Exactly 50 years ago nine black students had to be escorted into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas by U.S. Army troops. Mobs beat them and spit on them. One little girl even got stabbed and had acid thrown into her eyes.
These students and many others across the nation risked their lives to gain access to a quality education. Today, Arkansas and the entire nation celebrate the contribution of the Little Rock 9 to progress in this country. However, after all their effort and risk, have we gained true equal access after over 50 years of fighting?
Terrance Roberts, one of the Little Rock 9, said to the Associated Press, “This country has demonstrated over time that it is not prepared to operate as an integrated society.”
Considering what happened to the Jena 6, it seems Roberts may be right. It is ironic and sickening that comparisons can be made between these two situations that are separated by five decades and a couple of generations. The Little Rock 9 had to have civil rights organizations and the federal government intervene. Then when they got into the school, they had to endure violent racist threats and acts against them. When they reacted, the black students got punished while the white students got nothing. These students were thrust into the media spotlight. Isn’t it amazing that the students in Jena had to deal with these very same issues?
So was it all in vain? Did we lose the fight? No. The fight for access was won in many ways. However, our mistake has been to stop at legal access. Just sitting next to white students in the classroom or being in the same building does not ensure a quality education for all students. Educational success will come when our students know they have every right to sit in any public school classroom, the ability to succeed in any situation and the discipline and strength to do what it takes to excel. Fifty years ago our students and the system they entered believed good education was reserved for whites. That lie still lingers today. We have to open our students’ minds and expand their horizons to the truth.
Roberts was all too correct when he said we are not prepared. We must now come together to prepare our students to succeed in any educational environment. We must prepare them to hold themselves to high expectations. We must prepare each to reach his or her own God-given potential.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saving Our Kids from the System By Faith and Work
The Jena 6 case, O.J. being back in the news, the recent Michael Vick issue, and all the recent protests and marches have certainly got me thinking about justice and how race plays a part in our legal system. I’ve been most especially considering our children in all this. How our children so often end up on the wrong side and how their race plays a part. Unfortunately, those who are introduced to the system as kids often remain a part of it as adults.
I’m not one who likes to spend my time and energy pointing out problems, crying and complaining over them. My philosophy is if you aren’t going to look for solutions and actively pursue them, shut up.
So what should we do? The first thing we should do is work on ourselves. We spend so much time trying to convince other people that the system is not fair. Why don’t we apply our activities, resources and attention to ourselves and our children? In other words, instead of protesting the system when one of our children is caught up in it, let’s keep our children out of the system.
There are several recent cases where a child (sometimes one with lots of potential) makes a mistake, gets caught up in the system and has his or her life ruined. Sometimes the consequences are completely unfair. Many times the whole situation could have been simply prevented. Here are some examples:
Marcus Dixon- This Georgia student with a 3.96 average and a scholarship to Vanderbilt University was convicted of statutory rape and sentenced to 10 years in prison because he had sex with a girl 2 years younger than he was.
Genarlow Wilson- This Georgia student with a 3.2 average participated in sex act with a 15-year-old when he was 17. He got the same sentence as Marcus.
Deseree Watsun- This six-year-old Florida girl was taken away in handcuffs because she had a temper tantrum at school.
All unfair but preventable. Just like these cases, much of our problem with the system can be solved by prevention. The first solution is a spiritual. Our children’s moral center needs to be strengthened. They need to discover a sense of purpose through God. Their sense of purpose will help them make appropriate and moral decisions. Second, we need to come together to educate our children. Poor education is a direct line to the criminal justice system. Third, we need to nurture our children. We must let them know that we love them, support them and believe in them. We must also model good decision-making. Finally, we must discipline our children. If we don’t, the justice system will. We failed Marcus, Genarlow and Deseree. Somebody should have had a talk with Marcus before he got into this situation. Marcus’ case happened just a couple of years prior to Genarlow’s in the same state. Genarlow should have seen what happened to Marcus and should have known better. Somebody should have taught him. Deseree needed some home discipline before she had to get it at school and finally in jail. Not just their parents should have been there, but their neighbors, their teachers and any other adults in their lives. We as adults have to come together and stop pointing the finger at others. We have to point the finger at ourselves and work on solutions. Some might say I’m blaming the victim instead of the system. No. What I’m saying is we need to stop being the victim and take control of our own destiny.
I’m not one who likes to spend my time and energy pointing out problems, crying and complaining over them. My philosophy is if you aren’t going to look for solutions and actively pursue them, shut up.
So what should we do? The first thing we should do is work on ourselves. We spend so much time trying to convince other people that the system is not fair. Why don’t we apply our activities, resources and attention to ourselves and our children? In other words, instead of protesting the system when one of our children is caught up in it, let’s keep our children out of the system.
There are several recent cases where a child (sometimes one with lots of potential) makes a mistake, gets caught up in the system and has his or her life ruined. Sometimes the consequences are completely unfair. Many times the whole situation could have been simply prevented. Here are some examples:
Marcus Dixon- This Georgia student with a 3.96 average and a scholarship to Vanderbilt University was convicted of statutory rape and sentenced to 10 years in prison because he had sex with a girl 2 years younger than he was.
Genarlow Wilson- This Georgia student with a 3.2 average participated in sex act with a 15-year-old when he was 17. He got the same sentence as Marcus.
Deseree Watsun- This six-year-old Florida girl was taken away in handcuffs because she had a temper tantrum at school.
All unfair but preventable. Just like these cases, much of our problem with the system can be solved by prevention. The first solution is a spiritual. Our children’s moral center needs to be strengthened. They need to discover a sense of purpose through God. Their sense of purpose will help them make appropriate and moral decisions. Second, we need to come together to educate our children. Poor education is a direct line to the criminal justice system. Third, we need to nurture our children. We must let them know that we love them, support them and believe in them. We must also model good decision-making. Finally, we must discipline our children. If we don’t, the justice system will. We failed Marcus, Genarlow and Deseree. Somebody should have had a talk with Marcus before he got into this situation. Marcus’ case happened just a couple of years prior to Genarlow’s in the same state. Genarlow should have seen what happened to Marcus and should have known better. Somebody should have taught him. Deseree needed some home discipline before she had to get it at school and finally in jail. Not just their parents should have been there, but their neighbors, their teachers and any other adults in their lives. We as adults have to come together and stop pointing the finger at others. We have to point the finger at ourselves and work on solutions. Some might say I’m blaming the victim instead of the system. No. What I’m saying is we need to stop being the victim and take control of our own destiny.
The Jena Six: A Case Worth Talking About
It is wonderful news that a Louisiana state court of appeals decided to overturn the conviction of Mychal Bell, one of the so-called “Jena 6.” But are we really victorious?
The Jena 6 case illuminates the racism in the U.S. criminal justice system. It is a sad example of how this racism can detrimentally affect our children.
Six black teenagers in the predominantly white town of Jena, Louisiana were charged as adults when they got into a fight with white teens. The white teens were not charged. It is also important to note that this fight came during a time of heated racial conflict at Jena High School.
The tensions began when black students sat under a tree that was supposedly off-limits to blacks. Next, three white students hung nooses under the tree. Of course, blacks saw this as a threat. However, the school district dismissed this act as an “adolescent prank.” Black students and parents reacted in anger to the decision. The protests, however, were only followed with attacks of black students by white students. (The white students were not charged).Then there were counter attacks by black students. (The black students were charged with attempted murder.)
The unfairness in the excessive charges against these six teenagers (including second degree murder) was obvious. Civil rights groups organized a protest that was to take place this Thursday (when Bell was supposed to be sentenced to 15 years in prison). To avoid the media attention, the appeals court quickly acted on an emergency defense appeal and vacated the conviction.
This is an example of the racism that still exists. Black people know it still exists. White people often deny it and say blacks are too sensitive or paranoid. They might even dismiss this as an isolated case. So what do we do? Do we keep arguing and trying to prove racism exists, that the justice system is not just when it comes to black people? Do we complain about it, protest it, cry over it, hold meetings and open forums to discuss it? Do we wait until something like this happens and then get all the usuals to run to the scene singing “We shall over come,” carrying signs? Or do we proactively change the system, and better yet, do all that we can to keep ourselves and our kids out of the system?
The Jena 6 case illuminates the racism in the U.S. criminal justice system. It is a sad example of how this racism can detrimentally affect our children.
Six black teenagers in the predominantly white town of Jena, Louisiana were charged as adults when they got into a fight with white teens. The white teens were not charged. It is also important to note that this fight came during a time of heated racial conflict at Jena High School.
The tensions began when black students sat under a tree that was supposedly off-limits to blacks. Next, three white students hung nooses under the tree. Of course, blacks saw this as a threat. However, the school district dismissed this act as an “adolescent prank.” Black students and parents reacted in anger to the decision. The protests, however, were only followed with attacks of black students by white students. (The white students were not charged).Then there were counter attacks by black students. (The black students were charged with attempted murder.)
The unfairness in the excessive charges against these six teenagers (including second degree murder) was obvious. Civil rights groups organized a protest that was to take place this Thursday (when Bell was supposed to be sentenced to 15 years in prison). To avoid the media attention, the appeals court quickly acted on an emergency defense appeal and vacated the conviction.
This is an example of the racism that still exists. Black people know it still exists. White people often deny it and say blacks are too sensitive or paranoid. They might even dismiss this as an isolated case. So what do we do? Do we keep arguing and trying to prove racism exists, that the justice system is not just when it comes to black people? Do we complain about it, protest it, cry over it, hold meetings and open forums to discuss it? Do we wait until something like this happens and then get all the usuals to run to the scene singing “We shall over come,” carrying signs? Or do we proactively change the system, and better yet, do all that we can to keep ourselves and our kids out of the system?
Hating O.J. Simpson (or Just Hate)?
Why is O.J Simpson still in the news 13 years later? Racism.
Most blacks know there is racism in the American society and the U.S. criminal justice system (even if just intuitively). Whites deny it, get defensive and say blacks need to stop “playing the race card.”
I don’t think most black people were big O.J. fans (I sure wasn’t) at the time of all the media hoopla in ‘94 and ‘95. The support displayed during that time was a reaction to a system blacks knew was flawed and could be very racist. Blacks did what we do too often. React when an event occurs. Come out in full force, signs and all. Then forget all about it until the next event.
Blacks are over O.J. So why is he still in the news? Somebody is still holding on to it. The media know there is still passion about this case. They know white people hate O.J. or at least something he represents. So when O.J. tried to publish his crazy “hypothetical” book and then got arrested again, the media jumped all over it.
If it is not racism or bias, why is this case so inciteful and not others? Why is there such interest in it? They might argue it’s because he is a celebrity. Well, Robert Blake (from Baretta) got off for murdering his wife. Then, just like O.J., Blake was found liable in a civil case and ordered to pay restitution. Just like O.J., he is finding every way possible not to pay it. Nobody cares. The case was minimally covered in the media. Most people probably don’t even know what ended up happening with it.
Now Phil Specter, a famous music producer who worked with the Beatles, Tina Turner, the Righteous Brothers and others, is on trial for killing an actress. I’ve seen O.J. on every news show this week because the Goldman’s have decided to publish his book. Specter’s trial is going on right now. Nobody cares.
I’m not implying that Simpson is some victim of racism who got a bad rap. I think, to put it in Big Mama speak, he needs to go somewhere and sit down. I’m saying the attention that is being paid to this case when there are plenty of injustice cases we need to focus on, is a reflection of racist attitudes. Those who are focusing on it (besides the Browns and the Goldmans who this case immediately affects) need to ask themselves why it is important to them.
Most blacks know there is racism in the American society and the U.S. criminal justice system (even if just intuitively). Whites deny it, get defensive and say blacks need to stop “playing the race card.”
I don’t think most black people were big O.J. fans (I sure wasn’t) at the time of all the media hoopla in ‘94 and ‘95. The support displayed during that time was a reaction to a system blacks knew was flawed and could be very racist. Blacks did what we do too often. React when an event occurs. Come out in full force, signs and all. Then forget all about it until the next event.
Blacks are over O.J. So why is he still in the news? Somebody is still holding on to it. The media know there is still passion about this case. They know white people hate O.J. or at least something he represents. So when O.J. tried to publish his crazy “hypothetical” book and then got arrested again, the media jumped all over it.
If it is not racism or bias, why is this case so inciteful and not others? Why is there such interest in it? They might argue it’s because he is a celebrity. Well, Robert Blake (from Baretta) got off for murdering his wife. Then, just like O.J., Blake was found liable in a civil case and ordered to pay restitution. Just like O.J., he is finding every way possible not to pay it. Nobody cares. The case was minimally covered in the media. Most people probably don’t even know what ended up happening with it.
Now Phil Specter, a famous music producer who worked with the Beatles, Tina Turner, the Righteous Brothers and others, is on trial for killing an actress. I’ve seen O.J. on every news show this week because the Goldman’s have decided to publish his book. Specter’s trial is going on right now. Nobody cares.
I’m not implying that Simpson is some victim of racism who got a bad rap. I think, to put it in Big Mama speak, he needs to go somewhere and sit down. I’m saying the attention that is being paid to this case when there are plenty of injustice cases we need to focus on, is a reflection of racist attitudes. Those who are focusing on it (besides the Browns and the Goldmans who this case immediately affects) need to ask themselves why it is important to them.
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