depraved behavior is someone’s reality but my 2 other concerns are the attempts to pass these shows off as normal reality comedy as opposed to aberration and distortions of “generalized” Black reality; driven by human distraction and destruction. We are more, much more.

             It is not the comedic aspect of these ‘Reality’ shows in itself that is the problem; even as I cringe at the attempt to play into stereotypical  gender; ( the never ending female ‘cat fights’ over the senseless and meaningless); and the racial (happy go lucky Negroes with much artificially created concerns and drama in the world; and without politically progressive idea in their heads. They live out their lives careening from designed “crises to crises” in a modern over the top passion play of ‘minstrelality’. There is something very odd here. When watching shows in the 50’s and 60’s like The Three Stooges (the name alone told you where the show was going); they acted in the most unreal sense of reality. The behavior was so, bizarre, so extreme, so “slap-stickish” that there was no way that the TV networks could call what they did “reality”. In a subtle way we were provided with a sort of “Intellectual sub titles”; a kind of disclaimer, that informed us: “What you are watching is for entertainment purposes only; it is not for reality consumption”.

               I remember one of my P.S. 9 (elementary school) classmates getting into serious trouble, when he performed a “Moe on Curley” (2 of the 3 Stooges) technique on another student in the school yard. (Two fingers eyes poke; blocked by Curley; followed up by an overhand “head-bop”, unable to be blocked by Curley). He never got to the “head-bop” part. The young victim, lacking a script, and acting technique did not block the “eye-poking” move. He suffered a not too serious eye injury, but had to be taken to the hospital. This resulted in us boys (the girls, apparently had more sense, even back then); to miss a day of recess so that we could listen to a lecture from the Assistant principal, Mr. Grant, concerning the absence of reality in shows like The Three Stooges and “Professional Wresting”. All activities related to these TV shows were hence forth banned from the territory of P.S. 9. Obviously (as history records); we all collectively made a mental note that his prohibition did not mention after-school on the way home, on the block and on weekends. Little did I know then; but many years later I would be presenting a modern and  version of Mr. Grant’s “reality speech” to a young man in my office for performing the (from “Professional TV Wresting”) infamous “sleeper-hold” on another student. His defense (and I am being charitable in calling it a defense); “I was not trying to hurt him; I was only trying to see if it works”. His attempt at directing and acting in his own reality show did not put the other student to sleep; but it did succeed in activating the victim’s asthma. “What amount of Knuckle in your head prevents you from understanding that professional wresting is not real?” I asked. His non-response signaled that he understood that my question was rhetorical; did not require an answer; and was intended to “shock” a sense of reality into his world view. After waiting the standard “principals pause” to allow for the gravity of the situation to sink in; I then pronounced the link of pedagogy to punishment (As I always told my Ed. Administration interns: “we are ultimately in the teaching, not the punishment business”). “Since you will now have a few days to reflect and contemplate the results of your actions; away from the social contact of your fellow students; I want to be helpful here” The look on the students face revealed that he knew that my offer “to help”; would somehow be problematic for him. “I will need you to write a 25 page paper on the history of Greco-Roman wrestling and U.S. “professional wresting”; and then compare and contrast them.” (All good knowledge is ultimately put to some good use; so somewhere in this world there is a young man; who knows a heck of a lot about Greco- Roman wrestling!)

                Our view of reality is very much shaped by our reality. And, perhaps there is an ongoing “back and forth” of shaping by the internal and external realities. Knowledge, is truly power, and powerful in helping us to distinguish which “reality” is in charge and when. As a youngster my friends  and I played “superheroes” (bathrobes became capes); and, (out of the knowing of  my mother); did leap from dresser top to bed; but it never occurred to us to do what seem to be an annual event of some youngsters at the time, to literally jump out of a window playing Superman. Somehow we were totally absorbed in playing the Superhero game; and yet we knew we were only playing superheroes. And although the Three Stooges were clearly White; we somehow did not think of them as being White.  It perhaps helped that TV, motion pictures, the news media; school (history lessons absent Black) gave us an overwhelming access to see many White people who were not stooges. The Black folks we saw on TV were either in some type of servitude position; or grunted some incomprehensible “African language” on shows like Tarzan.

                   Because we as a nation have failed to honestly discuss the unresolved issues of Race across racial barriers; these “reality” shows must be analyzed in a racial/political context; for example, when Black and White viewers are watching the same reality show scenes are they laughing at the same things? I wonder how much of our social reality drives our vision and understanding of these TV Reality shows; drives the  cause and context for our sense of humor? We don’t know because we fearfully avoid the discussion of race; even when the topic is race.  Unfortunately, what we presently have now in our nation is like the title of the August Wilson’s Play Two Trains Running; separate conversations moving along in parallel, but never touching. And until we have that “painful discussion”; I will remain suspicious of the motives and intent of the cultural, news, entertainment, sports, TV, and motion picture industries.

               I think that many of these Black focused “reality shows” trace their philosophical ancestry not to the Three Stooges (although their behavior can be very stooge like) but rather to the Amos and Andy school of “reality” where characters like “Kingfish” and “Lightning” were playing out the racist interpreted vision of Black Americans; the “few” (actually the majority) of Black Americans who did not act, or live like them; were either “exceptions” or “credits” to their Race.

             I would think that the daughters of preachers are as diverse in their thoughts about career choices as any other daughters. And so clearly it is the shock of, juxtaposition and the contradiction of this young lady’s career choice, and her father’s vocation, that is the objective here. All done in that endless search for a space and place to make money. Another woman objectified and commercialized in an unimaginative entertainment vehicle; (where do they find these people?).  And of course; on full display: The “joy” of seeing the hypocrisy and failures of Christian parenting skills. Another reason to say: “You see, that’s why I don’t go to church…; that’s why I don’t listen to ministers”. There is something strange and unsettling  about the public’s thirst to see  public figures fail and fall. Do we find a collective comfort to see that like us, they often live in a sad reality?  We know where this show is heading, the plot and the necessary conflicts story line. And if it is successful, were the producers responding to the reality of a desire on the part of the audience; or, are they creating that desired reality? And even if she is only “thinking” about this particular career move; I would think that being the child of a preacher, could offer us many important and interesting insights as to its unique challenges, beyond the extreme of pornography and striping.

          OK, so I am really going to stop saying about these “reality shows”: “It can’t possibly get any worse” (It’s only a matter of time: “The Real Hip-Hop-Probasketball/Football Players Baby-Mommas-Stripper Housewives of Atlanta”…majmuse.net).  Clearly, I am just setting myself up for disappointment. This: ‘Preachers’ Daughters’ Premiere: 17-Year-Old Taylor Wants To Be A Porn Star or Stripper…’ ;  moves us tragically closer to worse, at least I hope!

“How the demographic shift could hurt Democrats too”……. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-the-demographic-shift-could-hurt-democrats-too/2013/03/08/de82ab38-8128-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html

Putting aside the poor research methodology.  Demographics, present and trending, is both the cause and indicator, (but not the driving cause) of the future recruitment problems facing the Republican Party (GOP). The problem is centered in their ideas, or as some would say, the lack of. Any “business plan” that calls for an appeal to a shrinking customer base is doomed to fail. Food chains like Burger King and McDonald are seeking to now appear more “health conscious” because the consumers are showing  a greater interest in health and caloric intake. The former “Fast” label that was their claim to fame is less appealing, since many food outlets (i.e. Chipotle) have learned to serve food fast and healthier. The Republicans need an MBA marketing team, not a bad social science researcher, who acting like a celebrity “groupie” tells them what they want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear. The GOP has decided to pursue policies that appeal to a small shrinking segment of the American population. The author’s thesis here, is that this cohort can be artificially grown. It is the height of wishful thinking to believe that bad ideas could just be “artificially implanted” (I just couldn’t help it) into a generation of Americans, such that they would shift their politically loyalties. The real problem is in the details of policies that are based on principles that offend a larger, and growing segment of the population. Women for example are going to seek more, and better equality in all segments of society; and to the GOP’s dismay, complete control concerning matters that affect their personal physiology. Those same women are going to join a large coalition of Americans who want to see support, not senseless cuts to education and health care. The writer forgets that Democrats, unlike the Republicans have been learning for some time how to “manage” their language. We have not heard them use the word “Liberal” in quite a while; and even the ascendancy of the first Black President has not stop the trend started by the Clinton administration of going silent on the vocabulary of helping  the “Poor” (heavily concentrated in our communities of color). The poor (working and not working) have been dropped for a serious, exclusive and committed relationship with the “Middle-Class”. There is however, a glimmer of hope for the GOP in that the Democrats are now running real scared of sounding, well, compassionate and caring toward those in our society who are suffering due to no fault of their own. The Democrats could in the future, overplay this appeal to those “hard to find and define”; independents and  ‘moderate conservatives’. I  predict (since we are in the utilizing bad research mode) that as the economy improves, unemployment drops and the employed feel more secure in their present jobs; Americans will shift toward a more giving and caring society (Oh, that dreaded word, “entitlements”; imagine being entitled to a decent: home, food, health and education, being something bad!). This can’t bode well for the Grand Opposition Party. To stop the bleeding, and rationalize their presence in government, they are going to have to start being for something, as opposed to being against most things governmental. But “Birthing” (I could not help it again) more old conservative angry White Guys, is not happening. We can juggle research data to say whatever we want it to say; but the maternity ward numbers don’t lie. And even if they put some type of love potion into bottles, and distribute them to the Tea Party faithful; we humans, unlike some other organisms on the planet, aren’t built for producing large numbers of offspring. This means the GOP is fighting a three front war against: mathematics,science and time. The end is predictable; for as those Motown biologists, the Supremes, have told us; our species can do research; but we “Can’t Hurry Love”

Colbert King: “Illiteracy is D.C.’s biggest challenge…. Without readers, there’s no hope for the District.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/colbert-king-illiteracy-is-dcs-biggest-challenge/2013/03/08/f4a2b54e-8776-11e2-98a3-b3db6b9ac586_story.html

Indeed; But so is “weak (far below grade level) literacy”. And, where is the outrage, the sense of urgency? Frederick Douglass said it best in his autobiography; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave:   

  “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the most  wicked of men. As I read and contemplated the subject, behold! that very discontentment which Master Hugh had predicted would follow my learning to read had already come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish.”     

Yes, the ability to read, and reading, opens a space in us that is forever open. When we read we are placed in a  place, that is resistant to the confined space created by  any who would under-expect our potential, or undermine our high expectations for ourselves. Reading invites that “anything good is possible” into our hearts. The mind can’t be held captive; can’t be designated to the back seat of the #47% bus. As a poor kid growing up in some very dangerous Brooklyn streets; I spent endless hours in the demilitarize zone of the Brooklyn Public Library. Once safely in the warm embrace of those bookshelves; I could travel anywhere in the world; yes, time travel to the past or the future; I could read and imagine a different world other than my own; and I could imagine myself being something and somebody special in that world.  And when I left that temple of hope, I strategically picked the check-out clerk  who I knew would allow me to go over the Book-lending maximum (Oh Bless you, wherever you are:-) For I was the reading version of the “young and the restless”, If I ran out of books to read. I did not give much thought then (what adolescent would) as to why so many other kids my age did  not see the transcending-transformational joy and power of reading.  Later when I pursued education as career I realized that for many young people their experience with reading was/is the opposite of my own. Reading for them is not immersing and relaxing yourself in language; it is more like being lost, and struggling to learn a “second foreign language”. Those strange figures and symbols, called words, that were printed on the page were not your friend; they were rather, some type of cruel unsolvable puzzle. Reading produced  a source of dread and embarrassment when they were called upon to read aloud in class. I on the other hand could not wait to read aloud in class; my struggle was to “slow-down”, as I was reading for public consumption.  I loved my super-mastery  powers to be able to pronounce “hard words”; to soar fearlessly over the text. I was a Muhammad Ali of reading for; I could float over sentences, and sting difficult words like a bee. And at the end of my reading presentation, the ever expected and received: “Good job, Michael”; from the teacher. At that time I had no idea who Frederick Douglass was, or anything about his book.  But when reading I knew I felt proud, and empowered. It was like being poor and having a lot of money in your pocket. One of my proudest moments in the power of reading was when Ms. Shapiro, my fourth grade teacher put a newly arrived to class student named Juan in the seat next to me. Juan had just arrived half-way into the school year from Puerto Rico. Back then there were no ESL programs; and so my teacher called me to her desk and  said: “Michael, I want you to help Juan when we have reading time, he is just learning to speak English”. It was one of those kind acts, and kind of acts that positively mark you for life. You would think I had just won an Academy Award, an Oscar, or the Nobel Peace Prize for Reading. I took on the task of helping  Juan with his reading like it was a paying job. I helped him during class, before class, after-class, in the school yard, in the lunch room. I was determined, and took it on as a personal mission that Juan and I would not go on to the 5th grade, and he was not able to read. And of course, no self-respecting 4^th grader back then wanted to disappoint their teacher; or fail at an esteem boosting honorable appointment. Naturally, the teacher did not tell me Juan’s end of year reading score; and I didn’t ask. But it seem to me that by all of my knowledgeable and objective 4th grade criteria Juan had greatly improved in his reading. In any event we went on to the 5th grade; and Juan latter united with me in a gifted and talented middle school program; where he was one of the top readers. Over the years I have watched the pained look of high school students who beg with their eyes that you don’t call on them to read out loud, either something on the board, or in a book. I have known  brilliant 9th grade students who are able to master Biology through visual picture and auditory methods; because they can’t read the text book. I have read the “elementary level” translations of the lesson notes in their notebook (This is actually a smart decision: why take class notes that you can’t latter read). They very often do well because the “language” of science is essentially a new language for everyone in the class; but good readers have an advantage; for example they can read and/or already familiar with the word “diversity”, or they have seen “di” in front of other words they knew from other readings, and so putting “Bio” in front of it does not stretch their understanding. Finally, they have had a lot of reading practice where they utilized “context clues” to decipher word meaning; thus, they can move quickly on to the next phrase.  The “poor” reading student can do well (in fact we proved in Brooklyn that you can actually teach a 3rd or 4th grader to master high school Biology by minimizing the text book, and teaching it like foreign language acquisition) in science, but they can’t ever do their best.  And, You are left to wonder; wow, what if this kid could read, and study the text book!  Good reading skills are essential to all subject areas; a poor test score in mathematics, could in part be due to the inability to “read and understand the question”. It is not that students don’t know the algorithm (the way to solve the problem); they simply don’t know what they are being asked to do.

Reading ability in the 1800’s was political; and in the year 2013 it is still political. You ever think of what would happen if we taught all children to read? If we did not have a small group of winners (good-readers), and a larger group of those who are lost (non-readers)? The problem then is;  what do you do with so many aspiring young people who are prepared to enter higher education and/or the workforce? How could our economy cope with high school graduation rates that exceeded 60%(and what if 100% of that 60% really graduated by truly meeting 12th grade literacy standards!)  What we need Mr. King is a militant-serious-take no prisoners;  lobby/advocacy group to fight for these kids. A real, and not rhetorical educational civil/human rights movement. Time, in this situation is not an ally.  Our public schools are quickly becoming the feeding grounds for venture capitalist. “Play-pens” for inexperienced ghetto adventurist cashing big checks, while waiting out a slow economy.  The non- reading children of color, the children of the poor, of any color are being relegated to a permanent underclass, which will only serve to feed the social service and criminal justice systems. It is a new twist on a “slave narrative” that removes opportunity by crippling the ability; eliminates potentiality by reading skills denial.. It is a cruel reversal of the Douglass experience. We need no slave masters, no laws prohibiting the teaching of slaves to read; no chains, no slave quarters, just send them to school.