Mr. Isaac, like a brilliant lawyer, has skillfully placed the facts before the people to examine. Surely, teaching has its challenges as teachers earnestly try each day to engage students in a lesson. Our young audience today, unlike the audience of yesteryears, centuries ago, are bombarded with drama and glitzy presentations all day in the media which catch their attention. No longer can teachers present mealy-mouthed lessons and expect kids to stay tuned. "So let the rumpus begin!" (to quote Maurice Sendak,) as we use every visual and tactile and auditory device possible in the classroom. In fact, we are encouraged to bring the lesson to life because of the various learning modalities, learning styles, or multiple intelligences of our students.
The Cleveland Avenue bus, which Rosa Parks made famous in December of 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white man in Montgomery, AL. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Therefore, I re-enact Rosa Parks' bus ride scene with children each year. And the students remember years later. "What is the color of your money?" Even 5 year olds know that it's green as they finally get on board the bus and sing freedom songs. Yes, as teachers, we sing to and with our students, play chess with them and enjoy teaching and learning with them. Teaching is a lively art. "That's what we do!"
However, in my opinion, there are two things we don't do: We don't tread on the American Flag. And we don't threaten the President.
“The dream of a new and just American society must not die.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The historic march on Washington, D.C. took place on August 28, 1963. At that time Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had the support of labor unions, religious groups and “all people gallantly engaged in the struggle for freedom and dignity.” On March 14, 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became the first African American to receive the John Dewey Award of the United Federation of Teachers.
Albert Shanker, President of the United Federation of Teachers, presented this award to Dr. King for his outstanding contribution to the education of all Americans. The award citation recognized King’s belief that all students should have an equal opportunity to achieve success. It acknowledged King’s further understanding of the important role educators play in our society.
During King’s acceptance speech, he stressed the need for the passage of the Civil Rights Bill in the United States Senate. Dr. King felt this bill would help rid America of every vestige of segregation. He also stated that segregation was “a new form of slavery,” “a caste system.” King viewed segregation as socially and morally wrong and sinful.
“Segregation is not only sociologically untenable, segregation is politically and economically unsound,” said King. “Segregation is wrong, to use the words of the great Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber, because it substitutes an “I-it” relationship for an “I-thou” relationship. Segregation is wrong because it is nothing but a new form of slavery covered up with certain niceties of complexity.”
Dr. King urged all persons of good will to join the thousands of Americans who were “gallantly engaged in the struggle for freedom and human dignity.” He wanted to make the American dream a reality for all citizens. Nonviolent direct action would be the means to that end.
The Civil Rights Bill was passed in 1964. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
“The sudden and violent death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., places a serious and profound obligation on all Americans, black and white — an obligation to continue and broaden the now still efforts of Dr. King to build a society where racial justice and peace prevail,” said Shanker. “That dream of a new and just American Society is shared by million upon millions of Americans — and that dream will not die. We have been proud to walk with Dr. King in Mississippi and in Washington and to work with him in establishing freedom schools in the South. In this tragic hour, we rededicate ourselves for his cause.”
Today, ‘the sixties’ (1960-1969) are remembered as the turbulent decade in which five civil rights leaders were assassinated: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Martin L. King. The sixties are also remembered as the decade in which three courageous young civil rights workers, Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were murdered in Mississippi by the Klu Klux Klan: Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman were shot to death at point blank range and James Chaney was brutally beaten and shot three times in the face. All three bodies were buried in a dam until they were recovered by the FBI.
As we move through the 21st century, the dream of a new and just American society must not die because “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The dream of a new and just American society must not die because it is a dream based on the American dream of liberty and justice for all. The dream of a new and just American Society will not die because “the arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
“If a man is fortunate he will before he dies gather up as much as he can of his heritage and transmit it to his children. And in his final breath, he will be grateful for this inexhaustible legacy, knowing that is our nourishing mother and our lasting life.” — Will Durant
The African presence in Scarsdale is as old as the Village itself. We can start
with the West India Company's charter of Privilege and Exemption for the Patroons. In that document for the purpose encouraging agriculture, the company agreed to furnish colonist as many Africans as they conveniently could. And by 1712, eleven years after the formation of the Manor of Scarsdale, the inhabitants numbered only 12, of whom four were white, the remaining eight were enslaved Africans. Therefore, it’s not an anomaly to see that by 1915 seven houses were owned and occupied on Saxon Woods Road by African Americans.
Robert Purdy (1823-1890) and Lena Landrine Purdy (1813-1880) were African American residents and homeowners on Saxon Woods Road, in Scarsdale, New York. Donna Lockley is a descendant of Robert Purdy. It is interesting to note that as a great-great-granddaughter of Robert Purdy, she has traced the family history using maps, census records, archives and an oral history. Lockley has stated that Robert Purdy was a runaway slave from Louisiana. He was able to establish himself as a runaway on Saxon Woods Road, which is in Scarsdale, N.Y. Unlike the South, New York State abolished Slavery in 1827.
Lena Landrine, the wife of Robert Purdy, was a Native American. The Purdys traveled to Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, N.Y., which was a safe haven. Robert Purdy worked on local farms and purchased 12 acres of fine land for $270 from George A. Willets. There were other sellers of the additional acreage. However, there should be no confusion as to what the acreage was used for. These men were farmers and were practically 100 percent self-sufficient through growing vegetables, fruit, and raising many types of animals and fowl.
Lockey found the following information recorded in The Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880:
George J. Williets was the Enumerator in 1880. Robert Purdy was an owner of his property on Saxon Woods Road, Scarsdale, New York: “The Tilled including fallow and grass in rotation (whether pasture or meadow) (5)of farm including land, fences and buildings (1,000) dollars of farming implements and machinery (50 dollars)of Live Stock (80) dollars Estimated value of all farm productions (sold, consumed, or on hand for 1879) 400.00 dollars. Mown Acreage (3) not Mown (2) Altogether Robert had about 5 acres here Hay (6) TonsHorses of all ages on hand June 1, 1880 (1) Yea he had a horse Cows (1) Other (1) Claved dropped (1) Cattel of ages Purchased (2) Sold living (2) Butter made on the Farm (50 lbs) Swine on hand June 1, 1880 Number (1) Poultry on hand, June 1, 1880 exclusive of Spring Hatching barn yard (50) Eggs produced in 1879 were (175) Indian Corn 1879 Acres (1) Crop (Bush) 70 Irish Potatoes in 1879 he had 1/4 Acres of Crop (20) Apples 1/2Rearing trees 40Bushels (1879) 5 Total value of orchard products of all kinds sold or consumed dollars (2) Bees (1879) 20lbs.”
Robert Purdy was the only one reported during 1880 who sold 20 lbs. of honey who raised bees. One descendant remembers the deep, deep backyards at the homes of relatives during childhood visits. It is also interesting to note that these large individual parcels of land existed even after the annexation of acres Purdy land by Westchester County. Donna Lockley has the deed of this bill of sale as well as other family documents that tell the story of Purdy's journey from slavery to freedom.
Several houses were built on the Purdy Estate. This property has housed descendants of the Purdy family for generations. The Robert Purdy Homestead was at 307 Saxon Woods Road. This house was built for his wife, himself and family. When each of his daughters married, he gave them a piece of land for a house. In time all the houses were occupied by family members and remained so until the mid-20th century.
The Education of Purdy children was very important. “All of the children attended the Quaker Ridge School. It is important to note that by 1840 the Purdy family members were educated in a one-room Quaker school along with the neighboring white children,” said Robinette Purdy Allen Robinson.
One textbook attests to the academic rigor that is still important in Scarsdale schools today. Robinette Purdy Allen Robinson adds, “One book is named ‘Gill's Oxford & Cambridge Spelling’ and appears to have been used for Grades 2 - 5. Unfortunately, it is in very poor condition today and the first 3 pages are missing so I can't determine when it was published. By the handwriting on the inside cover and some pages, I'm guessing that Maude & Millie, the Peterson twins, ( grandchildren of the Purdys) shared this book and that they were quite young when they received it. The inside cover and the first remaining page (actually page 3) as well as some subsequent pages will give one an idea of the scope of learning in those days, from grades 2 thru 5 (?), starting with ‘phonics’ and going through Latin and Greek roots of words. Some French terms were also included. The book was 142 pages long and small in size, as one can see from the copies.” Certainly, this is a treasured remembrance.
In addition to Robert Purdy's early days as an entrepreneur, Robinette Purdy Allen Robinson, the great-great-granddaughter of Purdy, states the following:
“Robert Purdy is credited to being one of the founders of the A.M.E. Zion Church in Mamaroneck N.Y., which is now known as Barry Ave. A.M.E. Zion Church. The early services were held at his home on Saxon Woods Road as well as at the Cedar Street home (Mamaroneck) of Mrs. Dinah (Granny) Hicks. Mr. Purdy and 4 other trustees were instrumental in the purchase of the current church property, subsequently erected at its current location, 645 N. Barry Avenue, in 1903.”
Robert and Lena Purdy were buried in the African Cemetery in Rye, N.Y. The land for the cemetery was donated to the Town of Rye in 1860 by Underhill and Elizabeth Halstead with the condition that it “shall forever hereafter by kept, held and used for purpose of a cemetery or burial place for the colored inhabitants of the said Town of Rye and its vicinity, free and clear of any charge therefore...” This information was provided by the Rye Historical Society in conjunction with the African American Cemetery Project sponsored by Building Community Bridges Org. at the Memorial Day observance this year. Today the African Cemetery, North St., Rye is a National Historic Place and Westchester County Tricentennial Historic Site.
A reunion of close to 100 descendants of Robert Purdy took place in August 2012. This coincided with the 160th Anniversary of the Barry Avenue A. M. E. Zion Church in Mamaroneck. Thus, the legacy of Robert Purdy is now unrolled for understanding. It is the legacy of family unity; the legacy of self-determination and education; a legacy of responsibility and integrity. And finally, it is a legacy of faith. Faith in one God. The Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. The God that reveals a way, when there is often no way.
Special Acknowledgment:
Donna Marie Lockley and Robinette Purdy Allen Robinson, who are the direct descendants of Robert Purdy.
Photo of the 1850 Purdy Estate in Scarsdale, N.Y., researched by Donna Lockley.
In 1988 Chancellor Richard Greene asked the following rhetorical question: Can New York City, a World City, live up to the test of valuing diversity? At this time in history Greene was being installed as the new chancellor. On March 3, 1988, he was challenging the stakeholders to build a quality of life that placed trust and caring at the apex of our human relationships. He envisioned all people as worthy and entitled to share in the American experience. What he felt was essential was for our city to “reject illiteracy as a norm in some of our communities and move toward a quality of life which is the very foundation of an educated society.”
Unfortunately, we have not reached this goal. The reports, surveys and statistics show how much further we must go if equity and access to a basic education is possible for all.
Richard Greene pointed to the fact that New York City had a long legacy — not just as a city, but as a “world city” — educating its immigrant population. He pointed out how the world of these immigrants changed. Similarly, he felt there should be an investment in all children because their diverse origins were essential to the future of our nation.
Greene cautioned against pointing the finger of accusation and any one culprit for the problems when he said, “We, the collective we, can say that we rose to the test by making our society better for all students. Our greatness as a school system and as a city will ultimately be judged by how we treat the least of those among us. Education is everybody’s business. We must believe that we can reform, reinforce and save our schools and ultimately celebrate as a renaissance in learning and achievement.”
Today, the challenge remains. And the facts elicited from 1988 seem to almost mirror what is still happening today. “Can we continue to ignore the facts that Latino students are more that 34 percent less likely than the general school population to graduate from high school in New York; the actual number of high school diplomas have declined even though the high school population has remained the same; the dropout rate for black youngsters is at an all time high; and some of our buildings are in a condition not acceptable for any children?” questioned Greene.
Certainly as indicated by the DOE, “choice-based system may be leading to an over-concentration of students with disabilities, English language learners and/or students that are performing below proficiency in certain schools.” And as stated by Jackie Bennett In Power Speaks Truth:
“What with complex, market-driven enrollment policies on the one hand (which favor the families best equipped to negotiate the system), and high-stakes accountability systems on the other (which reward schools that teach fewer at-risk kids), students have been disenfranchised by Bloomberg’s policies.”
Now it is our turn, we, the collective we, will have to fix it. And if Richard Greenie were here today he would add the following: “In the final analysis, we must remember that we will be judged by only one standard — the extent to which we have improved achievement scores for all students.”
To this end, I feel we must collaborate, negotiate, and renegotiate. It’s all hands on deck. The time is now!
“History is not everything” John Henrik Clarke once wrote, “but it is the starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be.”
As educators we know what must happen to change history. And one by one we try in our classrooms. However, the failure of local and state governments to provide funding to economically poor citizens will compromise our efforts and the future of this great nation. “Recently, more economists are drawing the conclusions that a good education is one of the gateways to wealth creation for individuals as well as for nations,” writes Education Trust. Yet, benign neglect seems to be the mantra of many in political office who turn their backs on the ones who need quality education the most.
If the Governor balances the budgets on the backs of our needy students, freezing funding to inner city schools, our New York State and New York City Legislators cannot do enough to ensure that adequate funding to NYC Public Schools becomes a day to day reality in our public schools. And as educators, we know that the resources needed to implement new programs designed by the city are already inadequate. Thus, we should not be surprised to learn that “New York also stands out for neglecting to fairly fund poor and minority school districts. In 2005 we learned that New York was spending $2,280 less per student in its poorest districts than it was spending on students educated in its wealthiest school districts. Even after New York was ordered to deal with these funding gaps, policy makers have failed to take action.” (Education Trust Report 2005)
Educators are aware that economic poverty does not have to mean intellectual poverty. There are gifted and talented students among the economically poor and minority students. Therefore, many resourceful educators continue to teach without adequate funding. They use their own personal resources to compensate this deficit in spending. And these truly dedicated educators have seen miracles happen daily for years as their students’ dreams are realized. Fortunately, this is not a new phenomenon throughout the nation. Good teachers have always made a difference in the lives of their students. Case in point:
Directly after the Emancipation Proclamation “the exceptionally gifted rose above the staggering obstacle of quasi-freedom,” said Martin Luther King at the UFT Spring Conference in 1964. “It is precisely because education is a road to equality and citizenship that it has been made more elusive for Negroes than many other rights. The warding off of Negroes from equal education is part of the historical design to submerge him in second-class status.” And today we can see this happening as the rich-poor gap is allowed to widen in NYC, New Orleans, Alabama, Mississippi, and even Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital.
King reminded UFTers in 1964 that: “education for all Americans, white and black, has always been inadequate. The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige their work justifies.” Therefore, when we read the report “Rich-Poor Gap Widens not only for individuals but for schools in general,” we cannot be surprised.
Yes, history is a clock. It tells us where we are, but more importantly, what we must be. If we are a union of professionals, we must continue to fight for equity for all. We must press on to City Hall, Albany and Washington, D.C. in a quest to secure public schools that reflect a democratic nation. Because the children are waiting. They are waiting for a chance to be the best that they can be, and a good education combined with an ethic of hard work are the keys to their quest.
The closing of the Hoe Avenue Tennis Center in 1994 placed the South Bronx community at a disadvantage. This once bustling hub of hope offered kids a chance to "Get into the Game." From 1994 to 2009, the courts were closed and littered with debris.
As a teacher in this community, I witnessed the value of tennis for the students of P.S. 75X. In former years the students participated in rallies and tournaments. They received prizes and awards as well as a sense of pride in knowing they could compete and win. The Hoe Avenue Tennis Center served as an inspiration for me to bring free tennis to minority children in White Plains, NY in 1994 through the present. And with the support of the Eastern United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the White Plains Parks and Recreation Department, this dream was realized.
In 1998, we were pleased to learn that Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. was able to secure funding for the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) to repair the Hoe Avenue Tennis Courts. These courts served as a beacon of hope for youngsters in a troubled and economically depressed neighborhood. However, we later learned that Governor George Pataki's line-item veto power eliminated these funds.
As an educator and taxpayer, I wrote to Governor Pataki and asked him to kindly restore these funds. The students of P.S. 75X were urgently in need of a recreational facility which was adequately maintained. The cracks and potholes on the courts jeopardized the safety and well-being of our students.
In addition to the aforementioned, there were other concerns: the vetoed budget measures eroded Teacher Support Aid, construction aid, new teacher mentoring, and teacher centers. For the safety of our students, I urged Governor Pataki to work with the legislature (before the session ended) to fully fund these important initiatives. For years, nothing seemed to happen.
Immediately after the tennis courts were closed, Larry Hartfield, United States Professional Tennis Registry pro, visited P.S. 75X and stressed the need for the kids to stay in school. He recounted the benefits of the game of tennis as well as the benefits of physical and academic fitness. Unfortunately, there are no operating Junior Tennis League programs in the school community which will ensure minority participation. This places our students at a disadvantage. First, our students will lose out on a source of recreation their peers receive nationwide. Second, they will lose out on thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes. Finally, they will not be able to compete on any level of the game.
The NYC Board of Education mandates approximately 220 minutes of physical education per week for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. It has to be built into the school program. Certainly, this would forestall some of the childhood obesity ills of the 21st century. Children need a more rigorous academic program as well as a rigorous physical education program. Our students need to see the outdoors and play in the free fresh air as much as possible.
Today, after years of waiting for funding, there are playgrounds on this site. However, the Hoe Avenue Center is still sorely missed. In the 1992 Pyramid of NYJTL Programs, Hoe Ave Tennis Center and Mullaly Park served 1,700 children (a part of the new Yankee Stadium was built on the Mullaly site). The NYJTL provided a total of $903,720 in scholarships borough-wide.
Working in the South Bronx affords one with many opportunities to affect change with kids in tow. This is one of many projects that children were involved in with civic leaders. Writing letters to legislators is one facet of the endless equation for change. Hence, whether one wants to change the school landscape or school environment, it is necessary to write to the mayor of the city of New York as well as the representatives in Albany. We wrote to Ruben Diaz Jr. from 1997-2009. He responds on many levels.
I have found that the power of the pen and perseverance always outweighs the act of doing nothing. Because doing nothing is doing something that hurts communities and kids.
The bell now tolls for all concerned individuals to assist the community in an effort to provide safe recreation havens for our youth in the South Bronx today...because the children are waiting.
"A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background are united in a given culture or religion live as a group, voluntarily or involuntarily, in milder or stricter seclusion. The word historically referred specifically to the Venetian Ghetto in Venice, Italy, where Jews were required to live. It was later applied to neighborhoods in other cities where Jews were required to live. The corresponding German term was Judengasse; in Moroccan Arabic ghettos were called mellah. The term came into popular, world-wide use during World War 2, in reference to Nazi ghettos. The term now commonly labels any poverty-stricken urban area.”
In 1972 I wrote about Harlem for an urban anthropology class. I described the visible and subliminal impressions that remained within ones total body of experiences. I described these experiences as being both real and personal as well as vicarious and impersonal. Thus these experiences seemed to cloud ones objectivity as a barrage of responses were triggered through various word clues. i.e. June 19, 1964: Riverton Apartments, and the Lincoln playground, bongo lullabies, and helmeted police responding to a riot on 125th Street.
We can read a lot while we are in Harlem (I wrote). There are murals to read. They have been executed by the captives in the ghetto who remain on this reservation of timelessness. They remain plastered against the muted browns and grays of old tenements in a collage that could be entitled “Despair.” The painting depicts all of the manifestations of poverty, alienation and racism in our society. It personifies the endurance of racial bias in the country as well. The invisible impressions, created by a stagnancy that grew out of abandoned buildings, uncollected garbage and the purposeful neglect of an entire race. These conditions provide messages as well. This stagnancy prevails throughout the confines of Harlem as refuse seems to bury the ladder of economic mobility which lies somewhere horizontally at the base of its ghetto walls. And the stench from this smoldering decay permeates the air … stifling young hopes and dreams. Such a stagnancy is allowed to exist in a nation where such basic rights as “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are theorized for all. Yet, whether these principles, upon which our country stands become a reality for “all” depends on our nation's ability to allow black Americans to make the transition from alien to full citizen.
Ghettos exist today as positive and viable forces in society but they are ghettos of economic and intellectual sameness. But a ghetto-slum can only serve as a permanent blight on the America conscience.
"Happy Fifth of July, New York!" by Louise Mirrer, James Oliver Horton and Richard Rabinowitz provided a historical perspective on slavery in the North and South and its present-day implications. This team of historians/writers worked on the much-heralded exhibition about slavery at the New-York Historical Society. And with all of the work of Historic Hudson Valley, The African Burial Ground Project, and St. Paul's Church, we are approaching some clarity "on the role our city and state played in the institution of slavery." (see Mirrer et al.)
Certainly, Daniel D. Tompkins should be the most honored and celebrated Scarsdalian in New York State History. In 1817 Thompkins made a recommendation to the Legislature for an abolition of domestic slavery in the state.
"This act, if passed, would take effect on July 4, 1827. In accordance with his proposition the Legislature passed an act on the 31st of March 1817, and at the prescribed time slavery was ripped off the statue books of the state of New York." (Shonnard)
NB "Emancipation Day in New York: July 4, 1827, Enslaved adult men and women were set free. The children of the same were bound to serve a 25- to 27-year indentured term to their former enslavers." Dr. Sherrill D.Wilson See UPDATE Vol. 2 No. 5 December 1997 Newsletter of the African Burial Ground & Five Points Archaeological Projects
It is interesting to note that Tompkins was Vice President of the United States from 1817-1825 and founder of the NY State Historical society. The Extract from an adder on the Life and Service of Governor Thompkins by the Honorable Hugh Hastings, historian of the State of New York reads as follows:
"Of all the able men who have occupied the chair of governor of New York State, none ever sustained the onerous and overwhelming responsibilities with more conscientiousness, or guarded the destinies of his state and his people with more fidelity. He was more than a great man, he was a great patriot, a great martyr. He gave his services, his fortune, his reputation, and his life, that his country should maintain its position amongst the nations of the earth, and for the transcendent results he achieved, he deserves the imperishable gratitude of this country. Amen."
I began researching the early African presence in Scarsdale, New York in 1999. It really was one of the best places to start. The African presence in Scarsdale is as old as the village itself. If we look to the past to better understand the present and inform the future, we will find the vestiges of an almost forgotten people in historical texts that proliferate the library shelves. We will also find the skeletal remains of our African ancestors in cemeteries and landscapes throughout Westchester Country. Thus, history unfolds.
On May 5, 2007 Congressman Charles B. Rangel, as the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, made a guest appearance at the Annual UFT Spring Conference. On this momentous occasion, the seated UFT President Randi Weingarten described Rangel as the most important person in Washington, D.C. because as she explained, “All financial appropriations must go through the Ways and Means Committee.” Congressman Rangel was not a stranger to members of the United Federation of Teachers.
His concern for the children and educators has been made evident over the years. “This will be the year of the child and the teacher,” Rangel stated as he began his speech. Surely, his philosophy would go a long way, if he could get all members of Congress to see that it is imperative for education to become a priority in our nation. His sentiments echoed the words of Martin Luther King, who hearkened the quest for a decent education as literally a question of life or death for the poor. King foretold of how the poor were not threatened merely by the inconvenience of a lack of education, but by the threat that they would become economically and socially useless in a society requiring high standards of knowledge. Congressman Rangel’s view of poverty as a threat to our nation’s national security was accurate when he said the following: “A strong workforce is a healthy workforce!” And Rangel proposed that our rich nation invest in its greatest natural resource, the mind and spirit of its people. “It is our government which must provide a life education for its people: Cultivate the mind!”
Rangel stressed the need for jobs for Americans as he noted the fact that our scientists and engineers are recruited from India. Yet, our country does not provide any financial incentives to develop American students who can fill the voids in science, engineering and medicine. Conversely, $20,000 to $40,000 incentives are available to put our youth in harms way as the recruitment of young men and women takes place in the inner cities and towns around the country, which have the highest rates of unemployment. Rangel reported the fact that this recruitment from 40,000 recruiting stations has left a toll of 3,500 troops killed in battle and 25,000 troops have returned with lost faces and skulls as well as mental and emotional scars.
Congressman Rangel further cautioned against allowing the streets to education our youth. Rangel called for government incentives to develop youth and not give up on those who have fallen. He reminded us of the 2 million children who are “locked up” and the high cost of incarceration of these children — the incarceration that costs the taxpayer approximately $100,000 a year for a youth offender on Rikers Island. Today, Rangel advocates for more resources in the schools as well as different resources for the myriad problems which the students have to face. “If we can spend $10 billion on an unnecessary war, we can feed the minds of our kids,” Rangel said.” We cannot survive by losing one half of the brain power.”
It was 50 years ago that Martin Luther King addressed the UFT. At that time he said the following: “The richest nation on earth has never allocated enough of its abundant resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige their work justifies. We squander funds on highways and the frenetic pursuit of recreation, on the over abundance of overkill armaments, but we pauperize education.” Surely, Rangel has an awesome task ahead. He is in the position of power in a place where he can affect change: Our Nation’s Capital. With Rangel, a well-seasoned public servant who has remained on the front line on many battles from 1948 to the present, we can be assured that the future of this nation is in good hands.
“As educational administrators have increasingly introduced police officers into schools, the result has been the blurring of lines of legal and moral questioning of students by police.” —The Washington Post
According to the ACLU, “The ‘school-to-prison pipeline’ describes an alarming trend wherein public elementary, middle and high schools are pushing youth out of classrooms and into the juvenile justice and criminal justice system. Under the banner of ‘zero tolerance,’ schools increasingly are relying on inappropriately harsh discipline and, increasingly, law enforcement, to address trivial schoolyard offenses among even the youngest students.” Youngsters are making the headlines as they are taken away in handcuffs. Some of them are as young as 5 years old.
“Defining and Redirecting a School-to-Prison Pipeline,” by Johanna Wald and Daniel Losen, also tells this sorrowful tale of woe. And if we look carefully, we can better understand what is happening in the inner city schools of America. They write: “With a zero-tolerance approach to wrongdoing, an increase in the presence of police in schools, the use of metal detectors and search-and-seizure procedures in schools, and the enactment of new state laws mandating referral of children to law enforcement authorities for a variety of school code violations,” it is evident that the school-to-prison pipeline will become the norm as the prisons, and not colleges, are filled with inner-city kids. Furthermore, “new statutes mandating referral to law enforcement for school code violations are disproportionately affecting minority children and may be unnecessarily pushing them into the criminal justice system.”
The prisons have become a burgeoning business for many rural communities. “There are currently two million Americans in prison — 25 percent of the world’s prison population. In the US, it costs $56 billion a year to maintain our nation’s prisons, and an additional $2.6 billion is poured into building new ones annually. Therefore, the Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) are calling for designers to stop investing our national economic and social resources in the construction and renovation of prisons,” announced ADPSR in January of 2006. The question remains: do our students shed their rights at the schoolhouse gates? The 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides protection against compelled self-incrimination. The Miranda Law is an extension of our 5th Amendment. This became evident in the Supreme Court ruling in a case J.B.D. v. North Carolina. This decision prevents the questioning or interviewing of juveniles by police in schools without warning them of their right not to talk and their right to have a lawyer, parent or guardian present.
Miranda Rights:
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?
Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Anthony Kennedy explained that the pressure of a custodial interrogation is “so immense that it can induce a frighteningly high percentage of people to confess to crimes they never committed,” and referred to studies showing that youngsters are particularly susceptible to such pressure. Therefore, she explains, “a reasonable child subjected to police questioning will sometimes feel pressured to submit when a reasonable adult would feel free to go,” and that — empathy alert! — “such conclusions apply broadly to children as a class. And, they are self-evident to anyone who was a child once himself, including any police officer or judge.” —Dahlia Lithwick, “Read Me a Story and My
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” —Frederick Douglass speech, April 1886.
Building prisons is not the answer. Nor is policing our schools the answer. We must make education a priority by providing the necessary educational resources and resource personnel in our schools. We must create an educational pipeline to a secure brighter future for all students. There must be an IEP from Pre K to B.A. for our students in a non-toxic school environment. Our goals must be set high so at least there is a positive effort in the right direction to program students for success. If our students are the future citizens of this nation, we must be prepared to educate them and not incarcerate them. As educators we must “Invest in a human soul, who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.” —Mary McLeod Bethune.
Sometimes I contemplate if folks truly take time to compose something original, or are they only just dishing out words to fill a site. This surely doesn't fit that mold. Thank you for taking the time...
Feelings or intentions are not the same thing as actions, nor do they necessarily lead to actions. From the description here, Ricky has not yet grown enough as a person to be able to translate his fee...
Phyllis C. Murray nee( Young ) was born in Farmville, Virginia. She is a teacher, writer, and UFT Chapter Leader. Her essay "The protest that helped spark a revolution" was published and distributed widely by NYSUT to mark the 50th anniversary of Brown v Board...Read More
are united in a given culture or religion live as a group, voluntarily or involuntarily, in milder or stricter seclusion. The word historically referred specifically to the Venetian Ghetto in Venice, Italy, where Jews were required to live. It was later applied to neighborhoods in other cities where Jews were required to live. The corresponding German term was Judengasse; in Moroccan Arabic ghettos were called mellah. The term came into popular, world-wide use during World War 2, in reference to Nazi ghettos. The term now commonly labels any poverty-stricken urban area.” 
Paraprofessionals: The Untapped Classroom Resource