Anonymous Essay: Must Read

Hello valued readers! We here at The Great Change received an anonymous essay in our inbox yesterday. It address problems that are clearly evident. Check it out below!

The perspective and the reality of the educational system are far from the same. As I experience and observe the education profession, I find it important to share injustices that should be addressed.

The definition of education, in common usage, is that education is the delivery of knowledge, skills and information from teachers to students. However, teachers are not able to deliver knowledge, skills, and information within their full capabilities due to a number of restrictions. Restrictions that are influenced by and include prejudices, people pleasing, preconceived notions of abilities, politics, naïve mindsets, and greed. Therefore, the educational system can be seen more as just another business. This is especially true for the public school system.

The motivation behind this statement comes after a recent popular and controversial occurrence between an African American female student and a Caucasian male campus police officer at a high school in South Carolina. Allegedly the female student was told a number of times to get off her cellphone. An officer, Senior Deputy Ben Fields, was then requested to the classroom and asked the student to stand up to leave the room. Officer Fields responds to the student refusing to stand up, by wrapping his forearm around her neck, pulling her backwards unto the floor, and then tossing her across the floor. Fields then commands that she put her hands behind her back and applies handcuffs to her.

Of course, thanks to the convenience of cellphones and ability to share anything instantly online, a recording of the event spread fast sparking another controversial story and issue.

A few days ago, as I scroll down my Facebook timeline, I notice someone share that they signed a petition for The View to cut Raven Symone from the show. They also make insulting comments about her character and intelligence.

During a conversation with other hosts on the issue, Raven states, “The girl was told multiple times to get off the phone,” She also shares that she believes, “There’s no right or reason for him to be doing this type of harm, that’s ridiculous. But at the same time, you gotta follow the rules in school. . . This shouldn’t even be a problem to begin with, and he shouldn’t have been acting like that on top of it.” Media summarizes her statement by suggesting that Raven “victim blamed” the student for the event. It seems as if the majority of African-Americans active on media were disturbed and infuriated by her comments. Though I understand the agitation of “victim blaming”, I am not a fan of it whatsoever, I do not agree with the condemning of another young minority woman. I get that she probably could have used a different choice of words when delivering her points. At the same time, our African-American community have to put themselves in her shoes for a moment. Raven is a childhood star who has continued to have a successful career over the years.

Now... let’s consider all of the Disney stars over the years who have had chaotic circumstances broadcasted for the world to see... Also, consider the fact that Raven is one of the younger co-hosts on a very popular live broadcasted show. From the look of comments and posts I have seen, many do not know the difference between their, they’re, and there... do those same people think they could go on a live show and not make misconstrued statements? Let’s state the obvious...Raven has made a few statements regarding race that can come off condescending. Although, the media suggests that “Raven is against her own race”, I am sure she knows firsthand that people are treated differently based on their appearance. She is a 29 year old woman with brown skin, not a size 3, and who dresses in a bizarre way at times....  I am positive she has felt discriminated against in her career.

Conflict is a commodity in the media industry. If the show a certain conflict and get people tuned in, (to websites, news stations, etc.), the more money they will make. The job of media is to get you tuned-in, and sometimes that conflict is created if it’s not actually present. This has occurred in Raven’s case as well as many other public minority figures who make statements that are not necessarily “people pleasing”. I applaud the actions of, The Talk co-host, Sheryl Underwood, who spoke up against the backlash that Aisha Tyler underwent for expressing her point of view of the Spring Valley High School incident.  (Please see video- http://youtu.be/w-jypMvf2il ) I respect the women such as Raven Symone, Sheryl Underwood, and Aisha Tyler. There is no doubt that they have experienced many trails to earn the positions they have. Despite their abilities to achieve so much as women of color, they are still crucified for any opinion that might become misunderstood or small mistake they might make. I just wonder if anyone ever stops to think about how they must feel... To receive such criticism from the same race of people that experience the same challenges you do and

you would think would be more supportive... Instead of focusing on what the media has promoted, I wonder if anyone has took a moment to realize a valid point that she made. The notion that Raven is “victim blaming” comes from her pointing out that there is more than one issue that should be addressed with what was going on in the classroom. Her two points include: 1) There is indeed an issue of misuse of power and procedure by the school and officer. 2) There is also an issue of inappropriate use of technology in classrooms.

Not only are those valid points, there are additional concerns that should be addressed that trickle all the way down to the superintendent of the school district. The other students present in the video watching the actions of Fields, known as “Officer Slam”, have seen this happen times before. And now the district wants to make statements suggesting that they will do an in-depth investigation. Why now? Because mass media has caught a glimpse of internal issues that the school has swept under the rug? As I continue to work in education, I witness countless occurrences similar to these. I have witnessed Caucasian teachers roughing up students with no limitation or consequence. I have witnessed students walking out of classrooms in front of principals, while taking a test, to take a phone call. I have witnessed so many discrepancies at a high ranked school in Texas....that I hope to become someone who can help to make changes.

Along with the points Raven made, issues of ignoring faults such as misuse of power, prejudice, procedures, and policies in a school all need to be addressed.

I love my culture. I love our people. On countless occasions, I have experienced and witnessed injustice that has occurred because of a person’s appearance, so I hope my points are not misconstrued into “victim blaming”.

The most accurate summery of my points would be that the reality of education has many broken pieces that need to be acknowledged and fixed.

- Just another voice

If black lives matter...

If black lives matter why aren't we marching in the hood?

If black lives matter why don't we call for all blacks to do good to the hood?

If black lives matter we need to stop the robbing in the hood, instead of trying to play robin hood.

If black lives matter, so many black dads wouldn't be duds.

We are begging for the other races to fix our problem.

Truth is, they may be the cause, but let's unite our kind under a common cause.

The kid's guide to being black is robbing, killing, playing sports and showing their draws.

And then we want to blame the kids for breaking the laws?

True, they exaggerate probable cause...

But our race is bleeding more in the hood, so let's pause.

And go and take back the hood, because it's creating the bulk of our flaws.

Guest Writer: Braxton Gately

The recent act of terrorism in Charleston, South Carolina, has re-ignited a national debate that has been simmering on and off for the past few decades, that is, the question of whether or not the Confederate battle flag should be flown above South Carolina’s State House. Proponents of keeping the flag argue that it symbolizes “Southern heritage,” and it should not be taken down. Their opponents argue that the flag is offensive to many, and, as such, should be removed. Some of the things I’m going to say won’t apply to the South at large - only Texas, but most of what I say will be applicable to the South as a whole.

            Many people in the South - and some in the North - remain fascinated with the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Certainly, there were some large downsides to his legacy. He was a slaveholder who, on at least one occasion, supervised the horrendous whipping of runaway slaves. However, there is considerable evidence that he changed his mind about slavery, and, by the time of his death, he was utterly opposed to the practice. I suspect that many of the people seeking to keep the Confederate flag flying from the state capitol in South Carolina are fans of General Lee. How striking it is, then, that they fail to follow his advice regarding the usage of Confederate symbolism following the Civil War. When a woman wrote him a letter asking what she should do with her flag, his reply was short and to the point: “Fold it up and put it away.”

            Lee recognized that healing from the war and from the atrocity of slavery could only come through a swift and amicable reunification of the states. In another letter, speaking of how Southerners should treat Yankees after the war, he stated, “It should be the object of all to avoid controversy, to allay passion, give full scope to reason and to every kindly feeling. By doing this and encouraging our citizens to engage in the duties of life with all their heart and mind, with a determination not to be turned aside by thoughts of the past and fears of the future, our country will not only be restored in material prosperity, but will be advanced in science, in virtue and in religion.” Healing will not come as long as there is division. At the end of the day, given the fractured history of race relations in this nation, a piece of cloth is not worth it.

            For my fellow Texans - I understand the desire to celebrate (predominantly white) “Southern heritage.” I get it. It’s in our DNA. The ideals of honor, chivalry, politeness, friendliness, and graciousness are to be applauded, and are all part of the heritage of a proper Southerner. That being said, we do not need a divisive symbol such as the Confederate flag to symbolize these noble traits, or our “heritage.” We have our own symbols of our rich history, the most predominant being the Lone Star flag, the state flag of Texas, which, last time I checked, was not offensive to a large group of people. The single star on the flag is said to represent the unity of all Texans - regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc. Our heritage would be better served by choosing to use the Lone Star flag, the state flag of Texas, as a way to remind us of our roots.

            A final point before I end this post: no one is saying that private people cannot fly the Confederate flag on their own private property (I, personally, think that people ought to make a rule of avoiding that practice), and no one is suggesting we simply forget the South’s role in the Civil War. Rather, the argument is over whether or not a divisive symbol ought to be flown over a government building. The purpose of the government should never be to divide; it should be, primarily, to unify. We are reaching a dangerous tipping point in this country, a fork in the road, as it were. One fork leads to unity and equality for all; the other leads to a country that will be divided, once again, along racial lines. Given some of the recent tragedies involving the shootings/strangling/otherwise killings of African Americans in the US, the time for the removal of the flag has come, and, frankly, it should have been folded up and put away long ago. Keeping the flag up serves no purpose other than to divide the nation - that’s what the shooter in Charleston (who I will not dignify by mentioning his name) wanted. We cannot let him win. A multicolored scrap of cloth is not worth it.