Black History Month
Black History Month
http://www.bvnewswire.com/2011/01/14/nene-... Urban Prep Academy Gets 100% Black Male College Attendance... Again
Urban Prep Academy Gets 100% Black Male College Attendance... Again
By Boyce Watkins, PhD
Posted Feb 18th 2011 2:32PM
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Urban Prep Academy
Well, they've done it again. Urban Prep Academy of Chicago, an all-male charter school with kids from the "worst" parts of Chicago, is sending 100% of its graduating seniors off to college. The school, founded in 2006, has stated that its continuous objective is to see to it that all of its students go to college. They are succeeding with flying colors.
The school started with kids whose futures had been left for dead by their public schools: Only four percent of the school's incoming freshmen were reading at grade level when they arrived on campus. But by sending all of their graduating seniors to college, they've not only gotten these kids up to speed, they've allowed them to zip past every other public school in the entire United States.
"No other public [school] in the country has done this," said Tim King, the founder of Urban Prep.
The students at the school are required to wear a jacket and tie every single day. They also go to school for two hours longer than other kids. They take English twice a day and are given a mentor with a cell number that kids can call 24 hours a day. They've clearly hit the mark when it comes to understanding that getting our children to the land of educational success requires both academic and sociological strategies.
When I first wrote about Urban Prep Academy last year, I was incredibly proud. Like Stephen Stafford, the 13-year old kid who now attends Morehouse College, the men of Urban Prep Academy are firm reminders of what black men are meant to be. We are not hard wired to be thugs, athletes or entertainers. We are meant to be just as brilliant, capable and successful as everyone else in America. Tim King is teaching his boys something that I learned while teaching college over the last 17 years: There is no such thing as "college material." Every child can be college material if they choose to be. I was personally told that I wasn't smart enough to go to college, but it takes more intelligence to make it in prison than it does to make it on a college campus. It all comes down to hard work, and black people know how to work hard.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fe... http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/cs... This Week in Black History
February 14, 1946
Actor, dancer, singer, choreographer and arts activist Gregory Hines was born in New York City. This Tony Award-winning star of the stage also appeared in dozens of films over his career, including 'The Preacher's Wife' (1996) and 'Waiting to Exhale' (1995). Sadly, Hines passed away in 2003 at the age of 57.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
FR36811 AP
BlackVoices.com
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 11, 1990
Human rights activist Nelson Mandela was released from prison after serving 27 years at the Robben Island penitentiary in South Africa for working to end the country's racist apartheid regime. Mandela became an international symbol of human rights during that time, and continues to fight for uplifting causes today.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 14, 1946
Actor, dancer, singer, choreographer and arts activist Gregory Hines was born in New York City. This Tony Award-winning star of the stage also appeared in dozens of films over his career, including 'The Preacher's Wife' (1996) and 'Waiting to Exhale' (1995). Sadly, Hines passed away in 2003 at the age of 57.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 9, 1944
Author, speaker, activist, feminist, womanist and poet Alice Walker was born in Eatonton, Georgia. Best known for her award-winning novel 'The Color Purple' (1982), Walker was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2006.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 13, 1920
Andrew "Rube" Foster (pictured here) became successful in organizing the first Negro baseball league, known as the Negro National League (NNL). Foster is credited as being the father of black baseball.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 8, 1944
According to the African American Registry: "On this date in 1944, Harry S. McAlpin was the first African American journalist admitted to a White House press conference. He was working for the National Negro Press Association and the Atlanta Daily World."
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 12, 1970
Joseph Searles became the first African American member admitted to the New York Stock Exchange, working as a floor partner with the firm Neburger, Loeb and Company.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 10, 1927
World-renowned soprano opera singer Leontyne Price was born Mary Violet Leontine Price in Laurel, Mississippi. Among her many achievements on the stage, Price's 1961 performance in Verdi's 'Il Trovatore' is remembered for the 41-minute ovation she received.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
February 14, 1991
The Super Soaker water gun was patented by scientist and inventor Lonnie G. Johnson (shown here). In addition to inventing this much-loved water gun, Johnson has worked with the US Air Force and NASA and holds over 80 patents.
This Week in Black History: February 8-14
Urban Prep also reminds me of the controversy surrounding the "Tiger Mom," Amy Chua, who believes in positioning your children for excellence. I am a huge fan of the Tiger Mom, and I believe we need a whole bunch of "Tiger Mamas" in the black community to push our children to reach their potential (our mothers are our first teachers, giving them the most important job in the world). Even those who have access to the best of American public education are falling far behind the rest of the world when it comes to their ability to compete in the 21st century. In that regard, Tim King's boys at Urban Prep are actually ahead of the curve, not just catching up.
What I also love about Urban Prep is that they are translating the excellence that black men show in athletics and transferring that to academic achievement. It takes far less effort and natural ability to become a heart surgeon than it does to become an NBA basketball player. By diversifying our paths toward professional and economic success, we are helping thousands of black men avoid the standard trappings of the typical inner city hoop dream. As I rally for educational equality and Kelley Williams-Bolar today with Rev. Al Sharpton, I think about how this city would have treated Kelley's kids differently if one of their names had been LeBron James. It's shameful that black kids are rewarded for being athletic, but punished for being intelligent.
We must all cheer for Urban Prep like they just won the Super Bowl. They should be given millions more dollars to pursue their objectives. Their educational model should be replicated in every city across America. They are showing us that black men are not destined for failure, fundamentally flawed or built for mediocrity. We truly embody excellence.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Monday, February 21st 2011 at 11:54PM
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