Does the BLACK COMMUNITY wait too late to promote college to its YOUTH?

I wonder what the "OTHER REASONS" would or could be???

All the choices in the poll to the left of this page are the reasons why. Every person is different, everyone has their own point of reference. I feel that the Black community does a fine job in promoting and encouraging young black children to continue their education. However, like most things in life, there is no limit to the improvements the community should be making. As statistics, facts, become more negative, they have a greater influence on the world's opinion of the Black community as a whole. It takes a village to raise a child because one person doesn't know everything and isn't perfect at everything; it takes everyone in the Black community to realize they have somewhat of an obligation to help out their fellow men and women, black first then on to others. In my opinion, our communities do not understand how vital they are to people my age. We as an entire people don't fully realize the implications of promoting continuous growth through a college education. Parents are getting younger, grandparents are raising their grandchildren, everyone is dying no matter what the age, so to me it's all about awareness. Making the entire Black community aware of it's effective power is one of the first steps in solving this issue. (wow that was long...great question! really got me thinking)

Jasmine U ARE AWESOME! U are on to something REALLY REALLY BIG!

QUOTE:"...so to me it's all about awareness. Making the entire Black community aware of it's effective power is one of the first steps in solving this issue. :

BAM!

Thanks. I just try to see the big picture.

Jasmine, what are your thoughts about this initiative?

http://www.hbcukids.com/WASSB.html

That's great! I like that a lot. That's a positive step towards making everyone aware of their effect.

Thanks Jasmine!

I don't like to make blanket statements about anything. Many children are unprpared for school... for many reasons. Perhaps the parent(s) did not value education and dropped out; has not reading skills and has no information about how to avail one's self of services offered by non profits and the state tho hep with obtaining a GED or enrolling in Head Start. Information is hard to come by for many in the isolated "inner city".
I watched television with my three children; pushed them in the directions in which they showed interest and made it clear that foregoing post high school education was not an option. Our kids have to know how to write their names, know their addresses and telephone numbers as well as their ABCs and be able to count at least to 20 to enter prekindergarten. They learned that school was not over at dismissal time.

Thanks Viola! Your points are EXCELLENT and I pray that other parents or concerned adults take notes of the tips!

Just want to clarify something. The point of asking people to respond to the poll and discussion is not to make blanket statements. The point is to apply focus and brain power in solving an obvious HUGE problem in the African Americna community that spins off to create even LARGER problems down the road.

This discussion seeks attention on SOLVING some of the root causes in our every day interactions with parents, children and educators.

Sisters, I totally agree with all of you. One thing about the black community, our ancestors have had experiences in their lives that should give us the fortitude to make our children and grandchildren's lives TWICE as better than the one they had. The black community should teach and encourage people on the importance of a good education (or trade) and how proper knowledge and understanding will ensure our success as a people.

QUOTE:"...The black community should teach and encourage people on the importance of a good education (or trade) and how proper knowledge and understanding will ensure our success as a people. "

AMEN! I keep hearing stories from my elders of how integrated schools "taught" their children that "Most of U are NOT COLLEGE MATERIAL!". They had to fight for many of their children to get into the correct preparatory programs. The residual effect seems at face value that a pipeline has been created of "ANTI-COLLEGE" mentality. Yet, from my experience, many of the COMPLEXITIES of today's socieiy require a skill set much greater than is experienced in high school.

I suggest that when U examine the fact that only 2% of the U.S. population is Black and college educated or above...THERE is a GREAT NEED FOR MORE vs. LESS focus and emphasis in going beyond high school in our community.

THAT'S TRUE!!!

I appreciate Siebra's mention of "a good education OR trade". In the cases where the black community does not fulfill it's role in promoting continual educational growth, WE still have the obligation to encourage young African Americans to be the best at whatever they do. I feel like like sometimes the community overlooks that part because we're so focused on "your ancestors died for you to have the opportunities you have" that we don't realize how we push away the youth who are not meant to be in colleges and universities. Members of the community often overlook a younger child who seems less than his peers and therefore miss their chance to encourage him to become the next president of America.

Exactly, that is very true!

NO WAY... Im already introducing my son to higher learning... on his days out of school ... I take him with me to my different classes at my university attend. Just last semester in Anatomy, I had an assignment and he wanted to help me... I encouraged him to draw ((I had to draw and label the parts of the bone)) and I took his drawings to my Anatomy Professor and asked him to check my son's drawing... The look on my child's face when I gave him his papers checked by a college professor was unspeakable... My professor understood the importance of nurturing a child's enthuasiam... And I thought that was awesome...

@ Clark: SO TRUE! I find so many kids still don't know how to write their names in kindergarten which of course puts them waaay behind their peers who are beginning to read words.

@ Cynthia: AWESOME! it will likely payoff big time! My mom took me to her classes when I was a toddler and I embraced that "campus" experience. I was pregnant with my oldest in classes and today she is a STRAIGHT A student and LOVES TO READ, ASK QUESTIONS AND WRITE HER OWN BOOKS!

@ ALL: We have to make it KEWL to be SMART at a YOUNG AGE. College is often a way to open the door of having MORE LIFE CHOICES. I have a cousin who has a cosmetology license and a MASTERS in COMPUTER SCIENCE. She is versatile to make a living AT ANY TIME of the day...IMHO. We should be able to WALK AND CHEW GUM at the same time...can't we?????

It is important to ask the young people what they learned in school every day. Inevitably the answer is, "nothing". Press them and they will tell you. I learned that they did not have geography and didn't know the seven continents. I taught them that information. They had a word a week on the refidgerator that they had to look up in a dictionary. We went to art museums; free jazz concerts in the park and black cultural events. There is always something that
widen our childrens' horizons. Slang and double negatives was fine for them to use with their friends but it was understood that they did not use it in the home. Blacks have always been bilingual until now.

So true Viola!

There was a 2 year old shown below who truly INSPIRED my own children to learn their continents-lol!

http://www.hbcukids.com/CPP8B.html

This is powerful! Everyone is making excellent points, that site is amazing!

Thanks Jasmine!

WE CAN DO THIS!

QUOTE:"... From my standpoint, our community is waaaay to relaxed about promoting education in general. We've by and large accepted this silly notion that its fine to forego academic excellence and instead focus energy on LUCK and "hustling."

@Michael: I don't think many here would dispute that we KNOW people who fit the description BUT I DO believe that it can change when WE WORK TOGETHER.

"When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion" Ethiopian Proverb

@ALL
I would like to extend a personal invitation to JOIN our mailing list at one or more groups:
www.Blackparentconnect.com
www.AchieversinTraining.com
www.WeALLstartsmall.cm
www.CottonPickinPaycheck.com

@Wesley Hagler: I think U are on to something REALLY REALLY BIG! I think it is BY DESIGN.

QUOTE:"...the solution I believe starts in the home..."

@Mezzle Edmondson-Ochoa: I totally agree. I think U too are on to something REALLY REALLY BIG. Some are fortunate to be influenced by caring outsiders to think bigger than what is being taught in the home. I once heard a father say about having encyclopedia in his home for his young son, "..Why the @#$)*@( would I want to have some @#()$*@) that I aint never read before? Hell NO! He aint gettin' @#)*$@)..."

Fact.

I am a staunch supporter of higher education, if we model for our children, expose our them to the values of hard work and the love of knowledge, surely they may gain. However, everyone is not meant to go to College. completion of primary education, earning a HS. Diploma is a must. But if my child shows skill in a trade then what can I say? someone has to do the labor... right?

@Cyn Bivens-I am a staunch believer that WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS. When only 2% of the people in the USA are BLACK WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE OR ABOVE, I think there is plenty of room and opportunity for EVERYONE to find his or her DREAM career choice.

If your child is a tradesman...may he or she be the BEST TRADESMAN in the world. If he or she is DESTINED to prepare for a career of which there is NOT A NAME YET...may he or she be the BEST PREPARED OPPORTUNITY SEEKER in the world.

The world is changing rapidly. More preparation should be better than less preparation...IMHO.

http://youtu.be/e9JJ_Luhvr4

I definitely agree that our youth aren't being educated enough to be able to utilize the available resources for achieving an education and ultimately improving their life. My business is Care Life and People: I created it on the basis of lack of informational resources for the upcoming generation- we fundraise for and implement community services that will regeneratively maximize student capabilities, influence, orientation and achievement! Everyone should definitely check out CareLifeandPeople.com or about.me/charlese.porter to see some of my solutions and actions currently being taken on this issue.