SCHOOL!

   If you understand how important it is to know your personal history, then why is it when the importance of knowing your history is being pushed, we don't push the importance of changing the curriculum within the schools filled predominately with students of color, of African Descent, in order for them to learn their personal history?

   We constantly push to "get your education", but we really don't mean get your personal education, we mean get the education provided by another and when you get the chance, find the time to educate yourself about yourself.

   The impact or the importance of having our "Black Leaders" speaking on a serious topic such as school and one's "Education", is diminished when after making a serious point about who we are supposed to become, is followed up with a joke about who we are, now the whole point of the conversation is lost somewhere in the "translation".

   If our black "Leaders" are going to be serious about transforming a race of people of African Descent, who are clearly going in several different directions, then when do we have serious conversations with serious plans of action and leave the court jesters and the slapstick at home.

   The black situation in America stopped being funny before the first act got on stage. But yet, it seems that more comedians are put in front of the camera to make a point about a serious issue for the black community and the black community is wondering why were still waiting to be taken seriously.

   It may be due to the fact that somewhere in this craziness of post slavery we as Africans "First" and Americans second are supposed to find something funny in the African American experience.

   School! Where admired and respected philosophies have been taught for generations. For generations, great stories of great men have been discarded, never to leave the shelves of those hallways of darkness.

   School! An adventure supposedly worth taking. Shedding light on darkness throughout "History". Covering all subjects from the alphabet, to learning a third and maybe even a fourth language, but yet the average black person cannot tell you what language of any kind is spoken in their homeland of Africa. 

   The hallways of understanding are many to choose from in this country, or maybe not.

   The hallways in which the average black student is guided are limited and pre-selected. The number of wrong directions a student can be led are unlimited for "All" members of these United States of America, but African Americans specifically can tell you stories. 

   For these members, the information highway is set up with nothing but detours. If I am to understand correctly, darkness is where their adventure is supposed to begin, not end up. 

   Because in the darkness, the throats of their African Ancestors have been slashed. Slashed, not to keep their African Ancestors from speaking out, but to keep them from being heard. From being able to express their philosophies and their beliefs.

   School! a strange place it can be at times, these halls of higher "education". Unfortunately, certain hallways of darkness are not on the agenda of frontiers to be explored, where at any given moment, a "Light" of knowledge can shine through. 

   If only the words of a wise man could be heard. If only the power of knowledge of self could be released. The potential and the possibilities become unlimited.

   Trying to live another man's life. Another man's "History". Average men, with average stories. There are reasons why men feel "Great" about themselves, and about their stories. 

   It is because the "Greatness" is felt from within. But only if there is a light allowed to shine, where darkness now reigns. In these halls of higher learning, the spark of these African American Children has been extinguished before we ever had a chance to see the brightness of their light.

   Although this current system has produced productive citizens from the African American community, too many have come from this present-day system that have not found their way to the productive line.

   Today's modern day school system is not designed to enhance the interest of learning about self in the mind of the African American student. 

   There should be more consideration for what many of the parents of these African American Children feel is important for the "Survival" of their children. 

   Throwing more money and adding more computers into the school does nothing for a child when the same misinformation is being taught and passed along as a benefit to that child who does not relate to anything in front of him/her.

   It seems to me that there are enough "Black/African American" professionals to design an adequate, and acceptable school curriculum for the states that have black communities, as well as appease certain criteria set by the government. 

   There are only so many excuses a person can give as to why these children are failing, generation after generation. Let's give these students of color a course of study that will give them a chance to honestly succeed, for once...

   School! It should be what we have come to understand. Not, what we are led to believe.

                                                                                          Written by: Sherman Shepherd