Blog Entry
The beginning of this year has started on an excellent note. Oprah, the Black President, has opened up a school in South Africa for African girls. This is truly a great moment in history as you see a black woman coming from almost nothing and achieving nearly the impossible and then contributing back to those that also have nothing, providing them with an opportunity to rise above oppression, poverty, and malnutrition. Oprah has opened the school in South Africa for two reason; she made a promise to Nelson Mandela and because they were the best candidate for her money (sorry if it sounded cruel but I'm leading into something). Many African American scholars are a bit irritated at the idea that she went to Africa based on the opinion that black children in America didn't value their education. One quote I remember hearing was that when she asked students in the U.S. what they need, they replied "I need an iPod" or something else materialistic. When she asked those in Africa, they asked for uniforms and books to study. Although I agree with Oprah that those kids living in the U.S. are materialistic I don't agree on her decision to leave them behind and start a new. Yes children in the U.S. are materialistic and don't value most of the education but you have to take into consideration the living conditions they live in. The U.S. is based on a capitalistic society. Gaining material goods and wealth is the foundation of this country not freedom and good will towards men, whether you want admit it or not. Children are fed everyday messages to buy things. It's on television shows and in between the shows there are hundreds of commercials doing the same thing. Then education is based again on the great American tradition of quantity not quality. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program just encourages teachers and schools to push students to perform on standardized test. Not truly learning but meeting quota for the district. Aside of that, children are fed mediocre information about the establishment of one society and small pinches of others. European values are enforced while other cultures are set aside as well as other being just plain ignored or fabricated. What child that is outside the Caucasian race enjoys hearing about the accomplishments of one culture for eighteen years? I understand the value of education and know why Oprah said what she said but I fail to see her understanding to why our youth are feeling that way. Oprah has giving to many colleges, one of them I attend, but I can't help but feel a little saddened by the aura Oprah possess when talking about black males. I feel that she isn't very fond of black men. In all fairness I would concur that we have fallen off in regards of merits, education, and spirituality. Black men are an endangered species right now. We have the lowest life expectancy, lowest graduation rate in high school and college, highest percentage in jail, and many other negative statistics that puts us in the hole but that doesn't mean that we are a lost cause. With that said, I would also say that I was deeply bothered by the thought that Oprah feels that we are not curable in regards to providing us with something that will potentially help us in the long run. I have a great drive to do something to help my African-American community. It is starting to become my passion. I feel that our community is the one that truly needs a push towards the right direction, particularly black boys. With Oprah pushing the black females and the basic fact the gab between black females and males getting a education and succeeding in society is beginning to grow increasingly, it is starting to feel like black men will soon be lost in the 22nd century and left as an animal, a coon that is built strong but only used for entertainment or monitored under restraint and humiliation. I don't want this to happen. I don't want to see my fellow brothers fall to this at all but I don't know where to start. Then I thought of developing something that Oprah achieved. One of the things I feel what black boys lack, that due to deprivation of it enforces their primal behavior and vagrant mentality, is the lack of knowledge of their heritage and positive cultural rites of passage from boyhood to adulthood. If there was a system that instituted these ideas in a vivid and elaborate manner, I would hypothesis that we would see a greater achievement in black males everywhere.