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Thuso's Blog
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Description:
Spontaneous Responses
I have reached a stage in my life where I don't have the luxury of "later." The older I get, the more urgent my life becomes. Not urgent in the sense that I am rushing around out of control. But urgent in the sense that I can see the need for action in response to the world surrounding me. I feel the necessity to speak my mind, and take action where I can make a difference. This blog is a real-time account of my spontaneous responses to life in the 21st century. |
In this article -- Was Integration a Good Thing For Black People? Probably Not -- by Dr. Boyce Watkins, he argues that the leaderrs of the Civil Rights movement did not properly neotiate the terms of integration. I disagree. The recipients of the benefits of integration dropped the ball, and lost our focus on the key factors that Dr. Watkins identifies. These are not new. We need to return to the core values that spawned the movement toward integration. All the things that Dr. Watkins says we must do --
- Maintain a disciplined household, where education was the highest priority and
In the 1903 book, The Souls of Black Folk, W.E. B. Du Bois offers a vision of the struggle of Africans in America that I find useful in setting the compass for my striving as a Black man. In many ways, we are reminded of our internal struggle more than a century later. As we reflect on Black History this month, this struggle remains unreconciled for many of us. We still face institutional barriers to progress while at the same time we celebrate the ascension of a Black man to the highest office in the land. "One ever feels his two-ness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two
This frightening plague has gripped urban communities worse than the the most devastating disease. Like a body needs antibiotics to fight off infection, we need more GOOD GUYS period -- to stop the BAD GUYS. Where is the weight of positive influence within our communities? What can Obama do that Farrakhan, Sharpton, Jackson, Jealous, Morial, Smiley and West, more than 250 Black mayors, the Congressional Black Caucus, and a host of social activists cannot
As we begin a new year, I have been reflecting on some of the lessons that I have learned that can be useful in making the year ahead better for me and the community that I care so much about. What my reflection revealed is that I have a point of view about a lot of things. My friends and colleagues agree with some of them, and of course, they disagree with others. So, I sorted through my opinions to find the core beliefs that drive the actions that I take to enhance the relationships I have with others. Here are seven of the key lessons that represent the foundation of my actions
I am a child of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. I grew up in Prince Edward County Virginia -- one of the epicenters of the battle. Looking back on the results, my observation is that forced integration of schools created a sharper contrast of the real foundation of the disparity in education -- economic and housing discrimination. Integrated schools could not solve the problem of equality alone. Not when parents of poor children were still discriminated along racial lines in job opportunities, housing, higher education and other social needs.
My children went to integrated schools
The Presidential election campaign of 2008 was a historical event that filled most supporters with enthusiasm -- built around the theme, "Yes We Can."
In 2012, the pundits are talking about the enthusiasm gap among Obama supporters, and much of Mitt Romney's recent momentum is attributed to lower enthusiasm on the part of Obama supporters. In the wake of slow economic recovery, some African American supporters are asking, "Is this my new reality?"
Those who are disappointed with the outcomes of the past four years have turned to the President and asked why we continue to suffer
The lens through which we view our history that shapes our future has become distorted. During the worst days of Jim Crow, there were strong influences within the Black community that championed education, respected hard work, and embraced family values. All of this was held together by our local community churches. There was an upward mobility that was broadly supported across our communities. We sent our children off to college, welcomed them back to help others, and supported our heroes -- in entertainment, sports, business, and education.
Now, we seem to find ways to criticize all
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Posted by Thuso in Fathers
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I am overwhelmed by the news that has evolved around Black men. It seems that everything in our society is working against Black males -- in elementary and middle schools the disciplinary and suspension rates are higher, high school and college dropout rates are higher, the number of Black men in prison is higher, unemployment is higher, health is poorer, life expectancy is shorter. These conditions have produced a generation of men who are increasingly unable to function as husbands and heads of their families. In fact, one recent headline pointed to a Black man who fathered 30 children
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