Common Knowledge

Let's Be Honest

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

Arthur Schopenhauer

“If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother and hope your guardian genius.”

Joseph Addison

            Last week the Nebraska Legislature passed and the Governor of Nebraska signed into law a bill that divides the Omaha public schools into three racially distinct districts.  The bill was introduced by Nebraska’s only African-American state legislator.  Although Omaha’s public school system will be divided into three different districts, according to media reports all three of the districts will be funded by the same levy.  It is my understanding, for what that is worth, that all of the school districts in Omaha should receive equal funding. This law has presented the nation with two learning opportunities: (1) the impetus for why our community fought for integration and (2) the best tool of dismantling segregation.

The Real Motivation for the Fight for Integration

            The fight for integration, especially regarding school systems, was not about getting little black kids to go to school with little white kids.  It was about opportunity.  It was about the states giving as much opportunity to African-American children by allocating as much attention and resources for schools where African-American children attended as they did for schools where white children attended.  Separate was never equal.  What do I mean by that?  Before the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, it was constitutionally legal to maintain “separate but equal” schools, which essentially lead to two school systems: one white the other black.  Although the two school systems were definitely separate the amount of attention, resources and opportunity distributed by the states were not even close to equal.  This was also true about the rest of the separate systems in the country at the time.  The reason to fight for integration was to force the states to provide the same amount of resources and hence opportunity to African-Americans as they did to whites.  The premise was that if all children went to school together then the states would have to provide the same amount of attention and resources and therefore opportunity as they did for white children. 

This was a sound theory, but it did not completely work out in reality.  In reality the constitutional requirement to dismantle the de jure segregated school systems only lead to de facto segregated school systems.  Once desegregation started to be enforced, many city public school systems experienced a great deal of white flight.  This lead to the racial segregation of schools along city and suburban lines and as African-Americans moved to the suburbs the racially segregated lines moved farther out.  As the whites left so did much of the resources, attention and eventually the opportunities.

Ultimately this means that African-American children generally do not have the same educational opportunities as white children.  Now before I start to receive a bunch of emails, I am not saying that all black kids are disadvantaged or that are white children are privileged.  I am saying that as a result of the de facto segregated school systems there is still an opportunity gap between African-American and white children if viewed on a overall scale.

African-American Success is the Best Tool for Integration

The Omaha law could help to fight the historical trend of de facto segregation.  How?  It could help by being successful.  There is an old saying of “speak truth to power.”  Well the truth is that the strongest weapon against prejudice, fear, and mistrust is success.  Yes.  I said it.  Success!  Look at what happened in baseball.  Jackie Robinson day was celebrated across Major League Baseball a few weeks ago.  Most people know that Jackie Robinson was the first openly African-American player in Major League Baseball in the twentieth century and therefore he is credited with breaking the “color line” in baseball.  However, the truth is what broke the “color line” of Major League Baseball was the outstanding play of players in the Negro League, like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and others as well as Jackie Robinson’s play in Major League Baseball once he was given the chance to compete. 

The same can be true in Omaha.  If the African-American controlled school district in Omaha produces children with the highest grades, graduation rates, college enrollment, college matriculation, and test scores in the county or the state then, believe me, the school districts in Omaha will not stay racially divided for long.  But, if the African-American controlled school district in Omaha does poorly then not only will the schools stay segregated, they will also serve as an example of how our people can’t learn.  Now, I know it is not fair that over thirty million people are judged by the actions of a few hundred or a few thousand, or even a million, but that is the world we live in until our community can change that standard.  And we must change that standard.  There is another saying of “don’t hate the player, hate the game.”  Well, only winners make the rules and only winners can change the game.

We Must Ring The Bell of Freedom

A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.

Patricia Neal

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.

William James

            I finally got the chance to see the Return of the King episode of Boondocks.  That is the Boondocks episode that portrayed a Dr. Martin Luther King character that used the “n” word and a swear word.  I must say that after watching the much publicized scene where Dr. King was supposed to have used such offensive language I was a little disappointed.  Actually, I was not disappointed as much as I thought to myself what was the big deal? Then I realized that maybe it was a big deal. Maybe instead of wasting our time protesting Aaron McGruder, we should think about reevaluating our situation as individuals and as a community.

            For the record the much talked about scene where Dr. King was supposed to have “cursed out” a crowd of young African-Americans was anything but that.  The King character did use one swear word and he used the “n” word quite a bit.  But the use of the “n” word by the King character was specific, focused, and explained.  I did not find this episode to be offensive or derogatory towards the King legacy.  I did, however, find this episode to be a little thought provoking. 

I took two main themes from the episode that I think are worth raising.  First, I think it is time we as African-American acknowledge that we must stop living in the past.  Second, I think we must ask ourselves are we making the best of all the opportunities that we have from the efforts and sacrifices that were made by the generations before us.

            I am not trying to disrespect anybody from the past, but there comes a time when one must stop looking back and start looking forward with a minds eye towards what it took to get be in the present.  There are too many of our leaders that are still trying to relive the experiences of the 1960s.  And the truth is that the 1960s have been over since January 1, 1970.  Too often when there is a problem in our community the first thing our leaders propose is a march or a public boycott, even during times when we are our own worst enemy. The political, cultural and economic landscape has changed greatly since the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.  Although we as a community essentially face the same issues that we were fighting for in the past, the appearance and process of addressing our issues have changed.  Therefore we must change our attitude in how we approach solutions to our issues. We must change how we articulate of our issues.  We must change our techniques in addressing our issues.  In nature either you evolve or you become extinct.  We must move beyond the mindset, language and techniques of the past to deal with the present in order to move into the future.

            Are we as African-Americans making the best use of all the opportunities that we have from the efforts and sacrifices that were made by the generations before us?  I have to say I am not sure.  Before anyone gets the wrong idea I am not one of those brothers that like to sit up and talk about how things were in the “good old days.”  I understand that there are more African-Americans graduating from college today than there were fifty years ago.  I also understand that on average we have a higher home ownership rate, average income, percentage above poverty and a larger number of African-American owned businesses.  But are we doing as much as we should be?  I hate to say it, but I think we are not.

            Because of the efforts, leadership and sacrifice of so many of our fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great aunts, great uncles, and ancestors we have legal protection from voting, employment, housing, and lending discrimination.  Yet, what have we done with these protections?  How far have we taken these protections?  Yes, we have made progress, but have we made enough?  We have millionaire athletes from our community but only one billionaire sporting franchise owner.  There are quite a few wealthy movie stars from our community, but no movie studios.  We still allow others to define who we are.  We allow others to define our community’s worth.  We allow others to set the value of institutions that reflect our community’s history, culture, and ideas.  We can no longer allow that to happen.  We as individuals must want more for ourselves.  Once we want more as individuals, we will get more as a community.  Make no mistake about it our struggle has historically been and continues to be the American struggle for a seat at the table of power in our country.  This struggle never stops so we can not stop either.  We just need to rethink, retool, and rededicate our efforts individually and collectively.  Once we sit at the table of power in this country as an equal, freedom shall ring for our community for as long as we keep our seat.

It Is Time for the African-American Community to Stop Treating Politics Like Children

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  I Corinthians 13:11

“[Black people] have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent interests “

Official Motto of the Congressional Black Caucus

            I was born in raised like most brothers and sisters to believe that republicans were the enemy and democrats were our friends.  I remember when I was a young child and my mother allowed me to stay up late to see Jimmy Carter win the 1976 Presidential Election.  I had no idea where President Carter stood on issues of importance to the African-American community in large part because I had no idea what those issues were.  I only knew that Momma was a democrat and therefore she was for Jimmy Carter and so was I.  Well thirty years later there are to many of “us” that vote on the basis.

            In Chicago there is an old saying that in politics there “are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, just permanent interests.”  Well.  What are our interests?  And who are our “friends?”  Democrats?  Republicans?  Independents?  How often do we hear politicians, regardless of race, talk about party labels, stereotypical hot button sound bites, and the “I am your friend” appeal as they are asking for our votes instead of asking for our votes based on speaking directly and honestly to our interests?

             Well, it seems that one politician in Chicago has taken a step away from dependence on a party label.  State Senator Meeks has announced his interests in looking into a possible third party bid for the office of Governor of the State of Illinois.  Much has been said about Senator Meeks.  Much has been said about his long look at running for governor.  Some people have intimated that Senator Meeks has betrayed his party (although Senator Meeks initially ran and was elected as an independent).  Other people have remained silent.  Well I won’t.

              I think Senator Meeks has set a good example by challenging the status quo.  We as African-Americans have gotten into the habit of voting along party lines too much.  I remember attending a fundraising event for United States Senator Barack Obama three years ago at a club in Chicago called the District.  Senator Obama gave a speech at that event that I still remember to this day and in this speech he stated that “we” as African-Americans were about thirty percent of the Democratic Party but we do no receive thirty percent of the power.  He said that if elected he could help to represent our issues. Although I had known Senator Obama for several years prior to his senate campaign, I thought to myself how wonderful it was to finally hear a politician that talked issues to “us” instead of party labels, stereotypes, or “friendships.” 

              I am not completely convinced yet that Senator Meeks will represent all of “our” issues, but I am convinced that he is changing the political landscape in our community by challenging the Democratic Party to speak to issues not labels.  That is a beginning.  The more politicians that are a part of our community or represent our community move away from party labels and towards issue management then hopefully we as a community will move away from selecting our public officials on the basis of party labels, stereotypes, or perceived friendships.  When we finally start to choose our elected officials based solely on issues then maybe we shall finally start to see some of our needs addressed before they rise to crisis levels.  We may lose a few friends on the way.

We Should Not Bury Our Talents

“Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”

Henry Van Dyke

What does a commitment to diversity mean?  Well it seems that it means discrimination and preferences to some non-profit organizations.  This summer members of the American Bar Association (“ABA”) will vote on a new diversity policy that will require member schools to show that they are taking steps to increase diversity in the student body and faculty.  Three conservative organizations, Center for Equal Opportunity, the National Association of Scholars, and the Center for Individual Rights, have asked the U.S. Department of Education to remove the ABA’s accrediting authority because, according to those three organizations, the ABA is attempting to use its authority to force law schools into using racial, ethnic, and sex discrimination and preferences in the selection of students and faculty.  Well that is one view.

            Another view is that our educational system and our economy are enhanced by diversity.  There are approximately three hundred million people in this country.  Contrary to what some outside this country might want to believe we are not all alike in every way.  As Americans many of us have different backgrounds that give us different viewpoints.  When any institution faces a problem or a challenge, the institution that is best able to see the problem and potential solutions from different viewpoints has the advantage.  This is also true in economics.  The business that gains access to different markets has the advantage.  These are some of the advantages of diversity.   

            Another advantage of diversity is the opportunity to have access to, discuss, and use different points of view on topics, which allows for a break from previously held old notions.  One old notion that conservatives do not want to talk about is the myth of meritocracy.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about our process for choosing the best students to get into college, graduate programs, law schools, medical schools, dental schools, etc.  The majority of the country has bought into the notion that we and/or our children must attend the “top ranked” schools in order to get ahead in this country.  We have also bought into the notion that the selection process is based on merit.  There is ample evidence to suggest that both notions are wrong.

            First, there is research that suggests that there are plenty of options when it comes to universities to attend that will give opportunity upon graduation.  Studies have shown that students that attend state schools have similar rates of success as judged by income and achievement as students that have graduated from the “elite” universities.

            Second, it is a poorly kept secret that the admission process is more about what socio-economic background a student comes from than it is about that student’s ability.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about the practice of using standard tests.  Although it is not widely publicized, standardized tests are pretty much worthless.  Why would I say something like that?  I will explain.

            Research has shown that there is little to no correlation between most standardize tests and an accurate prediction of a student’s success in college.  As a matter of fact most standardized tests are not even designed to accurately predict a student’s likelihood of success in college or in a graduate program.  They are designed to predict the likelihood of a student’s success in that student’s first year.  Now I am not sure about you, but my first measurement of a student’s success in college is whether he/she graduated.  My second measurement of their success is how high their grade point average was upon their graduation and my third is how much they actually learned in college or graduate school or law school or medical school or dental school, etc.  Therefore any tests that if it does what it is supposed to do can only give me a prediction for only the first year of a student’s tenure in school is useless.  And as it turns out standardized test do not even do a good job of predicting what they are designed to do.  What is the best indicator of likelihood of success?  It is a student’s high school record.  Since there is a strong correlation between how much a student’s parents make and how well that student does on a standardized test, then any admission process that heavily depends on those tests really is not about that student’s achievement as opposed to their parents’ pocketbook.  Yet, this not something that is mentioned much when the value of taking steps to increase diversity in our country’s educational system is debated.  Maybe it is about time we heard some other viewpoints.