Feeling A Bit Salty

I'm doing Google web searches for a web site that I'm doing and I put in the search string black mentor program.

While scanning the result list, I noticed the number of colleges that had mentorship programs. Now, I realize I'm a bit short of temper due to lack of sleep, but I got a bit salty.

You see, I realized that I have NEVER read any of the well know Black conservative commentators, who have spoken out against "Black Student Unions" and "separatism in colleges", mention that the Black Student Unions provide mentor programs or study programs for students at the colleges or for students in surrounding areas. Then I remembered that offspring #1 mentioned that she learned of a mentor program of "inner city students" her first year attending a university, and she will help out the rest of her time at the school.

Again, it seems that "Black conservatives" voice opinions that are overwhelmingly negative about the Black community. Then this "revelation" hit me:

Why is it that it took white conservatives to write a book that demonstrates success of Blacks in public schools?

Comments

[Temple3]

It took white conservatives to write this book about the success of Blacks in public schools because of three elements of broader argument:

1) Money does not matter. There is no reason why Black children in underfunded urban schools cannot succeed academically.

2) Since money does not matter, little time and effort should be expended to ensure equitable funding of schools - at all levels.

3) Resources do not determine success. The children are not biologically inferior. The weak link must be the teachers. Break the teachers union, privatize public schools and extend voucher/charter school choice programs. Provide flexibility, reduce oversight, replicate "successful" models and change American education.

How could Black folks in any walk of life articulate something like this since the overwhelming majority of Black folks make less money than their white counterparts. We know money matters in building equity in a home, in establishing and restoring credit, in limiting interest rates - and so do white conservatives. Prep schools never make such ludicrous arguments. Universities don't even think about saying such dumb-ass things. My high school tuition was $7300 per student in 1981. Do you think they believe money doesn't matter? Do you think the alumni like James A. Baker III think money doesn't matter? This book should be classified with the Boondocks and Garfield and Beetle Bailey.

At the heart of the issue of underfunded schools is the national disincentive for highly-qualified Black folk with serious quantitative skills to participate in public education. The opportunity cost is too high. Public education, then, is left to less educated folks with a less-than-organic-interest in the success of Black folks. Teachers and principals are seldom fired because 25% of Black boys and girls are reading at grade level.

Typical red herring BS from folks identifying themselves as conservatives - and by the way, the Black Conservatives are usually second in line - they seldom introduce something innovative or substantive.

[Temple3]

Oddly enough, a century ago, it made financial sense for conservatives to argue that Blacks were intellectually inferior. Spending money on teaching black folks was deemed tantamount to pissing away public dollars.

With the emergence of a viable private-sector in education, the fulcrum of the argument shifts to teachers and "liberal" excuse-makers who can't get the job done.

Truth be known, Black folks did a lot of learning during slavery and afterwards in 1-room schoolhouses where children of different ages collaborated with instructors to provide mentoring and tutoring. Of course, many more fell through the cracks.

Still, the issue has not been the skill of schools and teachers, but the will...People who don't treat you right will not/cannot/shall not teach you right.