Many people are quick to put forth their beliefs regarding what they perceive as being an important need for African American people to stop focusing attention and energy on past discrimination and inequality. Some insist that for African American people to continue doing so is unhealthy. Others argue that, all that “stuff” happened long ago, and that since those times (as if U.S. slavery occurred in the Dark Ages or ancient times), society has progressed to the point at which, African American people in the U.S., as well as other so-called “minorities” are treated the same as everyone else, i.e., equally. Many backwards polemicists often point to the existence of “successful” blacks as proof positive of the latter, above-referenced argument. Yet, those who hold such views, often have no logical explanation, other than — ‘it’s their own fault; they’re simply lazy’, or some other simplistic assertion — relative to explaining the existence of millions upon millions of African American people who feel hopelessly trapped in ghettos — literally from one end of the North American continent to the other, and beyond. Of course I am not suggesting that there are no poor white people in North America. With regard to absolute numbers, there are many more poor whites than African Americans. However, with the possible exception of indigenous peoples, I challenge anyone to find a racial group anywhere in the Americas that has a higher percentage of poor people in terms of their total population, than African peoples. If it wasn’t so distorted and dangerous, I would consider the “equality” argument mentioned above as laughable. What a silly and simplistic, yet dangerous argument. If we are all treated fairly and equally, then, racism, sexism, and classism must be figments of our imaginations, which of course, they are not!

Some also argue that African Americans want, and receive, but do not deserve, special privileges — based on past deprivation and discrimination. People who support this argument, tend to believe that African Americans have been compensated for past abuses, and that somehow conditions have been created that established real equality. Now (the argument goes), we should just forget the past, and move on. I sincerely hope that we can move on, but African people must never forget the African Holocaust, never! Those who put forth this particular argument concerning so-called undeserved privilege, often label it as being representative of some abstract thing, which they call “reverse” discrimination. Perpetuation of the concept of “reverse” discrimination is nothing more or less than an underhanded, unethical, immoral, bankrupt strategy that is designed and utilized to support entrenched denial, evasiveness, and avoidance on the part of millions of Americans, particularly white Americans, regarding the widespread, devastatingly negative psychological, social, emotional, and economic impact that institutionalized slavery and racism has had (historically), and is having on African American people currently. Perpetuating and attempting to legitimize concepts such as “reverse” discrimination allows white people, especially those in power, to continue avoiding a critical issue that they dread having to deal with. Namely, it is the issue of reparations for African peoples, including African Americans.

Many white people, including many educators, become visibly upset if a black person dares to raise the issue or idea that present overall socioeconomic and political conditions within the African American Community, vis-a-vis the white or Euro-American Community, are greatly influenced by past social, economic, political policies and practices. In some cases, such white people actually have the audacity to ask black people: ‘Why do you keep focusing on the past?’ At the same time (conversely), I have never in my entire lifetime (55 years) heard a person (white or otherwise) ask a Jewish person for example, why their people keep talking about and / or reaping socioeconomic benefits — based on the atrocities of the Jewish Holocaust. The fact that this represents a blatant double standard is a gross understatement. In fact, it speaks to the reality that many non-Jewish people are absolutely, without a doubt, more respectful, and have more empathy for the historic Jewish Holocaust than they do for the Holocaust experienced by Africans — the latter of which was much worst in some ways. It is truly baffling that this is even seemingly true for many black people, i.e., many black people tend to have more respect and empathy for the Jewish Holocaust than they do for their own. This ranks among the most amazing of all human phenomena.

With regard to the issues outlined above, in the final analysis, millions of people in the U.S., especially, but not exclusively white people, do not want to, or cannot find it within themselves to come to grips with some very important basic, historical facts, which educators, if no one else, should understand, or at least attempt to understand (as opposed to wallowing in unnecessary guilt, fear, and acute denial). Those basic facts are as follows:

First, there is a continued, real, negative, and in many cases profound, social, emotional, psychological, economic, political, and cultural impact on every single African American person born and raised within U.S. society, which results from: 1) The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and all of the atrocities that came along with it; 2) following dejure outlawing of slavery as a centuries-old institution, another one-hundred (100) years of de facto, systemic oppression under the Jim Crow “justice” system; and 3) the current, overall socioeconomic and political reality, under which most major U.S. institutions continue to harbor and perpetuate racism. Secondly, the impact of historic socioeconomic, cultural, political oppression; psychological, emotional, physical brutalization, and destruction of African people en masse, was not, and could not possibly have been eradicated via so-called Civil Rights Legislation, and / or so-called Affirmative Action policies. Within the United States of America, it has not been, and probably never will be possible to produce, and certainly not enforce, a form of legislation that can eliminate the cumulative (throughout many generations), degradation and dehumanization, which African American people have experienced, and are continuing to experience in many ways.

Since the achievement “gap” was systemically created and maintained over a long period of time (centuries), if the problem is ever to be resolved, it is likely that the solution will come only as a result of people working consciously, consistently, diligently, and systematically to reverse the conditions that have caused, and are causing the problem. In other words, the solution will come only as a result of people, particularly those who are most negatively affected, working consciously, consistently, diligently and systematically to solve the problem.

Where African American people are concerned, it is not likely that a solution will be forthcoming anytime soon, unless a way is found to reverse the serious and definite trend, in which massive numbers within each new generation of African American youth, are becoming less and less educated, equipped and / or committed to working for collective, socioeconomic, political, cultural change and improvement.

To be Continued….

Readers may recall that in Part 1 of this treatise — I briefly discussed the fact that “it has become an annual ritual for the U.S. Department of Education, states’ Education Departments, local boards of education, and various educational research groups to issue reports and frequently put forth unrealistic, shallow, suggestions for change and improvement. As part of that which resembles an annual sideshow, we can routinely count on simplistic, and sometimes outright silly suggestions and “answers” to the critical question: “With regard to academic performance and achievement, why do African American students (in the main) continue to lag so far behind their white counterparts?”

As it relates to timing, it is most interesting that (according to the July 14, 2009 edition of EDUCATION WEEK magazine), on the same date, i.e. July 14, 2009 — the National Center For Education Statistics (a federal government agency, which “is the main statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Education”) released the results of a recent study regarding the so-called black – white achievement gap (visit www.edweek.org). With regard to the possibility of closing the gap — the bottom line of the study is that (for the most part) — no real, substantial progress has occurred (surprise, surprise)!

Concerning this critical issue, and the EDUCATION WEEK article, I thought that it might be important to point out the following concrete example of “outright silly suggestions,”"which I referenced above: Mr. Patrick Gasper, “a spokesman for Wisconsin’s education department (reportedly, a state in which the “achievement gap is significantly larger than the national average”) — was quoted as having said: “it’s ertainly something we’ve known we need to work on, and it’s not going to change overnight.”

In my humble view, African Americans, and anyone else who has a sense of justice and urgency, should be nauseated by such lackadaisical statements. “Overnight”?! The spokesperson can’t possibly be serious. The humanly engineered, historic, so-called achievement “gap” within the U.S. is clearly and literally centuries old. Thus, in the final analysis, statements such as Mr. Gasper’s represent nothing more or less than a robotic, thoroughly political, gradualistic, rationalization, and feeble attempt to justify, if not dismiss, the acutely unreasonable lack of adequate progress. Close examination and critique of the above referenced article, reveals additional, clear examples of “simplistic, and / or outright silly suggestions and answers.” However, I won’t belabor the point. Let’s get back to discussion of vitally important, historical factors and explanations concerning development, maintenance and continued perpetuation of the current reality.

Typically, a critical, missing factor within simplistic analyses put forth by governmental agencies and others, who claim to be concerned about eliminating the academic achievement “gap”"between African American and white students, is the inclusion of historical “backdrop.”"In other words, as it relates to any objective analysis of this deep-seated, socioeconomic, political, cultural issue and problem, there are many very important historical factors which must be given serious consideration. This is especially true with regard to the real (as opposed to imagined or fabricated) impact that institutionalized racism, including four-hundred years of systemic, chattel slavery — has had, and is having relative to the continued existence and perpetuation of the problem. Like any other deep-seated socioeconomic and / or political issue or problem, unless the true nature of the achievement “gap” is fully and clearly understood, and acknowledged — it is not likely that realistic and effective solutions will be forthcoming anytime soon.

Relative to widespread change and improvement, it is my hope that this critical analysis will help bring about clarity regarding the true nature of the so-called achievement “gap,”"and therefore greater clarity regarding development of effective solutions. Hopefully, this work will contribute to debunking the continued big lies and implied allegations that 1) everything that can possibly be done to help close the “gap, “which really is more comparable to a ‘valley’ or ‘island,’ is being done; 2) this problem is so complex that an effective solutions might not exist; 3) in accordance with the nation’s undergirding philosophy of white supremacy — African Americans are intellectually inferior to whites. Most importantly, it is my sincere hope that this work will aid in inspiring African American people to take a serious stand on behalf of our children, and our collective future.

Many scholars pretend, and then there are those who probably actually believe, that all vestiges of institutionalized slavery within the U.S. were long ago eradicated. It is a thoroughly erroneous idea that current, overall socioeconomic, political, cultural conditions and realities, including despicable, educational conditions for huge numbers of African American students within the elementary and secondary public education system, are not to a large extent, the results of historical, systemic, structural discrimination, deprivation, brutalization, and dehumanization, which occurred during the period of more than four hundred (400) years of instutionalized slavery within this land that is today known as the United States of America. There is no denying the fact that the impact and real effects of the most wicked institution in the history of humanity, still exists today in numerous sophisticated ways. It is of utmost importance for African American people to never downplay, ignore, dismiss or gloss over the significance and importance of the real and serious impact that institutionalized slavery has had, and is having on their individual and collective lives. In no area of life is this impact more obvious and / or profound than in education.

(To be continued…)

Preface:

From the outset, I would like to make it clear that I am not an apologists, nor an excuse-maker for African American or any other students. There are many African children who have no apparent, legitimate excuses for not performing well academically. However, at the same time, there is undoubtedly, a growing number who, not only have legitimate excuses, but are facing such terribly negative and devastating odds that, in order for them to do well academically (unless they receive consistent, intense, adequate and appropriate types of support), they will be either extremely lucky, extraordinary in terms of psychological and emotional strength, or a combination of both.

This treatise was inspired by the fact that, in light of the ongoing, decades old, urban education crisis, which includes acute, dismal, massive, academic failure among huge numbers of African American children, and the so-called academic achievement “gap” between African Americans and whites, it has become an annual ritual for the U.S. Department of Education, states’ Education Departments, local boards of education, and various educational research groups to issue reports and frequently put forth unrealistic, shallow, suggestions for change and improvement. As part of that which resembles an annual sideshow, we can routinely count on simplistic, and sometimes outright silly suggestions and “answers” to the critical question: With regard to academic performance and achievement, why do African American students (in the main) continue to lag so far behind their white counterparts? Annual reporting of information regarding this most serious issue and problem, is usually framed and presented in such a manner that readers are expected to conclude that federal, state and local officials as well as educators are doing all that they possible can to address this supposedly mysterious, super-complex phenomenon.

This analysis is an attempt to place the issue and problem of a so-called academic achievement “gap” between African American and white students in proper historical context. Reference to the issue as a so-called “gap” is based on my unequivocal belief that usage of terms such as “gap” to describe the alarming differences in academic achievement between African American and white students (in the main) — amounts to attempts (probably consciously in some cases) to downplay the importance, significance and urgency of a timely and effective solution.

Not only is this particular analysis based on a historical perspective, but it is also Africancentered. That is to say, the perspective is being presented by one who is conscious of, and proud of his African ancestry; knowledgeable and keenly aware of the specific historical processes and conditions — by which millions of African peoples were kidnapped and geographically, socially, economically, politically, culturally displaced, and ultimately transformed (by force) into a new nationality of human beings — known today as African “Americans”. Since there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that many people of African ancestry will agree totally with this perspective, it can rightly and objectively be called Africancentered, i.e., information, as viewed through the eyes of large numbers of African peoples (based on collective life-experiences).

Introduction

In order to fully and clearly understand why such large percentages of African American students generally lag behind white children relative to academic achievement, it is necessary to seriously consider, study, critique, and analyze overall educational conditions (from a historical perspective). There is no other way to gain a full and clear understanding of what has caused, and what is causing the overall current educational conditions, under which the achievement “gap” is being tolerated — if not intentionally perpetuated.

First, it is very important to realize and accept the fact that overall educational conditions within the U.S. are not a product of coincidence — or of nature. The so-called achievement “gap” between African American and white students in the United States of America is not representative of a natural state of human existence or development. Instead, it is a historical condition that was intentionally created, developed, and maintained by white people, particularly wealthy white men, who established, and to a large degree, controlled the socioeconomic, political / governmental and dominant cultural systems of the U.S.A. — all of which, of course, were / are based on the concept of white, and especially male supremacy. The same group of people and/ or their friends, relatives and descendants, later established and initially bank-rolled the nation’s system of public education.

In attempting to understand the achievement “gap” — we can completely rule out simplistic analyses that posit as causes — the existence of certain conditions among large numbers of African American children, such as the lack of interest and motivation, low self esteem and participation in so-called “ghetto culture.” Those are symptoms, rather than causes of the problem. It is incumbent, especially upon educators to begin asking, and correctly (objectively) answering questions about why such large percentages of African American students are not, or at least do not appear to be interested in learning and / or motivated to learn. What do we (as individual practitioners, and collectively — as an educational system) need to know and do in order to help increase their interest and motivation? In this particular regard, are we (individually and collectively) doing all that we can? As it relates to the total student population, why do so many African American students suffer (disproportionately) from low self-esteem, and how can we help remedy this problem? These are critically important questions, and they also represent a very important part of the art and science of teaching or instruction, which many refer to almost faddishly as “pedagogy”.

(To be continued…)

PRESS RELEASE

Date: July 4, 2009 (so-called “independence” day)

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For Immediate Release……….For Immediate Release……….For Immediate Release

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WHAT: Protest-March & Rally

WHO: Activists Against Racism Movement, And The Community, Including Defendants In The So-Called RICO / ‘wolf pack’ Case

WHEN: Monday, July 20th @ 6:00 PM …………… Monday July 20th @ 6:00 PM

WHERE: Starting At The Federal Building On State Street & Ending At The Public Safety Building On Plymouth Ave.

WHY: To Fight For A Fair, Non-Racist Criminal Justice System

Contact: Janice Snipes @ 285 – 7414

To learn more about this case, see information below.

RICO LAWS? PROVE IT!!

On April 27, 2009, a number of people were arrested in Rochester, New York and charged under the RICO statute for alleged crimes.

THE CHARGES:

Those arrested, including teens, were ALL charged under the RICO statute. The RICO law was established in 1970 to address organized crime activity perpetuated by the MAFIA. Convictions under the RICO law carries prison sentences of 10-20 years to life in prison.

THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.

There is no such organization/enterprise as the ‘wolf pack’ gang, and no factual basis or foundation to support racketeering charges. As a result, the use of the RICO statute is unfounded and unconstitutional.

Let’s come together to fight for a fair criminal justice system.

WHAT THE POLICE AND NEWS MEDIA REPORTED:

• FALSE: Those arrested were members of a gang/enterprise called the ‘Wolf Pack’ gang.
• FALSE: 24 people were arrested
• FALSE: 20 firearms were confiscated when the police executed 7 search warrants

THE TRUTH

Distorted police and news media reporting was filled with misinformed, libelous and conflicting information. To set the record straight:

• TRUE: There is no such organization/enterprise as the ‘wolf pack’ gang, and no factual basis or foundation to support racketeering charges. As a result, the use of the RICO statute is unfounded and unconstitutional.
• TRUE: Some of the 24 people reported to be arrested on April 27, 2009 were NOT arrested on that date.
• TRUE: Many of the firearms reportedly confiscated as a result of warrants served on April 27, 2009, were already in police possession before that date.
• TRUE: Due to intimidation and threats of long prison sentences under the RICO law, including 10-20 years to LIFE, at least one person still in custody is reportedly suicidal; yet, reportedly, no precautions have been taken to protect him.
• TRUE: Despite charges of an organized, criminal enterprise, all defendants are dependent upon court-appointed lawyers or public defenders.

On Sunday, June 28th two entities—Activists Against Racism Movement and Down In the Dirt Productions—pooled their ideas, time, and resources to create a venue to unite local community members with one another and with grassroots organizations, local political candidates, and small businesses in the Greater Rochester area. From progressive Democrats to radical students, performance artists to published authors, STD educators to crime preventers, the wealth of collective expertise shared at the Main St. Armory was rich indeed.

The first of the two-part event, known as the Community-Networking Extravaganza was, in the words of AARM, “an opportunity for individuals and groups to meet, exchange contact information, distribute literature, sign petitions, give speeches, and network however they see fit. i.e. build relationships.” The evening portion, a benefit performance put on by R.A.P.I.E.R and other performance arts coalitions, was named “Roc In the Community” and consisted of dancers, comedians, spoken word artists, singers, and oftentimes a fusion of all four.

An indymedia correspondent was able to catch up with some of the organizers and participants of the day’s event to discuss the importance of building strong communities.

Participants Discussing Community mp3 ogg

Robert Djed Snead, who is working to organize this years MAAFA Celebration, was quite excited to answer the question and gave a very nice, in-depth answer. mp3 ogg.

Finally, we talked with two of the candidates for office at the event and asked them to describe their platforms.

Howard Eagle mp3 ogg

Harry Davis mp3 ogg

Activists Against Racism Movement (AARM) extends thanks and appreciation to our members; Mr. Robert Ricks (Down In The Dirt Productions And Publications); individual community members; co-sponsors; community organizations; vendors and artists for helping to make our First Annual Community-Networking Extravaganza a solid success. We look forward to future collaborative endeavors, including the Second Annual Community-Networking Extravaganza.
Leadership Team.

Also, see article below:

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A local anti-racism group and production company held a community networking event Sunday in an effort to inspire people to get involved in grassroots organizations in their city neighborhoods.

About 100 people walked through the Main Street Armory’s main room Sunday to chat with the 16 or so community organizations that had set up booths at the Community-Networking Extravaganza. The event was hosted by the Activists Against Racism Movement and Down in the Dirt Productions and Publications.

The booths at the event featured groups ranging from Action for a Better Community Inc. and Pathways to Peace to Rochester Indy Media and even some individuals hoping to run in upcoming political elections.

“We wanted to do something to involve the community … building local community strength,” said AARM educational committee chairman Howard Eagle.

Full Article