The State of the Black Union

Earlier this evening, I was watching some of the recent "State of the Black Union 2005" conference where a large panel of African Americans were discussing the state of the current black community. The conference was led by radio and television host Tavis Smiley.

As I watched, I saw the most disgusting, overt display of racism in my lifetime. The black leaders that I saw on that stage were spouting rhetoric that would earn any white person who made similar comments the title of a shameless, black-hating racist. The words I heard spoke only about how to advance the black culture and how to ensure that blacks are in charge of more companies in this country. You may read that and think nothing of it, but what if I held a conference dedicated to ensuring that more white people held positions of prominence in this country and that the cause of the white man was advanced? These panelists had little to say that did not involve blaming white people for all the problems in their community.

Former Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders spoke of the abstinence movement as if it was a white man's idea that was created to bring about the end the black race. Her brilliant idea for stamping out the epidemic of unwanted pregnancies among black women is to eliminate the abstinence program and give kids condoms and show them educational videos on how to properly bang each other in their middle school bathrooms and not get pregnant. Great idea.

George Fraiser, black CEO of Fraisernet, did have some positive things to say. He was less concerned with what America can do for blacks, but what blacks need to do for themselves in America. He mentioned that black Americans are, by far, the most fortunate group of blacks on the face of the planet. He went on to say that America has given blacks freedom, voting and political rights, and the equal opportunity to take part in economic capitalism. He followed that by saying that, "America ain't gonna give you more than that." The reason I believe that he said that is this -- America doesn't give anyone in this country more than that, no matter what their race or creed.

The sad thing is that he got the most hesitant response of all the panelists I heard. Apparently blacks are not ready to take responsibility for themselves yet -- at least this is the message that seems to be disseminated by a great deal of African American leaders. I'm beginning to think that the black community is never going to be able to get over the past because so many black leaders are so concerned with propagating the idea that blacks are still 2nd class citizens in America.

For my own part, I am just as big a fan of Condoleeza Rice as I am of any white American you could name. My worldview of race can most closely be explained by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." If only today's blacks still had that dream.

The Job is Stressful, but at Least the Salary Stinks

Wow, I love blogging so much but I haven't done it for ages!

This time of year for a teacher is death-on-a-stick. I am more than half-way through the year with state testing breathing down my neck, and the students are now comfortable enough with me to act up more often. I swear, if some of these kids weren't so cute, I might engage in child abuse! You hear from time-to-time about mothers who get so frustrated with their children that they go berzerk -- well consider for a moment the fact that I deal with 27 kids for 5 days a week.

I really enjoy teaching, but am getting a little tired of the fact that my day never changes. Sometimes it is fun to be able to play a part in molding a child's future, but other times it bores me. I wish my job had regular creativity time built into it. I love doing what I call "projects" but never really get a chance to do them at my school. This is not to say that I am not given extra curricular activities at work because I have them coming out my ears. The problem with extra curriular teaching activities is that the are still teaching activities. Yawn.

If I ever do have the energy/money/leftover mental facilities to engage in a project over the weekend, it only makes my need for projects more pronounced. I am a builder. I like to create. I like using my imagination. I am a teacher with a Disney Imagineer's heart. If I had even an ounce of engineering capability, I might pursue that as a job.

I'll be honest, if the Disney Corporation was not in God-forsaken, laughably-expensive California, but closer to me, I would be part of that company in an instant. I think it would be fun to spend my summers just working at one of the parks. Unfortunately, pursuing my "enjoyments" costs more money than teaching will ever yield to me.

If any one of my thousands of blog readers is a Disney Executive and is looking for someone who loves the business of creating atmosphere and memorable experiences, give me a call.