Being new to this blogging phenomenon, I’ve been pondering how to take my first step towards making this page relevant. After a couple weeks of visiting and looking at other blogs and pages I’ve decided to step out like this. If I step on toes, holla and I’ll apologize. If you can see where my feet may land, move yours or give me fair warning and I may adjust. Aside from that here’s my shot in the dark. Spark a fire.
Work with this quick historical perspective. When the African in America was emancipated from the physical confines of slavery on the plantations they, particularly those with an agenda that didn’t include the dictates of the slave holder or anyone associated with the interests of the slave holder, set out to determine their own destiny. The African who asked, “What is we go’n do?”, ended up back on the plantation still serving the slave holder in a slave’s capacity. The African who wholeheartedly desired freedom and independence, even without knowing what that freedom would look like, ran from the plantation and slave holder to do anything to not have to serve the slave holder in the capacity of a slave. Unfortunately, for those Africans, because of the systems and institutions already established without any intention of benefitting the African, enslaved or free, the emancipated African was motivated to obtain equal roles and statuses as the slave holders and their constituents. This motivation for equality led the emancipated African to find his place in society that, by default, only gave him power to support his former slave holders. Finally, there were those few Africans who sought “true” freedom who set agendas for not only their own personal freedom but the “true” freedom of all the Africans who also desired this freedom.
So here’s the skinny and the reason I’m sharing these thoughts and posting this blog as my first. Also to answer the question some of you may have circling in your minds, “What the hell free or emancipated slaves gotta do with education or what or who a BlackStar is?”
I was talkin’ with two of my cousins, who are fathers, and I also spoke with a friend who is also a father. They all have several children but the common thread that warrants me mentioning them is that they all have an eighth grade daughter who “failed” to satisfy the eighth grade LEAP this year. Each of their daughters are B average students through the course of the year, but they all “failed” the leap. Mind you that they didn’t all “fail” once, but twice. Of course my cousins and friend are all disappointed, upset and angry with their daughters’ LEAP results. Imagine how their daughters feel as they look into their disappointed faces about those same results. I won’t even get into the stigma that is created when other family members and friends start to repeat ill intended comments regarding their daughters’ LEAP test experience.
Instead, I’d like to pick your brains about how we circumvent and alleviate this occurrence. Or, better than that, I offer you a BlackStar approach and option. The historical relevance. Free African collectives interested in collective freedom tended to develop communities and institutions to help service the desire to become free. Often, one, or some, would set up a church, meeting center or school to address the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental needs of the collective. This one or some, would not wait for the slaveholder to give them the o.k., go ahead or plan to set up these institutions. They’d determine the needs and go at it with full vigor.
So here’s the BlackStar concept and approach. We, with your help, not the government, not the mega foundations, not the current school boards of current school systems, but you and us, we will build a new model of our own standards and expectations based on a value system that is beneficial to our communities and collective successes as we define and determine them. We will establish a new paradigm of education starting with a small core group in an small, inexpensive building and teach our children great and valuable concepts and ideas. Remember, many universities had very similar starts. Can you see the potential of what and who we can produce, without the aid or permission of those who have been responsible for mis-educating our children. Or do you think that this type of thinking and approach is too small or inadequate for todays technological world. I look forward to your honest comments and dialogue. Enjoy. Pamoja Tutashinda. PEACE
Baakir Tyehimba Co-Founder and Educator of the BlackStar Educational Cooperative
The Blackstar Academy 