an essay by yours truly. read, respond, comment, whatever. but lets have a convo about the things addressed as they pertain to most of the colizens.
Freedom vs. Integration
"The abolition-democracy goes beyond equal rights and inclusion to embrace a concept of freedom as substantive participation in public affairs. The path to participation runs through the struggle against white citizenship." (Olsen, pp.138-139)
When examining this quote, we see that freedom is not the end-goal of the struggle for social justice; instead the end-goal is integration into and active participation in public affairs. Freedom is merely a means, a prerequisite for achieving this. It is one thing to have the freedom to vote on societal matters, but true power resides with those who decide what will be voted on in the first place. We as a people must come to the realization that freedom without this participation is merely a pacifier, a small concession, that hinders true liberation. African-Americans and women have gained the right to vote, but until they are equally represented in the policy making of America, they will continue to suffer from oppression, and wallow in a false sense of freedom that eventually produces apathy and nihilism. (West, 23)
Public education is a facet of public affairs. To make the connection between the fore-mentioned quote, we must not only advocate for equal rights in the classroom, but also call for active participation in all spheres of education. This includes a fair and equal curriculum for students, a fair representation of teachers that reflect the population-at-large of the particular community, and last but not least, an integration of the historically disenfranchised into the policy making process for school boards.
The fake freedom that has been propagated by those still holding the reins of power has made us forget the very essence of education. "The system induces too much schooling, and not enough education." (Juarez, Hayes p.4) They have integrated our students into the statistics, and teach them to pass required tests, but do they actually challenge them academically, and foster a true education? Have they lowered expectations since this freedom has been achieved? A resounding answer is yes.
One striking similarity that the abolitionists (Garrisonists as Olsen called them), and Big Mama from the Juarez/Hayes selection had in common were their unwavering and steadfast commitment to their beliefs and expectations. (Olsen, p.137; Juarez, Hayes, p.6) Teachers of past generations did not accept excuses and allow other social issues to justify shortcomings. (Juarez, Hayes p.6) Excellence was the goal, and students strove to reach that. Even if they came up short in the process, they were substantially further ahead than when they first started the learning process. Today, we struggle to reach benchmarks, because the bare minimums have become the goal. We now accept failure in school as a norm. This acceptance of failure echoes all the way to the top of school boards, who are typically agents in nature. This acceptance of failure reinforces their notions that minorities and women are not suited for the learning process. This acceptance of failure in the educational sphere affects all aspects of society, from media portrayals, to the future socio-economic mobility of the students, even to the likelihood that the student's freedom will be taken away in the future due to incarceration. To rid our schools from the acceptance of failure would rid the system of the disease, not just act as a band-aid over a gushing wound, which is the present treatment. Until we actively participate in the public affairs of policy making, the agents will continue to accept failure, and use those same failures to justify the equity imbalance that persists in our society.
Outside sources:
West, Cornel. (2001). Race Matters (2nd ed.). New York City, NY: Random House.
Freedom vs. Integration
"The abolition-democracy goes beyond equal rights and inclusion to embrace a concept of freedom as substantive participation in public affairs. The path to participation runs through the struggle against white citizenship." (Olsen, pp.138-139)
When examining this quote, we see that freedom is not the end-goal of the struggle for social justice; instead the end-goal is integration into and active participation in public affairs. Freedom is merely a means, a prerequisite for achieving this. It is one thing to have the freedom to vote on societal matters, but true power resides with those who decide what will be voted on in the first place. We as a people must come to the realization that freedom without this participation is merely a pacifier, a small concession, that hinders true liberation. African-Americans and women have gained the right to vote, but until they are equally represented in the policy making of America, they will continue to suffer from oppression, and wallow in a false sense of freedom that eventually produces apathy and nihilism. (West, 23)
Public education is a facet of public affairs. To make the connection between the fore-mentioned quote, we must not only advocate for equal rights in the classroom, but also call for active participation in all spheres of education. This includes a fair and equal curriculum for students, a fair representation of teachers that reflect the population-at-large of the particular community, and last but not least, an integration of the historically disenfranchised into the policy making process for school boards.
The fake freedom that has been propagated by those still holding the reins of power has made us forget the very essence of education. "The system induces too much schooling, and not enough education." (Juarez, Hayes p.4) They have integrated our students into the statistics, and teach them to pass required tests, but do they actually challenge them academically, and foster a true education? Have they lowered expectations since this freedom has been achieved? A resounding answer is yes.
One striking similarity that the abolitionists (Garrisonists as Olsen called them), and Big Mama from the Juarez/Hayes selection had in common were their unwavering and steadfast commitment to their beliefs and expectations. (Olsen, p.137; Juarez, Hayes, p.6) Teachers of past generations did not accept excuses and allow other social issues to justify shortcomings. (Juarez, Hayes p.6) Excellence was the goal, and students strove to reach that. Even if they came up short in the process, they were substantially further ahead than when they first started the learning process. Today, we struggle to reach benchmarks, because the bare minimums have become the goal. We now accept failure in school as a norm. This acceptance of failure echoes all the way to the top of school boards, who are typically agents in nature. This acceptance of failure reinforces their notions that minorities and women are not suited for the learning process. This acceptance of failure in the educational sphere affects all aspects of society, from media portrayals, to the future socio-economic mobility of the students, even to the likelihood that the student's freedom will be taken away in the future due to incarceration. To rid our schools from the acceptance of failure would rid the system of the disease, not just act as a band-aid over a gushing wound, which is the present treatment. Until we actively participate in the public affairs of policy making, the agents will continue to accept failure, and use those same failures to justify the equity imbalance that persists in our society.
Outside sources:
West, Cornel. (2001). Race Matters (2nd ed.). New York City, NY: Random House.
Will check this later
all g my nig. just posted it now since im more productive at night rather than day. your input is welcomed