Plans and Implementation

I have two service learning projects that have been keeping me busy, but I'm really enjoying them. One of them is Men of Distinction, and the other one is Theatre for Dialogue. Men of distinction is basically a survey for black men about black men. Edden is doing a great job of leading this project. She has been the main connection with the ACC men and have been filling me and the rest of our group memebers in with every detail concerning this project and what needs to be done. My other project, Theatre for Dialogue, is one that is really exciting to me becuase of all of the artistic work and thinking that is taking place within our group meetings. We have people are in and used to be in VAV (voices against violence) who are helping us facilitate this project, and I think we are moving along nicely. I dont want to give away too much information about what we have planned, but I'm sure the class will enjoy it.

Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes

With all of the AFR classes I have taken, I believe that this was not the first time that I've seen this film/ It's really shocking to me that the young men felt like it was O.K. to treat the young women like that. The way the young women carried themselves was also unacceptable as well. I do think that music can control your thoughts unconsciously, causing you to behave or think in the way that is similar to the music you are listening to. With this being said, not having a filter, someone who can tell you that this is NOT the proper way to treat a lady, can lead to disrespectful actions. If ladies aren't being taught how to take care of themselves, then they may think its acceptable for men to take control of their bodies. Empowerment needs to be done for both black men and women,. so they can learn how to really value themselves, and ignorre what is "suppose" to be for entertainment.

Achievement Gap

I think the systemic and individual factors both work simultaneously and have a huge affect on these kids lives and educational success. The areas they are living in, which they have no control over affects their behaviors and how they act as individuals. How they act as individuals have an affect on their academic learning. The economic status of the school, not being able to provide resources, also affects the child's success and achievement gap. The young men, in the Baraka program, did have some kind of family support system, but sometimes you need a little bit more than family support, which is why the program was good for most of them.  Some of them were able to learn from the experience and make something of themselves even if they didn't continue the program, but others needed a tad bit more support or a longer experience to take it with them. 

With the "Closing the Gap" article and what I make of these differences are very clear. The difference isour children don't have the resources, "only 21% of blacks were upper middle class or higher, where as 73% of whites were". Not only the resources, but the learning that is being done. SOme of the students are being taught how to take a test instead of how to do critical thinking. I can't stress enough how the lack of resources can affect a person's full potential of learning. Yes there is an achievement gap, and yes there is oppression.