Staci Cox recounts ALC “Breaking Barriers 2″ panel discussion on improving black male academic success

When a panelist asks, “How many of you know a black male who has dropped out of school?” and everyone in the room raises their hand, we have a problem.  The current education system is failing our students.  Nearly 60 percent of black males have been suspended or expelled from school.  That number is approximately 25 percent for their white counterparts.  Black males consist of less than two percent of the teaching force– this depressing number is not because black men are neglecting their youth, but because black men are not graduating from college at an acceptable rate. 

 Black men are fighting against a system that lacks funding and a society that does little to promote black educational excellence.  Those who are currently in the battle– fighting for black males to receive high–quality education, are not fighting together.  Teachers, administrators, parents and black male students are not collaborating.  As a result, the money that is there is not being used to improve the black community. 

So what can be done? Collaborate within the black community must take place inorder to empower black students.  One panelist noted that black male students must also remain involved in the conversations and solutions.  We must help black men graduate from college so black male teachers will be available to students. 

Ivory A. Toldson, moderator of the panel discussion and author of Breaking Barriers 2, explained the inverse relationship between the number of black teachers and the number of black student suspensions.  “Research shows that more black teachers equal less suspensions and increased teacher -to -student bonding,” Toldson notes.  Therefore, if we are going to improve the academic success of black males, there must be more black male teachers in the school system.

In addition to collaborating and increasing black male teachers, the panel discussion was centered on educational funding.  Questions were focused on how to receive funding.  One panelist answered, “Schools must build bridges with foundations.”  Meaning, schools must network with foundations and other philanthropic organizations in order to receive money.  But networking is not the final step. 

Another panelist detailed what must occur after a school is able to arrange a meeting with a grant-giving organization.  He says, “We must drop the welfare mentality when it comes to grant asking.”  In other words, schools must frame the grant into an opportunity for the organization.  What will the company gain from providing a grant (i.e., how will the grant support their mission and current activities?)  The school must have a goal and a message.  However, one must never forget that the opportunity, goal and message must be founded in research.  A key theme throughout the panel discussion was that research is everything – the difference between receiving funding and being rejected is a well researched presentation and argument. 

But we must not only look towards organizations for educational funding.  We must turn to individual black wealth.  Research shows that half of all black households donate money.  Yet money will not wholly solve this severe education disparity.  Those who are in the struggle must work not only with their communities, but within their state legislatures to influence policy.  Congressman Cedric Richmond (from Louisiana’s second district) briefly served as a guest speaker on the panel.  He explained that black men must become involved in schools in order to provide black male students with a positive role model.  He also noted that a person does not need a Ph.D. to mentor a child.  His mentor was a janitor.  He and all the panelists asserted that the only way to solve educational problems is to teach a child.  I agree. 

There are so many successful individulas who escaped their negative situations because someone was mentoring them; someone was teaching them and pushing them.  If given the opportunity to be that someone to a child, take it.  You have no idea the kind of impact you can have or the kind of person that child can become because of you.

CBCF Emerging Leader Intern Kyle Inskeep  will “live-tweet” his experiences at this years Annual Legislative Conference

“It is my goal to leave this conference with a better understanding of how I can both lead and serve the members of my community in the best way possible.” – Kyle Inskeep

Emerging Leader Kyle Inskeep

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake up! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake up!”

This was Dap’s plea in the closing scene of Spike Lee’s 1988 film School Daze.  As the character, played by acclaimed actor Laurence Fishburne, ran through the quad of the fictitious Mission College bounding in and out of dorm rooms screaming “wake up” at the top of his lungs his purpose was clear:  to rouse from slumber his friends, classmates, school faculty and anyone who would listen.  “Please, wake up,” he said.

Why? Because something in the way everyone was living had to change.

Staring Down Our Wake Up Moment

Faced with 15.9% unemployment and a 20:1 wealth gap between Caucasians and African Americans, black Americans find themselves faced with a tremendous wake up moment, only this time, we don’t have Laurence Fishburne on hand to get the movement going.

There is something to his passion and methodology, however, which we can learn from in this time of social, political and economic unrest.  Namely, education is key to our ability to change the present circumstances faced by our community.

Wealth and economic opportunity among African-Americans has always been a particularly perplexing subject. Our history in this country, confounded by the legacy of slavery and the vestiges of institutionalized racism, is no doubt a complex subject, the discussion of which often raises more questions than answers.  Why is it that although African Americans represent one of the oldest ethnic groups in this nation, surpassed only by Native Americans, black communities have always lacked the social and economic opportunities of their non-minority peers? Why do black students tend to fall dramatically behind white students when it comes to educational attainment, especially when we know that education, now more than ever, is a prerequisite to real economic opportunity in this country? Why is it that with each passing year since the civil rights movement, the socio-economic plight of the African American community has increased rather than decreased?

The questions are many, and the only ways to propel our communities beyond present circumstances is by understanding the complex history that undergirds our existence in America and re-educating ourselves about the ways to create positive socio-economic outcomes.

Recent revelations about the economic plight of African-Americans may be disappointing, but should come as no surprise given the long-standing issues faced by these communities.

We have always been unemployed at higher frequencies than other groups in this country (the exception, of course, being during slavery when all black Americans were “employed,” albeit via chattel servitude). We have always made less money than our white counterparts – current estimates point to a $0.60 on the $1.00 ratio.  And for years, our educational, thereby our economic, opportunities were diminished by segregation and the fallacy of separate but equal.

Therefore, as we forge ahead, the task at hand of improving our communities requires not that we harp on how bad things are, but that we discern proactive solutions for moving things forward.

Education Is A Catalyst for Change and the Improvement of Circumstances

With most things in this country, the achievement gaps that separate the haves from the have nots depends on one’s exposure and resources – exposure to history, to context and resources to make possible one’s personal iteration of the American dream.

Though ours beliefs about the best ways to increase exposure and resources may differ, it would seem that education, the most basic method of instilling new awareness and understanding about any subject, is a crucial yet oft-overlooked component of discussions around how we might improve the socio-economic status of African Americans in this country.

Education is the key to closing the wealth gap and to creating new economic opportunity because it takes an educated person to appreciate and comprehend market forces, forecast new trends and develop products and services to accommodate the needs of Americans and our international counterparts. Education is not so much a guarantee of success as it is a prerequisite to success.  It is through education that we can help people better understand the playing field, the odds against them and ways to develop new opportunities to overcome any challenge in their way.   With each new door that education opens the prospect for new economic opportunity is not far behind.

When we speak of education, though, we speak not of a lofty and esoteric set of principals and ideals, but of a measured three-prong approach targeted at increasing the odds of economic success for people of color.

First, we need to re-educate ourselves about the history of economics in the black community.  While it’s easy to focus on the negative, there is a long and powerful traditional of successful economic enterprise in our communities that we all too often overlook.  By affirming the positive history and helping people better understand from whence they came, we reveal a new avenue of empowerment for African Americans.

Prior to the start of the civil rights movement when we had not the opportunity to take part in mainstream commerce we were in essence forced to create and sustain our own economic universe.  Post-abolition, during the era of reconstruction, in the face of Jim Crow and enduring the realities of segregation, black communities had an insular existence in which we were self-sustaining in every sense of the word.

We were our doctors, our lawyers, our groceries, our accountants, our seamstresses and tailors, our transportation, our communications.  You name it. We did it.

Members of the community created every single good and service that was needed in the black community. We bartered with each other, we sold goods and created entire enterprises based on the immediate needs and demands of our communities, and because of that self-reliant economy we were able to survive and thrive.

The story of the rise of black enterprise in this country needs to be told and reinforced time and time again, and we should also develop a new paradigm around creating and supporting black business in the modern American landscape.

Second, we must place a greater emphasis on educating our communities.  At a time when only 54% of African Americans graduate from high school, the need to instill the basics – reading, writing, math, and science – is critically important.  Particularly when it comes to math and science, areas of competency which are essential to participation in our increasingly digital and globally competitive world, we must redouble our efforts at educational achievement if we hope to reduce the gaps in economic opportunity and wealth creation that our communities face.

Finally, it is incumbent upon us to really learn and understand how finance works and what makes a good recipe for wealth creation. Having a job and making money, though necessary to attaining wealth, will not by themselves guarantee it.  Far too many people of color are not well versed in the finer nuances of creating and growing wealth opportunities.  So, we have a dramatic new opportunity in front of us to cultivate and spread as much information about wealth creation as possible amongst our communities.

The path to recovery and true economic prosperity for black communities lays in the fierce advancement of our educational, and by extension our economic, agenda.  If we ever hope to reduce and overcome the wealth gap between African Americans and our peers we must ensure that our communities are educated in ways to create and exploit new economic opportunities.

Vanessa Destime, a CBCF Congressional Intern, talks about the interwoven roles of leadership and servant-hood

By Vaness Destime, CBCF Congressional Intern

Vannessa Destime

I do not believe you can lead without serving. In order to lead, you must understand the position you are in. You must realize that above everyone else, you are in the position to direct, advise, manage and teach those who look to you for guidance. You must also realize that in order to lead, you must be effective in your approach.

This is not to say that no one makes mistakes but that as a leader, you learn from those mistakes and implement methods that will produce a better outcome the next time the task is conducted.

A good leader not only uplifts the current status of the group they are leading but also helps to prepare those who will take the assumed position after his/her reign has ended. In order to do so successfully, one must serve.

The way I characterize the word serve does not align with the usual connotation of subordination but with bringing benefit to those who are in need of it. Whether it is in the form of education or legislation, serving implements a means to do better for at least one individual, if not the entire common good. It means to give of yourself, your time and any reservations that another person might have towards the work you are doing.

CBCF interns meet for the first time at CBCF Headquarters

Congressional Interns locked arms for a photo last week during their first meeting at CBCF headquarters.  For many of the interns, this is their first time in the District.

As the 45 interns enjoyed a pizza lunch they shared stories from their first day in their Congressional office and got better acquainted with one another.

Earlier this week, our Spring 2011 Emerging Leaders (sponsored by Walmart) met for the last time at B. Smith’s restaurant in Union Station to celebrate the end of a successful term. Go to facebook for more photos.

Dr. Marjorie Innocent (fourth from right) raises a glass in celebration of a job well done by CBCF interns.

President and CEO Dr. Elsie Scott

Special Guest Emily Crerand (George Washington University Program Specialist)

CBCF interns discuss what they’ve learned after a Praxis exercise on coalition building

By Vania Kinard, CBCF Emerging Leader Intern

Office of Rep. Karen Bass

In the United States of America where cultures are united and interlinked every day of our lives, coalition building is one the most essential aspects of unity in America. During our session, I learned that coalition building begins with a base of constituents, communities and ethnicities who share a common interest or goal. Their mission is to create an organization that empowers the voices of the people and advocates for change. During our discussion we explored how many districts need to utilize coalition building in order to sustain the proper recognition in their communities. Without coalition building communities can fall apart or chaos can erupt due to the lack of intercultural connectedness.

Having the opportunity to work with the various organizations was an eye opening experience. Throughout the day we were able to interact and work together as a team despite the differences that we all have. While working on our exercise, I decided to look deeper into my own strengths and weaknesses as a leader and motivator in a group setting. Participating in this workshop encouraged me to go out into the community and start my own non-profit organization that is targeted to the general needs of my community. In addition, this exercise challenged my thought process and made me think more strategically. I learned that the first step to better serving the community is first understanding the challenges it faces. Organizing the community in a fashion that unites all voices is the most powerful thing any community can do and is in our Constitutional rights. I truly believe that after this event I will have better wisdom and stronger judgment on what it takes to improve my community and the rest of the world.

By Denisha Richardson

Former CBCF Communications intern talks about the success her internship has afforded her

In fall 2009, I was accepted into the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Communications Internship Program sponsored by State Farm. My time in D.C. was not only exciting but life altering. During my internship I served as a press intern for a Member of the House of Representatives and a press agent at the Annual Legislative Conference. Having the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill through the CBCF was an extraordinary blessing because it enabled me to learn how politics influence our actions and lifestyle as well as exposed me to the challenges that Congress has of ensuring the representation of diverse perspectives and people. It was through these roles that I was able to interact with influential policy leaders and learn more about the issues that are affecting the black community in the U.S. and throughout the African Diaspora. Through team building exercises my cohort acknowledged that we have been awarded with great privileges and that we were obligated to give back. Collectively we decided, “We the ambassadors of today are committed to creating a liberated world where people are empowered by being conscious, empathetic, and humble.”

I decided I would use our mission statement as motivation to go abroad and increase my knowledge about those who have been disenfranchised outside of the U.S. in order to be a voice of reason and encouragement. That led me to where I am today– the University of Cape Town in South Africa where I am working towards a Master’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in Intercultural and Diversity Studies. The University is situated on Devil’s Peak at the foot of Table Mountain, a scenic splendor, which my legs bear the burden of tracking daily. I’ve only been here a short while but I have grown so much. The country is beautiful and the people are so diverse, yet the remnants of apartheid are still present. Many South Africans want to forget about those troubling years and move on; while others cannot move on because their lives have been forever altered. To be a young black American in South Africa (post-apartheid) has been fascinating and challenging. I am angered by the wrong that is being done against people because of their skin color.

Therefore, I believe it is only right that I dedicate my time and talents to enhance the welfare of the very people who need it most. I have joined two university organizations: the United Nations Association South Africa (UNASA) and Love Your Neighbor (LYN). Both strive to improve the quality of life for those who are less fortunate. Through LYN, I go to one of the largest townships in South Africa called Khayelitsha and volunteer in one of the informal settlements. There is no electricity and the people have no legal rights to the land. We go and provide food, coordinate activities and lead a tutoring program for the children.

Thanks to Dr. Scott’s contact, Michael Sudarkasa, I am able to continue my civic duties to my nation through the Democrats Abroad South Africa chapter and I have decided to focus my thesis on the Coloured people of South Africa and how they relate to the African Diaspora.

To get where I am today has involved a lot of prayer, preparation and hard work. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve as a CBCF intern. This opportunity has motivated me toward a career which focuses on bringing awareness and change to the social, political and economic injustices done against diverse people.

Vice Admiral Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA is the 18^th Surgeon General of the Unites States Public Health Service. In this capacity, she serves as a nationally recognized symbol to improve the health of the Nation through education, and by advocating for disease prevention and promotion programs. She oversees the command of 6,500 officers of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps and advises the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on critical public health issues facing the Nation.

Dr. Benjamin has a BS in chemistry from Xavier University, New Orleans, which is a historically black university (HBCU). She received her MD degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, an MBA from Tulane University and has eleven honorary doctorate degrees. Dr. Benjamin is the Founder and Former CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama (a small shrimping community along the gulf coast) and spent several years moonlighting in emergency rooms and nursing homes to keep open what was initially a solo practice. Serving through Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she often put up her own money to cover expenses. This is a testament to her undying commitment to service and underscores her mission to improving the public’s health.

Dr. Benjamin was the former associate dean for rural health at the University of Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. In 1995, she was the first physician under age 40 and the African American to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. In 2002, she became President of the Medical Association of Alabama, making her the first African American female president of a State Medical Society in the United States.

Dr. Benjamin has received numerous awards of distinctions and is a member of a vast number of boards and committees including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, and Morehouse School of Medicine. In 1998, Dr. Benjamin was the U.S. recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She received the 200 National Caring Award which was inspired by Mother Teresa and is a member of the Catholic Health Association.

FACT: Did you know that an Office of Women’s Health has been established in the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Health Reform law? The new office is charged with developing goals that relate to disease prevention, health promotion, service delivery, research, and health care education; provides expert advice relating to women’s health; and monitors activities concerning women’s health.

Lauren Thompson

Program Coordinator

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

Via Politic365.com, CBCF President and CEO Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D. discusses how African Americans fit within Civil War history.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson started Negro History week in 1926.  It later became Black History Week and has now become Black History Month.  A proclamation is now issued by the President of the United States.   And in 2011, some wonder why we still celebrate it.  After all, we have our first African American president, our first African American attorney general, the third highest ranking congressional Democrat is an African American and the former chairman of the Republican National Committee is African American.  Many argue that we are now living in a post racial society. So why do we still celebrate Black History month in February?

To read the entire article, visit http://politic365.com/2011/02/22/should-blacks-celebrate-civil-war-history/

“No Negro, let him be American, European, West Indian or African, shall be truly respected until the race as a whole has emancipated itself, through self-achievement and progress, from universal prejudice.” – Marcus Garvey

Marcus Garvey recognized over eighty years ago that black people are not monolithic, but are united through their struggle to achieve equal opportunity. The question of what and who is black is debatable and should remain so. As people and this world continue to evolve, our construction of identity will do the same. Nevertheless, the reality that Afro-descendants around the world continue to face discrimination, limited access to quality healthcare and education, and socioeconomic exclusion is not just a footprint in history. While these challenges are present, the ability to overcome them is possible.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation African Globalism Committee (CBCF-AGC) engages the global community and establishes awareness for the social, political, and economic empowerment of Afro-descendents. As the world becomes increasingly intertwined, the CBCF-AGC strives to create structured opportunities for joint business ventures, technological transfers, educational exchange and cultural awareness among the Diaspora, particularly those living in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States.

During the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference, the CBCF-AGC hosted “Building upon Generations: Past and Present.” Tommy Walker from Freemind Ventures aired a clip of HBO’s The Black List showcasing the achievements of luminaries including Toni Morrison, Dr. Susan Rice, Louis Gossett Jr., and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Lord Paul Boateng of the House of Lords discussed the challenges and rewards of being one of the first Afro-descendants to serve as a member of parliament in the House of Commons and the first to serve as a cabinet minister. He emphasized that uniting across different black communities is possible while still respecting cultural differences. Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, presented the importance of reclaiming forgotten histories by tracing African ancestry through DNA testing.

Since this event, I have attended sessions on the reconstruction of Haiti, the internal displacement of Afro-Colombians, and the emergence of Lusophone Africa in the global sphere. The distinctions of different groups create a dynamic tapestry of the diversity within the black community. The opportunity to explore and learn more about the afro-descendant experience from the perspective of an African American interested in global affairs has been an amazing opportunity.

To conclude our efforts for the year and to commemorate the United Nation’s resolution declaring 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent, the CBCF- AGC along with the Africa Channel, African Ancestry, and the Congressional African Staff Association are hosting the “Knowing Your Heritage Reception” on March 9, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in B340 Rayburn HOB. We invite you to join this celebration of the Diaspora community.

Cynthia Cheatham

2010-2011 African Globalism Fellow

I remember celebrating black history week when I was in elementary and secondary school. It was the one week in the school year when we could openly talk about the achievements of black people, when we could talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights.  We would decorate the bulletin board with pictures of black achievers and each student would have to prepare a black history booklet. My sisters and I would have the prize-winning black history booklets because our father subscribed to Ebony, Jet and black newspapers from which we could clip an array of beautiful pictures of black leaders, entertainers and sports figures. Children without those resources at home had a difficult time finding enough pictures to complete their booklets. We would prepare our booklets and give our “leftover” pictures to children who did not have black publications at home.

I was fortunate to have a father who knew a lot about black history, and he imparted his knowledge to his children. I would sometimes think that Daddy did not know what he was talking about because I could not find his black history facts in my books. His positive stories helped ground us as we grew up in a society that we were treated as second-class citizens.

Black History Week has now become Black History Month and a proclamation is issued by the President of the United States. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme that guides the celebration each year.  This year’s black history celebration theme is African Americans and the Civil War. The theme is quite appropriate because this is the 150th Anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

My father’s grandfather served in the Civil War, entering the war as a cook for a confederate soldier and ending the war as a union soldier.  He told my father how he was captured by the union soldiers and imprisoned. The black prisoners were told to repeat this oath, “I promise I will never rebel again against the United States” and they were freed. Hearing that a colored unit of the union army was being formed in New York, they traveled to New York and volunteered to fight in hopes of ending slavery. He became a part of the 20th U.S. Colored Infantry.

Many African Americans know little about the service of black men in the Civil War  besides what they learned from the movie, Glory.  This movie, which starred Denzel Washington, highlighted the heroic service of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers.  It is estimated that about 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy.

I am proud that my great grandfather played a role in fighting for our freedom from the institution of slavery. I found his name inscribed on the wall of the African American Civil War Museum located in Washington, DC.

Black History Month is a good time to learn more about the role that blacks played in the Civil War. The descendants of confederate soldiers have actively sought to preserve their history, and many have sought to distort what is taught in the classrooms and what is written in the history books.  African Americans should strive to ensure that the history that is taught to our children is not distorted. African American children need to know that their ancestors fought for freedom, not just in the Civil War, but also in other wars as well as on the battlefront against Jim Crow in American cities and towns.

Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D.

CBCF President and CEO

CBCF President and CEO Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D.

Thank you to everyone for attending and supporting last night’s Second Annual Avoice Heritage Celebration. Please enjoy a selection of photos from last night’s ceremony below. Click here for more photos from the 2011 Avoice Heritage Celebration.

Debra Newman Ham, Ph.D., 2011 Distinguished Individual Heritage Award

Mr. Ronald Dellums, 2011 CBC Member Preservation Award

Norman Ross, accepting on behalf of The Coca-Cola Company, 2011 Distinguished Corporation Award

Below is an image of an African-American man getting ready to perform in a medicine show in Huntingdon, Tennessee, 1935. It’s been a long, difficult journey for our Country.

Medicine Show Performer by Ben Shahn (1935)