AMISTAD

We watched the movie Amistad in class. Although flawed in some ways it does demonstrate many of the concepts discussed in class when dealing with pre-European African culture and the Atlantic Slave trade. This is vital to the class as we try to visualize why and how Africans initially got to the West and what happened when they arrived.

Systemic Racism

What is Systemic Racism?
It is a society where the Institution itself is based and historically built on the tenants of inequality based on Race. It is a system where one group or groups are institutionally marginalized, dehumanized, and discriminated against for the advancement of another.
I believe that the only way to fight systemic racism is to know and understand the system itself. To master the game. As one of my former coaches once told my with mastery comes recklessness.

Ancient Africa and the Slave trade

This class has looked and completed projects about Ancient Africa. The common theme amongst all of the presentations was that Africans pre-Europe were (compared to many other parts of the world) advanced. They exhibited advanced culture, architecture, smelting of metals, science, education, warfare, religion and other aspects of civilization. 

We have also studied the results of  history. That result being us. We've listed some of the modern characteristics of Black people. The ones you generated and are hung at the back of the room. They don't correspond with the characteristics of ancient Africans. How then can one rationalize the difference. How and when did the change occur? When did the switch get flipped? What happen to change the African? What process robbed the African of Africa?

Rise of Racism

Something I'm going to use to discuss the rise of racism in the United States and Canada. Please check it out:

Rise of Racism

Criminals run the Community

Today we looked at the Black community's problem of crime within the communities that we live. The criminals are running many poorer Black communities and neighborhoods. They protect their territory ny creating a anti-snitch and anti- action mentality. They rule the community through fear threatening, hurting and even killing anyone who challenges them. They create an atmosphere where the dealers flourish making it fertile ground for the real money men to pillage. The money leaves our community in desperation leaving only a few who've been given a little more to perpetuate this condition. Like house slaves and those who captured Africans to be sold into slavery, they sell their souls for a buck while leading oppressed Blacks to their doom. We need to see these people in that way, as conscious or unconscious traitors fueling the oppression of Africans.

We discussed those who make excuses for these people, protecting them from harm or prosecution, allowing them to continue their campaign within the community. We discussed how these people might be worse. They have the influence and ability to attempt change, but, for some reason choose not to. They enable the criminals to further damage our community from the inside out. Making the collapse of the Black community, at times, an inside job.

Frame of Reference doesn't include finishing.

What do you do  when a generation of students share a frame of reference that doesn't include 'follow through'? Students whose definition of Black means that you stop when you meet your first hurdle. I've noticed this in my last few years of teaching. The expectation of finishing what you start has vanished, the excuses appear. At times the mindset comes from those inside of the community who've never finished. Many who have finished what they've started are veiwed as special or abnormal. It may well be a more widespread phenomenon but the affects within the Black community are magnified and have more impact than they do in a mainstream situation.
How do you engender a finisher's mindset? How do you stop the fatalism that  allows and encourages kids to sabotage their own lives when thinigs are actually going well. They're not used to things going well. what do you do???

Crime and Punishment

Today we exmanined the chapter on Crime and Punishment in Juan William's book 'Enough'. We looked at how many Black leaders in the States (and I imagine Canada) will be quick to call out the injustices of American Systemic Racism while ignoring the damaging and much mailigned crime happening inside of the Black community. I am guessing that what he's actually saying is that until we clean up our own backyard it's difficult to call out another group about what they're doing to us. He's not dismissing the aspects of systemic racism rather encouraging those players inside of the Black community to be more active in dealing with crime within our community. When those outside of the community deal with Black people at times the sentences are much harsher and inequitable (crack sentences are much harsher than cocaine a rich man's drug). We are waiting and allowing those outside of our community to deal with our people after which, we complain about their judgements.