Race Relations at SisterPlay.com
It seems these days that most of the comments I get on SisterPlay.com are regarding the Race Relations area. People find the links to websites featuring a diverse mixture of peoples great. But, the Diverse Views on Race section seems to throw some people for a loop. They don’t know how to take it. Some of the views are quite politically correct, but then some are far, far from anything correct—and, on both sides of the spectrum. The question I get often is “What are you trying to start?”
My answer is “an honest discussion about race.”
Most of the people I have honest discussions with about race look just like me. However, most of the things I would label as misunderstandings, misconceptions, or gaps in perspective deal primarily with other peoples. So, what is the point of discussing those things amongst us?
Sometimes I watch the CNN shows with the panels of prominent educators and entertainers speaking freely about race relations, but “really”, what does that do for race relations with regular everyday folks? Most of us don’t even watch those shows.
As many of you know, I am retired military. I have had quite a bit of “diversity training” in my civilian employment, but no one deals as honestly and upfront with race relations as the military. They deal with it and move it on out of the way. They start you off with the discussions in your first few weeks and they don’t cease until you leave the service. I guess it has something to do with there is no place for racism or racial tension in a war—so they deal with it before getting there. Is it perfect? Is it the fix all? Does it eliminate racism or racial tension? No. Resoundingly no! But its much better than a fancy one day seminar to check off the diversity training block.
I don’t think that it is realistic for honest discussions about race to really happen in most workplaces today—at least not around the water cooler or in the lunchroom. I don’t even think it is desirable, because most people are just not prepared for that kind of honesty at work and neither are most workplaces equipped for the possible consequences of such discussion. On the other hand, most of the people I know really only interact with other races at their place of employment. I guess its what is known as a “Catch 22.”
But we do need to have the discussions.
I know this is going to sound cliché, but my best friend in this whole vast world is not of my race. And we have had many discussions regarding this issue, some of them quite uncomfortable—but most of them enlightening. Because of these discussions and the many discussions in the my military life, I think I come to the table with much less racial baggage than many the people I have met over the years.
I created the Race Relations area at Sisterplay.com, this blog, and the SisterPlay.com Community Discussion Forum as a place where people could have honest, civil discussions on Race Relations in a non-intimidating forum.
That’s what I’m trying to start!
Academic Excellence: Many Children Left Behind
According to the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP) released on October 19, most of our nation’s 8th graders are performing at or above the basic achievement levels in reading and math—some better than others, whites much better than blacks.
Twenty nine percent of the 8th graders in public schools perform below the basic performance level in reading while the remaining 71 percent score at or above the basic level. In mathematics, 32 percent perform below basic while the remaining 68 percent perform at or above.
When race or ethnicity is thrown is into the mix, the results become quite disturbing. Only 19 percent of white students perform below basic in reading, while an alarming 49 percent of black students score below the basic achievement level. In mathematics, 21 percent of white students perform below basic, while 59 percent of black students perform below basic.
The numbers become more disturbing for black students if one explores the percentages of students achieving at the: 1) basic achievement level; 2) proficient level--which is where a student really needs to be performing at a minimum and; 3) advanced performance levels.
As disturbing as the NEAP results are they are no less indicative of the situation of our students than the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests (PSAT), Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT), state sanctioned assessments such as Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) and Georgia High School Tests (GHGST), or other academic performance assessments.
Education may be the only thing—beyond faith—from which African Americans have been able to see tangible economic progress. Without an adequate and fair education system the fate of a large segment of African Americans and others trapped in its grips seems hopeless. Without an adequate education how does one improve their economic situation in today’s workforce? The answer is only by chance itself, for the majority will stay poor—an economic condition that some will use as an excuse for not educating their children.
Recent court decisions have made it easier to resegregate schools and seemingly accept the provision of a less than adequate education as lawful. Regrettably again, in many cases parents and students may not possess the knowledge to identify a less than adequate education until the young person’s self-esteem is permanently damaged along with her dreams when he or she discovers she cannot pass a high school graduation test or a college entrance exam.
The urgency of dealing with such issues became unmistakably apparent in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court rendered decisions limiting how much a factor race can play in the selection of students and struck down a point system giving minority preference in college admissions. Those rulings were expected to affect admissions practices at public colleges nationwide, as well as scholarship, tutoring, internships and fellowship programs reserved for blacks, Latinos and Native Americans. The court’s rationale was also expected to influence private colleges and universities, other government decision-making and the business world. Therefore, it is imperative that all children be fully prepared to compete on a fair playing field in the future, for the Supreme Court clearly expressed that the days of affirmative action are numbered.
According to a statement released by Russ Whitehurst, Director of the Institute of Education Sciences and Acting Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, the overall findings for the 8th grade, show an increase in average mathematics scores, and a decrease in average reading scores. In reading, the percentages of White students performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient declined. In mathematics, the percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and White students performing at or above Proficient increased. The White-Black score gap narrowed in mathematics. The White-Hispanic score gap narrowed in both mathematics and reading.
I am still prayerful that somewhere in the heart of our justice system still lives the spirit of the justices who changed America with decisions such as Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education. Not because of the decision itself, but because of their grasp of the essence of what it means to be an American citizen.
Perhaps in an ideal world, we could all come from the same level and competitive playing field in our home environment but we know that it is not feasible—mostly due to the history and economic culture of America. But it is foreseeable that with laws insisting upon a fair and adequate education system, there could be a level playing field for the resources and expectations we should have for each child when they step into a classroom in our United States.
A.R. Linder is the editor of SisterPlay.com, a compilation of websites showcasing Southwest Georgia. A cornerstone of the website is a wonderful area called YouthPlay.org --a collection of many of the websites she has used in educating herself and her child. Ms. Linder is a graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. She has over 15 years of experience in training and workforce development.
Thank You Mrs. Parks
She paid her fare, sat down in a seat and refused to move when told. What Ms. Rosa Parks did that day may not sound momentous, but it was a different time. It was a time when just staying alive as a Negro was a struggle – perhaps some would say not so different than today. But unlike today, there were burnings, there were bombings, there were Jim Crow laws, there was segregation, there was blatant disdain and hate for Negroes--black people were lynched for not doing what white people asked. So as we talk about the wonderful things that we as a people have accomplished, lest we not forget the many Rosa Parks who accomplished what might seem not so formidable tasks today amidst horrendous circumstances. If we listen to the civil rights documentaries, read their biographies, and embrace the stories of our parents and grandparents, then we might begin to fathom—we might begin to understand. As we say our farewells to Ms. Rosa, let us be uplifted by her inspiration. After all, if she was able to inspire such change in those times, just imagine what we might be able to accomplish in these times. Thank you Mrs. Parks.
