Page 14
IlT' IJnrtlanb (Dhseruer
June 2, 2010
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America’s Ongoing Education Crisis
Fixing our
broken system
H. M orial
It is graduation season
in America - a bittersweet
moment for thousands of
young high school and
college seniors who are
leaving the relative com­
fort o f classroom and campus life to
pursue their dreams and find jobs in
an econom y that continues to
struggle.
In com m unities o f color the
dilem m a is even harsher. In many
o f our largest urban cities, for
every one African American or
Hispanic student who receives a
high school diplom a, one or more
is left behind. College graduation
rates are no better. Only 43 per­
cent o f African Am ericans who
enter college, graduate - a 20 per­
by M arc
cent gap compared to their white
counterparts.
W hile it may have been true 30
years ago, that you could get a
good job with less than a
high school diploma, those
days are long gone. In
today's high-tech, know l­
edge econom y, a college
degree is the starting point
for most good jobs. But,
persistent achievem ent gaps and
lagging graduation rates, espe­
cially in comm unities o f color, are
putting both the future o f millions
o f young people and our nation at
risk.
In the National Urban League's
2010 State o f Black America, Educa­
tion Secretary Arne Duncan puts it
this way. ",. .The promise of a world-
class education system is being
deferred for African Americans all
across the country... The achieve­
ment gap is unacceptably large. The
average black child is two or three
grade levels behind the average
white child. About half our African
American students fail to graduate
on time. Only one in five blacks over
League is more committed than ever and com m unity college education
to the mentoring, tutoring and schol­ and for proven programs like Head
arship programs that have always Start. But m oney and good inten­
been a part o f our mission. And it is tions alone are not enough. True
why we have made ensuring that e d u c a tio n refo rm c a lls fo r a
change in beliefs, attitudes and
behaviors on the part o f all o f us
- from policy m akers in govern­
ment, to parents, teachers and
students them selves.
Until we believe that every child
regardless o f race, background or
income, can and deserves to learn.
Until we create a classroom envi­
every child in every community is ronm ent that says to our young
ready for college, work and life by people, you m atter, your school
2025 one o f the four pillars o f the m atters... your future matters.
National Urban League's centen­
Until we take the time to m en­
nial year I Am Empowered initiative. tor, tutor and volunteer in our
P resid en t O bam a and A rne schools, graduation season will
Duncan have also placed fixing continue to be less than all that it
our broken education system at can be.
the top o f the nation's dom estic
Marc H. Morial is president
agenda. They have invested more and chief executive officer o f the
dollars in elem entary, secondary National Urban League.
President Obama and Arne Duncan
have also placed fixing our broken
education system at the top o f the
nation's domestic agenda.
the age o f 25 has a bachelor's de­
gree... In short, too many in the
black community are being denied
the American dream. Solving the
problem starts with education."
We agree. With more than a mil­
lion young people dropping out of
school each year and with fewer
jo b s dem anding higher skills,
America is facing a crisis in educa­
tion. That's why the National Urban
River of Denial in Arizona:
B entley de B ardelaben
Perhaps this qualifies for, “What
on earth could they be thinking?”
Less than one month after sign­
ing the divisive senate bill address­
ing the treatment o f persons sus­
pected o f being in the country with­
out authorization, Arizona Gov. Jan
Brewer signed into law a house bill
that bans public schools from teach­
ing ethnic courses to ethnic stu­
dents. This bill had been pushed for
by
more than two years by Arizona
State School Superintendent Tom
Home, who said that his goal is to
prevent Latino American students
from believing that they are an “op­
pressed minority” and thereby un­
able to succeed in America.
I’ve often heard the adage that
“denial (“the Nile”) isn’t only a river
in Egypt.” It seems to me that denial
has found itself coursing through
the state o f Arizona. In fact, I will
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A Sister o f Sisters (S O S )
African American Breast Cancer Survivor Support Group
Transition to Wellness ~ Mind & Body
/ ’I I'e rtl.u h l M u m n .te Ch.tpfet
I V lt.i Si^tn.i 7 / t e t . t S m i l i : bh
I he Portland A lum nae t h.ipter D e lla Sigma Ih e ta is organizing a breast r .iiu e i survivor
support group »or African Am erican W om en. W e w ould lik e to invite all African Am erican
Breast < ancet Survivors to join A Sistei o f Sisters (S.O.S.f a breast cancer support group
focusing on issues relating to A frican Am erican w om en surviving breast cancer,
if you re a n A frican Am erican Breast Cancer Surv ivor
1 fine: April
630PM
please jo in us:
A. y ii’ M
Place: Ib o v id e n c e Ic v in g to n V illa g e tc o m u n in ity ro o m !
Address: p o N i M aso n St. P o rtla n d , OR.
.
,
-
unashamedly call this river
what it is: a hot, dry bed o f
racism.
In a recent interview on
CNN’s, Anderson 360, Tom
Horne and African American
scholar and professor, Rev.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, hotly
debated this controversial issue.
Home stated that teaching such
classes promotes a “radical sepa­
ratist agenda.” Really! Mr. Home, I
believe you have confused this
matter with the crazed ranting o f the
Tea Party.
Clearly Home wasoutofhis league
when trying to share his pathetic
points during his encounter with the
dynamic Dr. Dyson. Superintendent
Home feebly attempted to base his
argument on Martin Luther King Jr.’s
prophetic statement that people
should be “judged on the content o f
their character” and noton their race,
a statement which he had taken out o f
context. King’s declaration, is true;
yet denying students knowledge o f
their ethnic history is sheer madness,
Some o f my greatest learning
A hot, dry bed o f racism
about my ethnicity, as a
young man, occurred in my
Black Studies class in
school. Sadly, much o f
this learning had been ex-
eluded from the text books
in history or social studies
In fact, you are wrong when you say that
we live in a land o f opportunity and that all
American people can achieve their dreams if
they work hard. Superintendent Horne, for
you to make such statements clearly reveals
your white privilege.
classes.
If you are unaware o f your own
For me, as an African American, privilege, then you are reckless and
understanding where my people dangerous. Heaven forbid you are
come from, what they endured, and aware and are wielding your privi­
how they’ve overcome has always lege intentionally to boast about it.
been important. Superintendent This would qualify you as a racist.
Horne: I am no one’s victim, despite Either way, you are perpetuating an
that I have been the object o f many oppressive system that contrasts
racist laws and oppressive behav- starkly with our nation’s stated ideal
iors o f people wielding such laws. o f “liberty and justice for all.”
So w hat’s next for the residents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- n
and citizens o f Arizona? Further­
more, what is this going to do to
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11 K c U
p 1 r 1 1 U C Attn-. Subscriptions, The
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some o f our states who are wres­
tling with similar issues? Time will
Portland Observer, PO Box
tell, especially since this is merely
(please include check)
3 137, Portland OR 97208.
phase one o f a hot button political
N ame :
issue marching toward the next presi­
dential election in 2012.
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In fact, you are wrong when you
say that we live in a land o f oppor-
tunity and that all American people
can achieve their dreams if they
work hard. Superintendent Home,
for you to make such statements
clearly reveals your white privilege.
A ddress : _____________________________
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Bentley de Bardelaben is execu­
tive fo r Administration and Com­
munications in Justice Ministries
fo r the United Church o f Christ.