I asked a variety of people to say the first word that came to mind when presented with the noun “Crisis”
I heard many different responses; “a problem” “a catastrophe” “an unbearable disaster”, and yet, never did I hear the biggest Crisis of all
Education.
E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N
Allow me to dissect that word for a second,
The abbreviation for education is made of the first three letters “E-D-U” you find it on website domains somewhere in your textbooks
However the first three letters are the least important.
When you drop that edu you’re left with a word, a word extremely crucial to the English language.
Caution
For people who don’t understand this word “caution” It means to be attentive, alert, to take enough care to best avoid error, danger, or making mistakes.
Uh, funny right, students are constantly punished in schools for mistakes, errors, not being attentive enough.
Constantly being told to “ be quiet’ and to “settle down” or
“Turn to page 155 and and stop looking around”
Let me change this path a little
Allow me to alter your focus for a second
We are speaking of a crisis, one larger than education as a whole. A part of education that has been belittled, spat on, or strapped on a leash and taken for a stroll.
Black education.
Every year our classrooms get larger, with larger quantities comes more diversity. And yet, our units get smaller, and the best education are given to those with the largest dollar.
The truth is, we no longer care about the information we are being taught.
Because it only presents the people and white wars that were being fought.
It is hard for students to identify, accept and appreciate the information in front of them if it never directly relates to them.
I’m sure everyone in this room is aware of MLK’s “i had a dream speak” or Rosa parks famous word “nah.”
But what about the playstation, wii or xbox you used last night? Thank Jerry Lawson for that, and yes, he is black.
From such a young age we learn about the theories and discoveries that Benjamin Franklin gave
but not once are we told about Lewis Latimer, the man who invented the carbon filament,used in all light bulbs above our heads today
We’re held up to this standard of excellence, they expect us to be cautious, meticulous, and strive for nothing but perfection. Something said to be achieved by a proper education
However please explain how is that education rumored to be so proper when I try my best they say please God stop her.
Black education must be taught or it’ll enlarge as the crisis very soon to be fought.
While I calm down and allow that to sink in
Know and understand
Black education must never end
They say we're too violent that all we do is fight
And yet all we do is look for our ancestors in our textbooks every night
Every head shouldn’t turn towards me on the topic of slavery
If it weren’t so taboo; they wouldn’t have to be.
As i tie up my tongue and sit back in my seat
I continue to pray that history doesn’t repeat