Does Your School Pass The Color Test?

In four more years, we will most likely learn that whites are below the majority population status for the first time in American History. With such changes in our population it would make sense that schools have adapted their curriculum to be a better representation of our diverse population. Unfortunately, school districts fail to represent the contributions of all Americans regarding our history.  Because it is so subtle, many Americans might not even be aware such a problem exists. Here is a question for the reader, does your school still teach using a white dominated curriculum or do they use a diverse curriculum? This is what I like to call, the "color test."

Some people after reading the first paragraph will think, he is just race mongering. Not true. Leading research has indicated schools are failing African Americans and Latinos in regards to teaching from a diverse curriculum. They have for years failed minorities by teaching from a strong Anglo historical impact.

Latinos are neglected more than African Americans. Think about it. Many are bilingual and most teachers are not. This is one additional layer of neglect. Latinos represent the largest block of minorities in the United States.  African Americans were given a month for learning. Most educational audits have indicated many schools lack a diversity of learning throughout the year. Black History Month is more of a stigma than a solution.

The NEA has called for action regarding the inclusion of Latino and African American curriculum in literature and history classes. Teachers are not even trained properly how to teach African American or Latino history. Currently there is a lack of interest to change the priorities of teaching. Common Core goals will be blamed for the lack of diversity in teaching, however the problem is much deeper than blaming Common Core. This problem existed long before Common Core.

You see the evidence everyday in your child's assignments. Strong women are white. Special projects  include strong white Americans helping African Americans and Latinos overcome obstacles. Rarely is there an example of a strong leader from either community. Instead, without realizing it, white teachers use references to white saviors as a replacement for strong African American or Latino Role Models. References to movies like the "Freedom Writers", "The Blind Side" and "The Air Up There" are common examples of white saviors that kids are immersed into their learning. It is not something teachers do on purpose, they just fail to recognize the importance of learning about another culture's history.

How can parents and teachers recognize bias in their child's curriculum? There are many tools. I found one from teaching tolerance.org that is a great example of what to look for regarding African American History. Check out below the examples and apply them to your child's learning. You may be surprised by your observations. (Examples from an online resource with edits from the author)


DO...
Incorporate black history year-round, not just in February. Use the month of February to dig deeper into history and make connections with the past.

Continue Learning. Explore how to provide an in-depth and thorough understanding of black history. Textbooks are notorious for omitting information about the struggles of communities, and what they include is limited, so use the textbook as one of many resources. While exploring multiple resources, allow for opportunities to learn along with your students.
Reinforce to students that "black" history is American history. Make black history relevant to all students.

Relate lessons to other parts of your curriculum, so that focusing on a leader, like Fred Shuttlesworth, expands upon rather than diverts from your curriculum. By the time February comes around, the context of the struggle for civil rights and social justice should be familiar to students if you have already addressed such issues across the curriculum.

Connect issues in the past to current issues to make history relevant to students' lives. For example, ask students to gather information with a focus on what social disparities exist today and how a particular leader has worked to change society.

Include the political and social context of the community's struggle for social justice. For example, talk about Daisy Bates' political affiliations and her political ideologies. You see her bravery not as just a personal act but as coming out of community determination.

DO NOT...
Stop your "regular" curriculum, to do a separate lesson on Rosa Parks, on the Civil Rights Act or on Martin Luther King Jr. This trivializes and marginalizes anything you are teaching, making these leaders a token of their culture and ethnicity. Students will get the message that the diversion it is not as important as the "regular" curriculum.
Decontextualize heroes or holidays, separating them from the larger social movement or historical place. Great leaders don't make history all by themselves. For example, if you teach about James Farmer, you must also address the work of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and the Freedom Rides.
Focus on superficial cultural traits based on stereotypes. It's ok to celebrate black music, but teachers should also explore the political and social contexts that give rise to musical forms like hip hop.
Talk about black history in solely "feel-good" language, or as a thing of the past. This fails to help students examine how racism manifests itself today.
Limit the presentation to lectures and reading. Be sure to allow students an opportunity for discussion and reflection.
Teach with little or inaccurate information. Review resources to make sure they don't promote a Eurocentric perspective, which may misrepresent historic figures and social movements.
Shy away from controversial, ambiguous, or unresolved issues. Share the real-life experiences about racial realities in developmentally appropriate ways.

Following these steps will ensure your school passes the color test. The best strategy for incorporating new ideas is through the school leadership council and your local school boards. Be an advocate and not an adversary and you might just reach your goal.

Trump Is Right - If Elected Mexico Will Pay For That Wall

If elected, Donald Trump will get his wall and Mexico will pay for it. All the posts from Mexico's politicians saying that they will not pay a penny for building that wall are incorrect. They will pay for that wall and here are some compelling reasons why Trump is correct.

The cost for building a wall is 10 billion. Sounds like a lot of pesos. However, Mexico has a sixty billion dollar trade surplus with the United States annually. That amounts to 600 billion in 10 years. That's a whole lot more pesos. All Donald Trump has to do is convince Congress to enact a trade tariff on our border to pay for building the wall. With all of the Mexican and American manufactures that benefit from the lack of tariffs and cheap labor, they will threaten to move elsewhere. The companies in Mexico will insist the Mexican government finance the wall. Even if Mexico balks, tariffs will pay for the wall from goods coming back into our country. This my friends, is known as the "Art of the Deal."

Whether Trump wins or loses, there might be some wisdom in his logic. There are  many global inequalities based on deal making by a small group of individuals and corporations that are much worse than Trump. If we put half of our energy learning about the corrupt deals that already exist, instead or worrying about Donald Trump, our world would be a much better place to live in.

Cosby v. 7th Heaven - What's The Difference?

I noticed a funny thing the other day. Bill Cosby is gone. Literally! No more Cosby on cable or in the book store. When I mean Cosby, we are not just talking about the Cosby show. I mean all of his career. The first Cosby Show and I Spy can not be found. I thought to myself, this seems significant is some way. So, I did some further exploration.

Unfortunately, the removal of Cosby is another example of injustice towards African Americans. Here is when whites stop reading and say, "Here we go again."  However, think about the differences. While Cosby has been yanked, 7th Heaven has quietly reappeared on TV. At first, we may think, "no big deal." However, it is a big deal. It is an example of power structures and inequality. That's right, inequalities exist in Hollywood beyond the Oscars.

Stephen Collins is an example of Hollywood's elite.  Just like Mr. Cosby he committed what society has deemed, a crime against humanity. On more than one occasion, he was a pedophile. In the eyes of many, a horrendous crime.

Television and movies pay actors royalties long after the showing of an episode or movie. The actors and their families will earn royalties for a lifetime. By airing 7th Heaven, the royalties continue to flow to the entire cast which is predominantly white. (Including a young Jessica Biel) I just find it interesting the an entire African-American cast will no longer receive their royalties for a show equally as popular and thoughtful as the Cosby Show.

This inequality has many examples that go beyond 7th Heaven. Woody Allen and Roman Polanski are still considered geniuses by the Hollywood elite. There movies are replayed and their careers were allowed to continue. Is it not fair to ask, why the difference?

Spotlight - Trump Calls Out The Pope - And Won

Say what you want about Donald Trump, he does challenge the most interesting people. None more interesting than the Pope. When is the last time you remember anyone challenging the Pope?  The bottom line is Pope Francis took a swipe at Donald Trump and the results were truly telling.

The criticism was aimed at Trump's proposal to build a wall on the US-Mexican border. He said, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Donald Trump did not hesitate to respond in kind. He said the Pope was being manipulated by Mexico and he had no right to criticize a person's religious beliefs. He even called the Pope, "disgusting."

This montage of quips was quickly buried by the media. How fast the story disappeared was eerily similar to the movie Spotlight. Further debate of the Pope would have led to constructive discussions about the walls the Pope has placed around Catholics. Popular media outlets knew it would not be long before Donald Trump went on further to discuss the Catholic abuse problems. In a sense, the media protected the Pope from talking about the impenetrable wall that still exists with Roman Catholic priests that abuse children.

The real story is the lack of a story once Trump was correct. He did not provide a quote for them to create ratings. Instead, he demonstrated that the media will not deconstruct the policies of a popular Pope. Instead, they want sensationalism from Donald Trump, because we crave sensationalism over substance. 

It Takes A Village To Remove A Barrier For People With Disabilities

The United States has been a leader in the fight for individual rights for people with disabilities. Over the past 75 years, we have enacted significant laws to ensure that equality is a reality for our most vulnerable citizens. The most significant legislation is the American With Disabilities Act. This law required that businesses provide equal access to products and services to anyone with a disability. Soon after the law, access was greatly improved. We forget that stores at one time did not provide wheelchair access, bathroom access, and adaptive equipment to ensure people with disabilities could be equal participants in our society.

Back in 1990, President Bush signed the American With Disabilities Act. In my opinion, a great example of Bipartisanship legislation. On the day he signed the act, the President said, "This act is powerful in its simplicity. It will ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream."

This Valentine's Day, I was reminded that the law is only as effective as we want it to be in our community.  I would learn, that there are many obstacles that a person without a disability, may never know exist. Then, the following happened:  I saw a good friend of mine from work at the movies. We were both going to the same Marvel movie, "Deadpool." We entered the theater and both disappeared into the darkness of the coming soon attractions. I would not see my friend again until the following Monday at work. I asked her how her Valentine's Day was with her husband. She responded, "we never got to see the movie." I thought to myself, how could they not see the movie, I saw them enter the theater."

Upon further questioning, I learned that the theater failed to provide captioning for her husband so that he could enjoy the movie. For those not familiar with adaptive devices for the hearing impaired, they are devices that allow a person to enjoy the movie just like you and I. According the American With Disablities Act, Title III of the law requires movie theaters and other public accommodations to provide effective communication through the use of auxiliary aids and services. This rulemaking specifies requirements that movie theaters will need to meet in order to satisfy their effective communication obligations to persons with hearing and vision disabilities. The problem is that enforcement is an issue. With so many theaters and public event facilities, the general public is in charge of monitoring and reporting failure to comply with the law.

When there is a lack of enforcement, ignorance to the law leads to situations in which people with disabilities encounter disappointment. For example, my friend went to the 1PM show and were told the equipment was not working and to come back at 4:00PM. 3 hours later they returned and the manager said, "We just checked the equipment and the batteries are dead." Due to the manager's neglect, they could not see the movie at all.

When you have a disability, you become accustomed to disappointment. It is up to us, the friends and advocates of people with disabilities to speak up and ask that our theaters provide the equipment required by law for people with disabilities. We the people, can make future Valentine's Days special for the hearing and visually impaired. This does not require a hostile response on our part. A simple conversation to the theater can help future movie goers not experience the disappointment that this couple went through. I encourage all to ask the next time they go to a public venue, "do you have the proper equipment for the visually and hearing impaired?" If the answer is no, than ask to speak to a manager. When the manager does not have the answer, then ask to speak to the district manager or owner of the theater. It does not have to be a negative situation. By asking about services, you are helping the establishment understand the expectations of a community. When it comes to a barrier in our community regarding access for all, it falls on many of us to remove such barriers. Try to keep that in mind, the next time you go to a public event that lacks access for all.

Do You Believe Beyonce Is Racist?

Are you still mad at Beyoncé? Do you really believe she is racist? Did you post the meme that claimed supporting the Black Panthers is like supporting the KKK? If you did, maybe I can help you learn a bit about Black history this month to calm you down a bit.

Meet the gentleman on your left. That is Fred Hampton. He was a Black Panther leader killed by Chicago Police. For most whites, this seemed justified. If you are over the age of 60, you were let by our Government to believe it was justified. Let's delve a little deeper and learn about the Black Panther Party.

The height of the Black Panther Party was from 1966 - 1972. Largely formed to protest police violence in Oakland, the party was gaining popularity nationwide in the 1960s. Deemed a threat, J Edgar Hoover, then FBI Director target the Black Panther Party through COINTELPRO, which was a secret program that gave FBI agents the authority to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, neutralize or otherwise eliminate" the activities of the Black Panther party. Part of COINTELPRO's authority was to commit perjury in court and it was perfectly legal. The FBI and police abused the legal system to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. Think about that the next time you see a balance scale of lady justice. The scale might be balance, but our judicial system certainly was not.

The bottom line is comparing the KKK to the Black Panther party is skewed. Calling the BPK racist just like the KKK is a stretch. The KKK wanted to have an unjust system based on whites controlling power over non-whites under the theory whites are superior. The BPP wanted justice for those oppressed by the courts and the police and wanted justice for African-Americans.  Huge difference. It is easy to be misled with false information. Instead of tapping into ignorance and intolerance, try learning from our nation's past to understand who we are today.

What Would Happen If We Had A Systen Similar to Project Vote Smart?

If the information age is here, why do so many people allow political groups to think for them? Political parties are using the information age to their advantage to manipulate the electorate. Social Media is a tool for both parties to shore up their base. They constantly barrage individual news walls with false facts. Some wise people catch on and use Snopes.com to tell their friends they are incorrect.

Here are some questions that would lead to an alternate universe of electing our government officials all the way up to the president.

1. What would happen, if we eliminated political parties? 
2. What if candidates would list their stance on the issues and people chose based on personal convictions the correct candidate?
3. What would happen if elections were publicly funded?

If we made these changes, the United States would dramatically change. People thinking for themselves would change our economy. The billions spent on elections would be drastically cut. Media outlets such as television and the internet would lose valuable revenue. Dealing with facts reduces profits for corporations that benefit from manipulating the electorate which is the system we have now.

To see how such a system might work, take a look at Project Vote Smart. It allows us to imagine a world where one was allowed to just get the facts regarding where a candidate stands on the issues that matter most to all of us. While not perfect, the site gives us a peek at a simpler way to elect our leaders. In fact, you may question if such a system would ever be possible.

Project Vote Smart