Morphological Confetti

In education, the United States ranks 17th out of 50 countries. That is a sad number for a country that claims leadership in so many other areas. It seems that education is not the top priority. It is proof that many are not concerned with problems that do not affect the majority. For instance, it is mostly inner-city neighborhoods in various urban centers across the United States that are being affected by the growing number of school closings. The parents and leaders of those communities are concerned because it will not only cause inconvenience for a disproportionate number of African American parents, but it will also be dangerous for the children who will have to attend other schools in other neighborhoods. Why is this such a bad thing? Well, there are rival crews and gangs in those other neighborhoods. This may sound silly but it is the sad reality. What are the choices for African American students growing up in this type of environment? Well, many of them will be b...

Before I knew who Martin Luther King, Jr. really was, I probably thought he was some sort of medical doctor or healer. I was a year old when he was murdered in Memphis, so my infant mind had no understanding of the times. I had no idea that DC had erupted upon the announcement of his death and Washington's innercity was on fire. When I became old enough to be interested in what my parents and grownups were discussing I heard them talking about someone named Dr. King. It sounded as if they knew him personally because they spoke of him with so much affection. They talked about all the things he had done to help black people and how he was a minister of peace. I heard words in reference to Dr. King that I didn’t understand like equality, justice, discrimination, segregation, integration, and assassination. I heard grownups talk about his Nobel Peace Prize ; I didn’t understand what that was either, but I figured that it was something wonderful because it had the word “prize” in it....

On this day in African American history, Abraham Lincoln , the 16th President of the United States (1861-1865), declared that the recently emancipated African American population in Washington, D.C. should be educated. The African Slave Trade was abolished in Washington, D.C. in 1850, but Slavery in the District was not abolished until April of 1862. This is a moment in Black History...or is it? Meanwhile, the Editorial Projects in Education recently reported that The District of Columbia Public School system ranks 51st or last in (state rankings) six areas of education performance and policy. Grade = D- Ethnic Breakdown-Student Population, Washington, D.C. 84% African-American 5% Caucasian 10% Latino/Hispanic 2% Asian-American 1% Native American 1% Other In response to recent educational rankings, the DC State Board of Education has scheduled a meeting this evening so that students, parents, community members, teachers, school leaders, and education stakeholders can express their con...

(Gibbs Elementary front school yard) I was in my old neighborhood this weekend when I passed by my old school, Gibbs Elementary. The memories. I looked over at the school as I always do as I passed it, but this time I pulled over. It was just after the rain and the little playground was glistening with puddles of water on the asphalt. No, there was no foam rubber to protect our little heads/shoulders/knees/toes and apparently there still isn’t. I stood on that playground and briefly went back to my first days of kindergarten. Gibbs was only right down the street from the apartment that we lived on E Street in Northeast DC. I even remember where my classroom was. It was 1972 and My Amanita got little Stevie dressed and ready for school. (The entrance to my kindergarten classroom at Gibbs) I don’t remember my teachers name, but I recall the classroom in some details. I remember the round tables, the coat racks and the location of the restroom. I remember going on field trips. I remembe...