Five black actors are making history during Black History Month. It inspires me and gives me pride to see Jennifer Hudson, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith and Forest Whitaker getting international attention and acclaim because of their Academy Award Nominations. I am especially thrilled to see Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker take home the Oscar. This goes to the heart of the very purpose for which Dr. Carter G. Woodson began what we know as Black History Month.
Dr. Woodson believed that blacks needed to know about their forefather’s achievements and contributions. This knowledge would give blacks a sense of pride and confidence to go on and achieve their full potential. For so long, we knew nothing about our significance in the building of America and the world. We did not know we made history. We thought history just happened to us. We had no role models.
That is why all these nominations are so important. Our children tend to look to the media for role models. They look up to and follow the patterns of celebrities. That is why it is encouraging to see that the images being celebrated are good ones. In the past, Hollywood has honored black images that were dishonorable. We saw pimps and thugs being glorified. However, the roles for which these actors are nominated are heroes that create positive perceptions in the minds of our young.
Still, even though this is encouraging and wonderful for these actors, we must move even further in our effort to inspire our youth to greatness. We can never depend on Hollywood to tell our truth or guide our children. We must control the images of ourselves that play over and over again before our young people. We must become proactive and self-determining when it comes to promoting a positive sense of self. Here are some steps we can take:
Guide the children to God as their source of validation.
Any other source will be flawed, unstable, and temperamental. God is the creator. Only He ordains and gives power to achieve. He has no limits. He has all power. He knows everything. Why would you want to look to anything less?
Be conscious about what you watch on T.V. and listen to.
The images Hollywood creates of black people have been negative since there was a Hollywood. They have always portrayed stereotypes of oversexed women and clownish and backward men. Don’t just sit back and watch without thinking critically. I’m not saying we shouldn’t watch T.V. or listen to the radio. But don’t passively allow these media messages to infiltrate your psyche. Think about it and talk about it with your children.
Point out positive images in the media and real life.
When you see good role models on T.V., encourage your children to focus on them. Also, point out positive examples in your community. There are many black doctors, preachers, business owners, teachers, policemen, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles and just all around good people right where we live. They’ve always been there.
Watch what you say.
We often reinforce negative beliefs and perpetuate a cycle of inferiority. We say things like “Niggas aint nothin” right in front of our children. We speak negatively about all things black (i.e. skin too dark, hair too nappy, butt too big, nose to broad, etc.) We can’t let Hollywood determine our notion of what is valuable or beautiful. I hear people telling their children “Shut up with your black, nappy-headed self.” What do you think this does to their self concept? It tells them that what they are by nature is not good enough.
In the 1940s, Dr. Kenneth Clark conducted a study using dolls. He gave little black girls choices between black and white dolls. He asked them which doll they identified with most. They said the black doll. When he asked which doll was better and prettier, they chose the white doll. He also asked which doll they would rather be. Guess which doll they picked? If you think those days are over, think again. Just recently, a high school student conducted the same experiment on five-year-old girls and got the same results.
Become a mentor.
Black people have to be good role models themselves. So many children grow up in single-parent households. Children need all the support they can get. Give advice, encouragement and a helping hand to a young person.
Support and encourage those who are doing positive things.
If we want young and progressive blacks to keep working with our communities, we have to support them. We can’t cut them down and look for negativity, causing them to either move away or wither away. We have to let them know we appreciate them. We have to patronize them and encourage them. This way, the resources will stay in our communities and we can benefit from them. Then we can go higher by building on what we already have and not have to keep starting from square one.
Once we proactively shift the paradigm, determining for ourselves who will be our models of excellence, we will truly be empowered. Our children will achieve well beyond what the media and society tell them they can. Then, not only will they act in great movies. They will produce, direct and write great movies, music, television and whatever God puts in them. They will be innovators and creators of new cutting edge media outlets and technology. They won’t have to depend on shady Hollywood executives to give them good roles because they will own the studios.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Life for Us Has Never Been a Crystal Stair. But Keep Climbing.
Statistically, African Americans seem to be at the top of every bad list and at the bottom of every good list. We have been oppressed, depressed and just plain stressed for so long that we tend to think that is the way we were meant to be. Many of our people believe we are meant to go to inferior schools, receive an inferior education and later work in an inferior job.
Black psychologists call this way of thinking the “slave mentality”. They say African Americans are conditioned to accept a position of inferiority. Then as slaves we depend on the master (whites) to lift us up.
We see other races as smarter, more talented and more capable. We feel subconsciously that better things and better circumstances were meant for whites. We base the value of things on whether white people have it. Then we devalue things based on whether black people use it or like doing it. We say things like you know how black people are. If a company is black-owned, we question the competence of the owner and the quality of the product or service.
Our biggest handicap is our inability to trust ourselves to come up with our own solutions. In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois posed the question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” Still, over a century later, we are yet in the peculiar situation of being someone else’s problem.
The biggest challenge we face is in the education of our children. Drop out rates are high. Those who stay in school have no idea why they are there and have no goals or ambitions for when they get out. Yet, we leave the education of our children up to others. The teachers and administrators are mostly white. We send our children off to school everyday and expect someone else to care more about their education than we do.
Carter G. Woodson said our children were being mis-educated in 1933. I would hate for him to see that in 2007 our children are still being mis-educated. Dr. Woodson warned “The Negro will never be able to show all of his originality as long as his efforts are directed from without by those who socially proscribe him. Such friends will unconsciously keep him in the ghetto.”
My point is not that we should go back to segregated schools or that only black teachers should teach black students. No, my point is that black people must come together and see each of our children as all of our children. It is us who are in a crisis situation. It is our future that is in jeopardy. We need to take the chains off and stop depending on someone else to do for us what we can only do for ourselves.
We live in a time where we have every convenience. However, we complain more than our ancestors ever did. There is no excuse for the achievement gap that exists between black students and other races. Our ancestors achieved with far less resources at their disposal. They did this because they looked to God for help, not to their oppressor. This month in Florida, students are taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Since its inception, our leaders have been spending time, talent and energy fighting this test as if it and not low achievement was the enemy. Our children should be able to pass this test with flying colors. Maybe if black leaders had spent their energy organizing and participating in tutorial and mentorship programs, our children wouldn’t be lagging behind.
Yes, the stakes are very high on the test and there are many problems with it. But how many unfair and problematic circumstances did our forefathers overcome? If they could see us now, I don’t think they would encourage us to spend all our resources organizing marches and protests against a test. They would admonish us to teach our children by any means necessary. They would say, like in the Langston Hughes poem, “Honey, life for me ain't been no crystal stair”. They would tell us that we are nobody’s problem. We are problem solvers. So let’s start finding the solutions and stop making excuses. Let’s stop begging ol’ Massa for directions off the plantation and start walking toward the hills.
“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”
-Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Black psychologists call this way of thinking the “slave mentality”. They say African Americans are conditioned to accept a position of inferiority. Then as slaves we depend on the master (whites) to lift us up.
We see other races as smarter, more talented and more capable. We feel subconsciously that better things and better circumstances were meant for whites. We base the value of things on whether white people have it. Then we devalue things based on whether black people use it or like doing it. We say things like you know how black people are. If a company is black-owned, we question the competence of the owner and the quality of the product or service.
Our biggest handicap is our inability to trust ourselves to come up with our own solutions. In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois posed the question, “How does it feel to be a problem?” Still, over a century later, we are yet in the peculiar situation of being someone else’s problem.
The biggest challenge we face is in the education of our children. Drop out rates are high. Those who stay in school have no idea why they are there and have no goals or ambitions for when they get out. Yet, we leave the education of our children up to others. The teachers and administrators are mostly white. We send our children off to school everyday and expect someone else to care more about their education than we do.
Carter G. Woodson said our children were being mis-educated in 1933. I would hate for him to see that in 2007 our children are still being mis-educated. Dr. Woodson warned “The Negro will never be able to show all of his originality as long as his efforts are directed from without by those who socially proscribe him. Such friends will unconsciously keep him in the ghetto.”
My point is not that we should go back to segregated schools or that only black teachers should teach black students. No, my point is that black people must come together and see each of our children as all of our children. It is us who are in a crisis situation. It is our future that is in jeopardy. We need to take the chains off and stop depending on someone else to do for us what we can only do for ourselves.
We live in a time where we have every convenience. However, we complain more than our ancestors ever did. There is no excuse for the achievement gap that exists between black students and other races. Our ancestors achieved with far less resources at their disposal. They did this because they looked to God for help, not to their oppressor. This month in Florida, students are taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Since its inception, our leaders have been spending time, talent and energy fighting this test as if it and not low achievement was the enemy. Our children should be able to pass this test with flying colors. Maybe if black leaders had spent their energy organizing and participating in tutorial and mentorship programs, our children wouldn’t be lagging behind.
Yes, the stakes are very high on the test and there are many problems with it. But how many unfair and problematic circumstances did our forefathers overcome? If they could see us now, I don’t think they would encourage us to spend all our resources organizing marches and protests against a test. They would admonish us to teach our children by any means necessary. They would say, like in the Langston Hughes poem, “Honey, life for me ain't been no crystal stair”. They would tell us that we are nobody’s problem. We are problem solvers. So let’s start finding the solutions and stop making excuses. Let’s stop begging ol’ Massa for directions off the plantation and start walking toward the hills.
“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”
-Dr. Carter G. Woodson
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Midway, Florida: The Lost City?
Because this month is Black History Month, it’s fitting to discuss the threat to the local history of a small town in Florida.
For nearly a decade now, the predominantly black, unincorporated section of Sanford, FL known as Midway has been in the midst of a tug-of-war, caught in the middle of government planners, business developers and community organizers. Sanford and the greater Seminole County community have set out to benefit from the exponential growth that is taking place in Central Florida. However, where do the residents of Midway stand? Will the residents of Midway benefit from changes that are quickly taking effect or will Midway become another casualty of so-called progress?
One of the changes has recently put Midway in the focus of media attention. This is the proposed erection of a new elementary school on a potentially hazardous site (as the area is former farming ground, loaded with harmful chemicals). There were write-ups in papers, community meetings and new plan after new plan.
At a Midway community town hall meeting held on Feb. 1, residents expressed that they very much want the school. They don't feel there is a real threat to the children. They feel people should be supporting a new up-to-date facility for the children of Midway.
Others bring up the issue of where the school will be facing. This question brings us to change number two, all the new homes being built up around Midway. Some ask if the school is really being built to cater to the more affluent homeowners moving into the area. Will the school face the old Midway or the new section with many white homeowners? (Those from Sanford will remember the hurtful Goldsboro situation).
Finally, a third change may pose an even bigger threat to the historic community. My cousin, a concerned Midway resident, pointed out to me that many of the kids who now attend Midway Elementary will be pushed out completely with the expansion of the Sanford Orlando Airport. This has been an issue for years now. Many of the residents have been forced to sell out to the airport, which sits just across the highway from Midway. Although new eminent domain restrictions (enacted by Congress and the Florida legislature) limit the powers of government, many of the residents may sell anyway. Because of the rising property values and property tax rates, the poorer old residents won’t even be able to move into the new subdivisions nearby. In turn, Midway will no longer be the Midway we once knew. This black town that has existed in Sanford since the late 1800s may disappear.
My fear is that gentrification will change the face of Midway and a rich heritage will be lost. Proponents of the new growth say Midway is a poor black community that needs a face lift anyway.
So what do we do about history preservation? There are many whose roots go deep in Midway. So do mine.
There are options. The Hannibal Square section of Winter Park set up a Community Trust designed to maintain its cultural heritage and diversity. Other towns established museums. In Midway, they have already set up a historical marker and Victoria Brown-Smith wrote a book about Midway history. However, more should be done to keep alive the memory of this important place.
Many of our ancestors gained their first experience in property ownership right in Midway. We should not let their hard work just slip away. We need to consider what options we have to preserve the rich heritage of Midway. It is up to us. Who else will or should care? Perhaps this should be on the agenda at the next community meeting in Midway. Perhaps those who have ties to Midway should attend the next meeting and present some ideas for how to make sure our history is not lost.
If you have more information on this or want to dialogue about this, please comment.
For nearly a decade now, the predominantly black, unincorporated section of Sanford, FL known as Midway has been in the midst of a tug-of-war, caught in the middle of government planners, business developers and community organizers. Sanford and the greater Seminole County community have set out to benefit from the exponential growth that is taking place in Central Florida. However, where do the residents of Midway stand? Will the residents of Midway benefit from changes that are quickly taking effect or will Midway become another casualty of so-called progress?
One of the changes has recently put Midway in the focus of media attention. This is the proposed erection of a new elementary school on a potentially hazardous site (as the area is former farming ground, loaded with harmful chemicals). There were write-ups in papers, community meetings and new plan after new plan.
At a Midway community town hall meeting held on Feb. 1, residents expressed that they very much want the school. They don't feel there is a real threat to the children. They feel people should be supporting a new up-to-date facility for the children of Midway.
Others bring up the issue of where the school will be facing. This question brings us to change number two, all the new homes being built up around Midway. Some ask if the school is really being built to cater to the more affluent homeowners moving into the area. Will the school face the old Midway or the new section with many white homeowners? (Those from Sanford will remember the hurtful Goldsboro situation).
Finally, a third change may pose an even bigger threat to the historic community. My cousin, a concerned Midway resident, pointed out to me that many of the kids who now attend Midway Elementary will be pushed out completely with the expansion of the Sanford Orlando Airport. This has been an issue for years now. Many of the residents have been forced to sell out to the airport, which sits just across the highway from Midway. Although new eminent domain restrictions (enacted by Congress and the Florida legislature) limit the powers of government, many of the residents may sell anyway. Because of the rising property values and property tax rates, the poorer old residents won’t even be able to move into the new subdivisions nearby. In turn, Midway will no longer be the Midway we once knew. This black town that has existed in Sanford since the late 1800s may disappear.
My fear is that gentrification will change the face of Midway and a rich heritage will be lost. Proponents of the new growth say Midway is a poor black community that needs a face lift anyway.
So what do we do about history preservation? There are many whose roots go deep in Midway. So do mine.
There are options. The Hannibal Square section of Winter Park set up a Community Trust designed to maintain its cultural heritage and diversity. Other towns established museums. In Midway, they have already set up a historical marker and Victoria Brown-Smith wrote a book about Midway history. However, more should be done to keep alive the memory of this important place.
Many of our ancestors gained their first experience in property ownership right in Midway. We should not let their hard work just slip away. We need to consider what options we have to preserve the rich heritage of Midway. It is up to us. Who else will or should care? Perhaps this should be on the agenda at the next community meeting in Midway. Perhaps those who have ties to Midway should attend the next meeting and present some ideas for how to make sure our history is not lost.
If you have more information on this or want to dialogue about this, please comment.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Obama for President?
It seems that the black political elite and social thinkers are being a little hard on Barack Obama. Those such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Tavis Smiley and so on say they don't want to rush to support Mr. Obama as a candidate. They say he hasn't been forthcoming about his stance on issues crucial to African Americans. I say many of the current potential candidates and past presidential candidates completely ignore so-called African American issues. Even worse, elected politicians ignore these issues and as long as they're Democrats, black self-proclaimed leaders and organizations stand with them and say we have to go with the lesser of two evils. I say Mr. Obama has presented himself as a savvy, dedicated and socially conscious brother. I don't think he would sell us out any faster than the other choices. We should be cheering him on not giving him the cold shoulder. It makes it look like these so-called leaders are a bunch of haters. I hope that's just the way it looks.
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