The Journey to work, wealth and well being through
an inheritance of messages of wisdom from the past,
and words and events of the present
Boston, MA my hometown, back in the days pre 1960s, money was scarce for many, but education was plentiful, valued and the hope for the future; a future if not of wealth, at least the key to a solid middle class, a belief that, "When people are educated, the distinction between class disappears." - Confucius. Many young men, as was a rite of passage, joined the military to serve their country. We laughing would say of others, you go to Howard University, like Senator Brooks, Harvard, Dartmouth, Hampton, Amherst, U of MA, etc., Yale or Jail. Malcom Little, who became Maclom X, was one who could have gone to Yale, but went to JAIL in Boston in 1946. He was one of a relatively few going to jail back then. Before the 1980s, we had more African- American boys/men in college than we had in prison, as of 2010, we have more in prison than in college! One of my high school students informed me that he didn't have to finish high school, he told me with authority,
"I can get my GED in jail"!!!
Today, too many youngsters, of all races, are lacking human interactive skills, critical thinking, creative stimulation, and other important skills vitally needed to become productive in life, in the labor force today, and into the future. The years of several long term substitute teaching positions, many more than I planned sense retiring from my career in financial services, has turned out to be an education for me; I have enjoy giving back, through sharing of my education, and experiences in the business world to those who can , who will listen.
It was my practice to ask young boys the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Most would say they wanted to go into the NFL, NBA, or play some other sport, or prehaps become Rappers. Well, I was taken aback, left speechless, which is not easy, when I asked that question of one 4th grader. He looked down, shrugged his shoulders and said that he didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up. I was suprised! A few seconds later, he brightened up, and with great elan he said,
"I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, BUT I KNOW HOW TO ACT WHEN I GO TO PRISON!"
This young boy, a 4th grader, then began to tell me what he had be taught by those "experienced " family members and neighbors, about what he would need to know to be successful in his prison life. He breathlesly, and excited recited, without hesitation, as if it was a pledge, a litany of 'skills' he would need. I sat shocked! This was an 'education' to me, A 4th grader was teaching me about one of life's elements! My experience of teaching and listening, has been an education, an eye opening. Since I have been subbing, three of my former students, two high schoolers, and one middle schooler, are IN JAIL FOR MURDER!!! One more has been arrested for shooting, killing a man during a pizza robbery, and is awaiting trial.
I mentioned Malcom Little earlier as someone who went to jail; when he came out, he was a changed man, as Malcom X. As of late, we have Michael Vich, the football player who also went to jail, and came out a changed man. Well, one of my young students told me that,
"If you're a Black man, you have to go to prison first before you can be anybody or do anything important."
He, ran off a list of a least a half dozen beginning with Nelson Mandella!
I MUST TO DO SOMETHING MORE!!!
I have been busy during this past year. I have not updated my Blog because of my focus on doing the SOMETHING. One of the SOMETHINGS is now with Patent Pending. I have created an Educational Board Game, BE-OPOLY. BE-OPOLY is designed to promote interactive, human contact for two to six players of ages five to ninety five, and beyond, to sit together, think, make choices, interact and thus develop, refine needed skills, and relationships.
(Up date 3/26/11-Patent has now been APPROVED!!)
This is designed to give younsters a window, at the earliest age possible, into the world of work they should look forward to encountering, as a benefit of their education. It is my experience, after talking to many young people that too many do not know what is available to them in the world of work, of careers and entrepreneurship. The intrinsic value of education has been, and remains important; the practical value of education should also be embraced, and promoted for future growth in industry, health and science, in a competative world. We all know information concerning careers can be found in volumnes of books. BE-OPOLY offers this information in a fun, hands on, interactive skills building way.
We must instruct young people that what they do as a citizens is important, how they can help strengthen our country, our world! Just as someone sat that 4th grader down and taught him about what would be expected of him when he grows up and goes to prison, we must sit children down, and not take for granted that they know what will be expected of them, what is available to them, and how to access needed skills.
I have three college educated children engaged in rewarding careers available to them due to their education. I have one grandson, a freshman in college with a 3.8 grade point average. He is the third generation in our family to attend college, Black men! My granddaughter, an 8th grader, is in the honors program at her middle school. W. E. B DuBois addressed this in his book "The Souls of Black Folks", when he talked about the talented 10th. We know that 10 percent is not enough, WE MUST DO BETTER!! Our ancesters from all over the world, are not resting in peace!
