And there were lights

  

I’m thankful, Lord, that all the darkness in the world has never put out Thy light.-Unknown 

The year 2008 has an extra day called Leap Day (February 29).  In Tampa, where I raised a family, the city’s Black History Committee used that evening in part to honor Twenty Points of Light.  Sierra attended on my behalf while I was witnessing the lights being held up by 21^st Century Yale graduates in the Greater Houston Area.

Café Charisma is the brainchild of Dexter Upshaw, Jr., Yale ’06.  Koinonia (Kim) and Jesse Givens III are 2001 Yale graduates.  They established Not Just Ministries, Inc. in order for others to multiply their talents in service to minority and underrepresented communities.  Not Just Ministries supported, guided, and entrusted Dexter in coordinating and executing this inaugural Café Charisma.  In Dexter’s words, “It’s not just fellowship…it’s Kingdom!”

 

As I experienced the evening unfolding, I saw the light that the Givens are holding up for believers in the Greater Houston Area.  I also witnessed the enthusiastic support they received from their home church family.  Using my cellphone camera, I took two primitive pictures.  The message for me is clear:  “And there were lights.”  Kim and Jesse explain the dreams of Not Just Ministries.  Dexter and Lindsey Upshaw (Yale ’04) in a profile shot.

 

Our board and advisory council held a teleconference earlier in the week.  I don’t know how many such conferences were occurring throughout Cyberspace that Tuesday evening.  I just know that Not Just Ministries is an excellent example of what I live for:  To see young people committed to their faith using their highly developed critical thinking skills to bring the light of hope to others.

http://www.notjustfellowship.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=91

This is the link to more information about Cafe Charisma and Not Just Ministries

Now that the door is closing

Higher Education on the Brink Final Draft This ENLACE report alerts legislators in Florida of potential (real) impacts on college access for students seeking admissions to the state’s public universities. 

This is a good time for community leaders to watch out for and guide students who have the academic potential to prepare for college success.  This is a great time at the local level for this type of affirmative action—and strategic leadership—now that the door to higher education opportunities at state universities is closing.

A relatively small pool of black students who live in key urban zip codes still may benefit from the limited enrollment opportunities in the years ahead.  For them to do so, though, it will take some hard work on their part and on the part of those who serve as advocates for them.

In zip code 33610 for example, there are over 60 black, faith-based organizations.  Hard work may result in 10 black females and 10 black males from the zip code receiving acceptance letters from state universities each year.

Vigilance is key.  Nothing states that the local public education system has to produce this outcome.  Nothing states that local churches will go out of business if the zip code does not produce 20 competitive applicants for state universities each year.  The systems in place can still blame students, parents, schools—and legislators—for not producing this outcome.

Perhaps future ENLACE and other reports will highlight affirmative actions taken by community leaders to help minority students gain access to the dwindling number of seats available at state universities.

NAACP Meeting With Superintendent

Pat, 

When you and the organization’s president meet with the superintendent on Friday, please give her a copy of the Thursday, January 24, 2008, St. Petersburg’s Times article, http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/24/State/Students_to_feel_crun.shtml “Students to feel crunch.”  At the bottom of the article is data from the Florida Board of Governors, the organization that provides oversight for the State University System.  The last group of figures show enrollment for the system from 1997 through 2006.   

Click here for  a Word document showing the number of blacks who received bachelor’s degrees from Florida’s public universities during the same time period.  Briefly, less than 2,000 black males and less than 4,000 black females receive bachelor’s degrees annually from a system that has an enrollment approaching 300,000 college undergrad and graduate students.  (Anyone want to guess how many black males from zip code 33610 are among the total students enrolled at USF?  Does 27, including 4 freshmen, sound about right?) 

There may be something that the NAACP and the nation’s eighth largest school district can do together to raise the volume on community-based discussions and ACTIONS related to getting students prepared for college.  The gist of the Times article is that the wide-open access gates to state universities are about to close! 

Article excerpt:  “Better to give a high-quality education to fewer students than a mediocre degree to the masses, they say.  The proposal to be considered today would direct all 11 universities to “align” their enrollment with the money available, even if it means admitting significantly fewer students starting this fall and laying off faculty members in the months to come.  ”My hope would be that we tie enrollment to the funding available,” said Roberts. “Because the reality is, if you admit students who don’t get a quality education when they attend, you’ve done them a disservice. You cannot keep growing enrollment to the detriment of the students.”   

In His Service,

Jason

Affirmative Action and the PSAT

We are a proud people.  When we screw up royally we are big enough to admit it and take affirmative action to fix it.

Long ago (in the 1960’s and 1970’s), affirmative action was a primary tool available to help black people access America’s unlimited opportunities.   By the 21^st century, commentaries about affirmative action have little value.  We expect those who wish to access America’s unlimited opportunities to do the hard work and make the relationships with those who can help us “live our dreams.”

A PSAT Freebie The School Board of Hillsborough County pays for high school freshmen to have access to the PSAT for free in October.  The State of Florida pays for all high school sophomores to take the same test for free as well.  The College Board gets $12 for each student taking the test.  The PSAT Score Report can give an indication of how well a student is doing towards developing the critical reading, math, and writing skills required for college access and success.

Officials at most if not all high schools arrange a time to distribute the PSAT Score Report to parents and students in January. These officials can explain what the information in the report means.  With this and other information provided during the sessions, a “go-to-college wannabe” can get a clearer picture of the preparation required to get there.  There are educators present during these sessions who have a sign on their foreheads, “Establish relationships with us and we will help you get there.”

 It will take a new brand of affirmative action on the part of leaders in the black community to guide parents and students toward these resources.  Marching and singing in January and February are great.  But will “marching and singing” result in parents and students sitting down with educators to discuss the PSAT Score Report?  Until it does, the College Board and its associates will be marching and singing …all the way to the bank! 

In His Service,

Jason

Superintendent’s Bonus and Minority Academic Achievement

Thanks for sharing Marilyn Brown’s article about superintendent’s bonus with those on your email list.  I attended the School Board meeting on Dr. King’s birthday (January 15).  It is a small thing–but significant to me–that three others who have an interest in promoting academic excellence in zip code 33610 sat through most of the four-plus hour meeting with me.  There are 20 more scheduled School Board meetings this calendar year (2008 School Board Scheduled Meetings).  I suspect that there will be a number of other articles in the press again this year that make us wonder “How did our children get left behind while others reap the benefits generated by Title I and other funding provided to educate low-income, minority, and, indeed, black children in key urban zip codes?”  Maybe we can get the Florida Sentinel to publish numbers of folks from our community who attend each of the remaining 2008 School Board meetings and write an editorial in early 2009 about the impact our presence has on the bonus the superintendent receives next year.  More importantly, the editorial might highlight some of the exceptional academic opportunities available in all public schools that the black community helped guide parents and students toward.

In His Service,

Jason

School Chief Earns $37,620 In Bonuses

By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa TribunePublished: January 15, 2008 TAMPA – Hillsborough Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia will make $290,518 this year after adding a bonus for improved student performance during 2006-07. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan/15/me-school-chief-earns-37620-in-bonuses/?news-metro

1975 Plus 33 Years

The Sunday, January 13 Washington Post included a feature on US Army Lieutenant General Lloyd J. Austin III http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/12/AR2008011202394.html?referrer=emailarticle. 

General Austin graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point in 1975, the same year that I graduated from the University of Notre Dame.  Edward Maney, a high school classmate of mine from Sam Houston High in San Antonio graduated with General Austin from West Point. 

Edward eventually became an Army chaplain.  His last assignment was as chief of chaplains at Fort Sam Houston were he oversaw the ministry serving servicemembers recovering from Iraqi and Afghanistan war injuries at Brooke Army Medical Center in our hometown.  He now leads a Baptist congregation in the zip code (78220) where I grew up. 

General Austin “stayed the course.”  As I read the Washington Post feature, I realized that the story has some lessons for others.  Before General Austin entered West Point as a plebe, folks in the black community were talking about racism, civil rights, and what is wrong with America.  Thirty-three years later, those same discussions continue. 

I do not have exact data, but the Army commissioned less than 250 Regular Army Infantry second lieutenants in 1975.  It established a roadmap, expecting some of us would journey along a challenging path.  A few would eventually become generals, prepared and qualified to respond to the national security challenges of the early 21^st century.  Lloyd is about to assume the day-to-day oversight of US military operations in Iraq.

General David Petreaus, commander of US Forces Iraq, had to approve Lloyd’s assignment as his deputy commander.  David graduated a year before Lloyd from West Point.  He and I served together in our first Army assignments in Vicenza, Italy.  Over the years, both David and Lloyd remained on a path preparing them for their current challenges.  Each had mentors along the way investing their time, talents, and skills. 

Thomasville, Georgia where Lloyd spent his high school years is 133 miles from Chauncey, Georgia where my late father grew up and where our family still holds reunions on Thanksgiving Day.  We can be thankful to live in a country where mentors mold black males “from the sticks (country)” to go on to make significant contributions to the nation.

Perhaps we can put a check in this “I Have a Dream” box in celebration of Dr. King’s birthday!