To the left of my home office desk, one will find a poster that has been prominently displayed on my bookshelf for several years. Placed it there so, from time to-time, could steal glances at it before entering into that other world which consists of so much angst and grief for me.
Sometimes, sorely need to be reminded of the black race’s intellectual brilliance and scholastic dominance prior to going to work!
This poster encompasses the names of innumerable black achievers, inventors, scientists, mathematicians, and educators who, despite social “inequities and injustices that America created against these African-Americans,” they still used the giftedness of their imagination to produce notable inventions.
In other words, despite insurmountable odds, these black achievers were still hungry for success!
An example of one monumental hurdle occurred during slavery. As one would surmise, many of the patents did not give full or partial credit to the enslaved blacks who invented these laudable inventions, consequently, their white owners handsomely prospered from the blacks’ ideas and geniuses.
Another injustice was the inadequate and paltry education that blacks were exposed to and frequently received. Although many of the black inventors were self-educated, the failure of matriculating from high school, college, or even a university did not deter their execution, their determination, and their perseverance of achieving their milestone.
“That’s my rub!”
As I enter the world of work at a noted youth program, I am sadly disgusted and filled with disdain. First, similarly to detention centers, jails, and prisons, the majority of the populous is, of course, those of black faces!
However, unlike the detention centers, jails, and prisons, this excellent program’s sole mission is for the reunification of the family. Obviously, I am ecstatic that this program ardently strives to exceed its goal, and as a taxpayer and community stakeholder, I have a vested interest in its success.
My ire is that day-to-day I observe majority of the black youth wasting their damn time by being mean-spirited, belligerent, contentious, angry, rebellious, obstinate, and freaking hellish. The irony is that these same deviant children and obnoxious teens are also incredibly talented. Tragically, unless they change the “errors of their ways,” this world will never become the beneficiaries of their brilliance due to their rotten attitudes, nasty behaviors, thuggish conduct, and in some cases, criminal mischief!
Reckon, sooner or later, these bright kids will earn a one-way ticket into the criminal justice system without the benefit of discovering, transforming, and eventually mastering their excellence for the world to some day admirably witness!
“That’s my rub!”
Swirling in my mind this week was a comment that my newest fan, Steven, wrote in his letter. As an incarcerated black man, he stated how racist the white guards and administrators were at his correctional center.
Hmmm.
Frankly, I can personally and professionally attest, as well as, historically document the veracity of his statement. However, on the other hand, I can also equally cite an over abundance of cases where “white folks” were not racist and obstructionists to the furtherance of our desire and efforts to succeed and achieve! In fact, there’s ample evidence that some “white folks” have shown decency, humanity, and support.
“That’s my rub!”
For instance, each day my soul is impaled, my spirit is depressively beleaguered, and my eyes are left teary as I painfully watch my “white” colleague pour every morsel of her caring heart into the preparation of enriching curricula for her majority black students. Each day, I cringe as I watch Katherine enthusiastically deliver thoroughly-prepared lessons with sky-high motivation, kinetic energy, and with a robust sense of urgency to reach and teach these bright students, but all to no avail. Don’t see racism in this picture!
“That’s my rub!”
Instead of being respectful, appreciative, and desirous of inhaling her stimulating lessons, these nitwits and misfits spend an inordinate amount of the instructional day dispensing rude and crude behaviors unbefitting of our rich heritage, legacy, and any semblance of Christian mores and values that they apparently missed in Sunday school.
Additionally, to my horror, many of these outcasts and hooligans also negatively impact their fellow peers’ learning by unmercifully chastising the few conscientious students for wanting to hunker down in class to learn. God forbid if these brave kids show a slight interest in grasping an educational nugget for that day. So, in order to survive incessant taunts, teasing, and bullying, their modus operandi is to forge disinterest while sitting in the classroom and, simultaneously, sneakily learn on the “sly.”
Hmmm. Seemingly, “dumbing down” within parts of the black community is still heralded as a rite of passage, a badge of honor, and the norm!
“That’s my rub!”
Glancing at my poster, which lists the meritorious achievements of many black inventors, such as Lewis H. Latimer; an enslaved black who invented the elevator, fountain pen, filing cabinet, and fire extinguisher, or Norbert Rillieux; another enslaved black who invented the supporting bracket, suspenders, and the syringe, and lastly, Andrew J. Beard; who invented the casket lowering device, caster wheels, and the folding chair, I am left wondering.
Wonder if these black trailblazers and unsung heroes are weeping in their graves as they watch this generation of black youth squander their intellect by displaying tomfoolery conduct and negative behaviors within the classroom.
Or, wonder what these achievers may think as they observe ungrateful black kids’ acting foolhardily, nonchalantly, and lackadaisically as it pertains to their education.
And, wonder how these “intellectual giants” feel when they witness the black and white Katherines stridently try, but still miserably failing, in their attempts to break the invisible shackles from these children’s minds prior to the permanency of the actual shackles that will probably be placed upon these kids’ wrists, waists, and ankles!
“That’s my rub!”
