Why is race in the title? Why can’t it just be "All Kids Read"?

We received these questions posted as a comment on the Black Kids Read Facebook page. This blog entry is written as an open message to the poster, Tiffany Ellington, and also to like-minded people.

Tiffany, your questions are good ones, unfortunately you are asking the wrong people. You should ask the publishers at Simon & Schuster why they do not publish more books that feature Black children and families as protagonists. Ask the publishers at Random House why they don’t have more African American authors and illustrators among their list of published authors. Ask the publishers at HarperCollins why only 3% of the books published in 2013 were about Black people. Ask the people at Scholastic why of the few books they do publish, which feature Black people, they give us self-hating and false images of Blacks as happy slaves.

Black people have for centuries, shamelessly begged white people for decent treatment: to not be enslaved, to not be murdered by police, to not be miseducated, to not have our image desecrated, and yes to not be ignored in children’s books. Unfortunately, all the available evidence shows that white people are either unable or unwilling to treat us with the requested decency.

So here we are. I am working peaceably at home; minding my own business; and trying to produce good quality books for Black children. Then you come along trolling my page harassing me. Tiffany, I have a question for you. Why do you hate Black people? Why does it bother you that we want to have something nice for ourselves? If you don’t hate Black people, then show us by your actions. Here are three things that you can do.

1. Purchase 10 copies of Black Kids Read books and mail one book to each of ten elementary schools in your local area with a letter demanding that they make these books and others like them available to their students.
2. Get 10 friends to commit to doing the same.
3. Identify 10 independent African American authors or illustrators and thank them for committing themselves to the task of providing high quality books to Black children.

And as always... Have Fun!

Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also a member of the (ES)² Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

Why Black Lives Don't Matter: The Case of Education

My Friend Andrew[1]
Andrew sat morosely, staring blankly at the dingy white wall in front of him. He was one of a dozen children in the GLC room. They were wholly isolated from one another. They were not permitted to speak or even to look at one another. Each sat apart from the rest, with his back turned to the others.

GLC is an acronym for Guided Learning Center. However, it is more a place for behavior modification and for punishment than for learning. It is in essence an elementary school jail where insolent elementary grade students are sent to atone for their defiance. You see, Andrew is a third grader, and today is the third time he’s been sent to “the hole” in the past two weeks. He will spend the balance of the school day intermittently completing worksheets and being scolded if he turns away from the direction of the dismal wall.
 
It might surprise many to know that Andrew is not the hard case that his GLC record portrays him to be. In fact, the infraction that landed him in the hole today was “Failure to Complete Assignment.” Yes. You read that correctly. Andrew was instructed to “write a paragraph,” which was defined by his teacher as “five to six sentences.” Andrew understood this to mean five lines of text, which in his assignment actually made up only four sentences. For many children this would be a great teachable moment. But not for Andrew. This error was characterized as “defiance” by the school’s principal. A previous infraction was “Failure to Secure a Signature” on a notice sent home to parents. As it turns out, Andrew’s mother was traveling. Not to worry. Andrew will pay the price for his mother’s “negligence.” Andrew’s teachers and administrators have been callous in mislabeling him. They have been excessive in punishing him, and it is they who have been defiant in refusing to acknowledge the possibility that their system might be a disservice to children like Andrew. It is clear to me that in the eyes of this school staff… Black Lives Do Not Matter.

I learned of these events as they were happening. Andrew’s mother is herself a former teacher, a well-respected educator, and a leader in her local community. She began advocating publicly for Andrew when it was clear that the school had no interest in treating him with fairness and dignity. Her initial response was to approach Andrew’s teacher directly. She wanted to make it clear to this teacher that she was an involved and concerned parent. She also sought to better understand the reason that her son was so frequently sentenced to GLC. Andrew’s teacher is a young, white female, less than two years removed from a college classroom, and supremely confident in her decisions to remand Black and Latino children to GLC. Andrew’s mother made little progress with this teacher.

Her subsequent response was to approach the administrator at Andrew’s school. She worked to impress upon him that the punishment being meted out to students was out of proportion to their supposed “offenses.” She questioned the wisdom of a school policy that would interpret a child’s learning process as an act of defiance. This administrator was recalcitrant. As the sole author of this school policy, he was unwilling to have it questioned. 

With the support of friends, family and her professional colleagues, Andrew’s mother took her crusade to the district superintendent, to the school board, to parents of other children at the school, and ultimately to the local community. Having failed to receive a satisfactory remedy at any of these levels, Andrew’s mother withdrew her son from this school system and began homeschooling. Andrew’s mother demonstrated by her involvement, her advocacy and her sacrifice, that in her eyes… Black Lives Matter.

An Empty Slogan
Andrew’s experience is the experience of hundreds of thousands of Black children throughout this country, and it stands as a shining example of the hypocrisy of the #BlackLivesMatter slogan.

Consider the chain of events. Each day, under the pretext of schooling, hundreds of thousands of Black children are subjected to the abuses of uncaring adults and the harassment of maniacal children. A spate of research studies on disparity in school discipline bears this out. Nationally, one in four (25%) African American secondary school students was suspended at least once during the 2009-2010 school year[2]. In fact, Black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students[3]. Although school leaders often point to a host of pathologies to explain the excessive discipline of Black children, the reality is that Black children are punished for “less serious and more subjective reasons.” Students who have been suspended even once by ninth grade are twice as likely to drop out of high school. Estimates are that only 59% of Black males graduated from high school with their cohort in 2013[4]. Over 70% of African Americans who drop out of high school are unable to secure stable employment[5].

The Difference
It is not my intent to insinuate that there are no people of African descent to whom Black lives matter. I do, however, want to distinguish the majority of us from the minority of us. There is a decided minority who, like Andrew’s mother, demonstrate by their actions that Black Lives Matter. For this minority, #BlackLivesMatter is not a slogan. It is a realization and a commitment that shapes their behavior every day. 

Historically, it has been this minority who has worked to sustain us as a race. Often maligned and unappreciated by the very people for whom they sacrifice their lives, this minority is ignored by the pages of history. Black Lives Mattered to Men-Kepre-Ra-Tahuti-Maes, Hannibal of Carthage, Queen Nzingha, Nat Turner, Queen Nanny, Robert F. and Mabel Williams, Marcus Garvey, and Elijah Muhammad. What can we learn from these leaders?

When Black Lives Matter to us, we are unapologetically committed to the well-being of African people. This should be contrast against those who are more committed to ideology, or the well-being of “everybody,” or to some other group whose interests lie outside of the Black community. Invariably those with such amorphous commitments, whether knowingly or unknowingly aid the ambitions of those who would exploit the Black community.

When Black Lives Matter to us, we sacrifice time, money, resources, creature comforts, position, and reputation in an effort to secure the well-being of African people. This should be contrast against those who would rather capitulate, negotiate, dissociate, appropriate, expropriate, and misappropriate… they will do everything to avoid sacrificing anything.

When Black Lives Matter to us, our organizations cannot rely on the financial support of non-Blacks. This should be contrast against those whose work and existence are primarily subsidized by those outside of the Black community. I once heard this characterized as the golden rule. The one who provides the gold, makes the rules. It stands to reason, that organizations and individuals will do the bidding of those that pay the bills.

Making Black Lives Matter in Education
Fortunately, there are many things that each of us can do daily to reaffirm our commitment to the idea that Black Lives Matter. I will provide three examples here. First, insist on education that is life affirming for African people. Education can be life affirming in both its structure and its content. The type of education to which young Andrew was subjected is structurally dispiriting. Each day that a child is made to endure this type of derision, a part of their spirit dies. This is one of the reasons that our young people seem lost and hopeless. Life affirming content should be such that Black children learn to live rich and fulfilling lives. How to prepare and consume healthy food; how to groom and dress; how to select a husband or wife; how to nurture a relationship; how to rear children; and how to maintain a home are some of the topics that are no longer taught in schools. These topics are infinitely more relevant to our well-being than factoring quadratic equations or distinguishing between hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds.
 
Second, create alternative educational spaces for Black children. If we really believe that Black Lives Matter, we would work to better prepare our children to have a high quality and quantity of life. We would not wait for those outside of our community to do this for us. Fortunately, we have many spaces that could be used. Our homes, churches, barbershops, beauty shops, parks, businesses and playgrounds can all serve as spaces for the education of Black children. Wherever there is a teacher and a learner, there is an alternative educational space. Look for ways to provide education in a space that you control.

Finally, support alternative educational options for Black children and families. Homeschooling families and organizations, Black owned and operated independent schools, African-centered schools, Black owned and operated community organizations, mentoring groups, and science clubs are all examples of alternative educational options. These individuals and organization could greatly benefit from the time, services and money of others in the Black community. Many other communities have supported substantial educational infrastructure for themselves. In most states, Black owned and operated independent schools are far outnumbered by Amish, Catholic, Lutheran, Muslim and Jewish schools. We can change this sad reality. Will you be part of the majority of us or the minority of us? Will you be satisfied to repost videos, SMH-ing them (#emptyslogansmakemefeelbetter)? Or will you demonstrate daily by your involvement, advocacy and sacrifice that in your eyes… Black Lives Matter?



Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)2 STEM Learning Lab, which works to advance STEM curricula that position people of African descent to improve their current social condition. To learn more about the (ES)2 STEM Learning Lab, visit: www.ES2RP.org.


[1] This article was published in the Indianapolis Recorder on August 14, 2015. It can be found at http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/blogs/article_a84e21ba-4745-11e5-b861-33bb7d4efc21.html 
[2] Ferris, Susan. (2013). New report highlights disproportionate school discipline for minorities. Juvenile Justice. http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/04/09/12456/new-report-highlights-disproportionate-school-discipline-minorities
[3] Rudd, Tom. (2014). Racial disproportionality in school discipline: Implicit bias is heavily implicated (pp. 8). Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity: The Ohio State University.
[4] Beaudry, Ann. (2015). Black lives matter: The Schott 50 state report on public education and Black males (pp. 65): Schott Foundation for Public Education.
[5] Eckholm, Erik. (2006, March 20). Plight deepens for Black men, studies warn, New York Times, p. 1.

The Makeover of a Slave Monster

The Tale. This is the tale of two physicians whose lives in some respects are eerily similar. Both were born in Lancaster County, South Carolina in the early 1800s. Both attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. Both practiced gynecology, and both are remembered for their work with enslaved African women. This is largely where the similarities end. The remainder of the tale shows two physicians in stark contrast.

The Contrast. The first physician is renowned as a surgical genius and is regarded as the father of modern gynecology. He served as president of the American Medical Association, the International Medical Congress and the American Gynecological Society. He is honored by having his name placed on hospitals, dormitories, and endowed chairs. A monument is erected in his honor on the State House grounds in Columbia, SC. The monument reads, “He founded the science of gynecology was honored in all lands and died with the benediction of mankind. The first surgeon of the ages in ministry to women, treating alike empress and slave.”

By contrast, the second physician is considered by many to be more of a butcher than a surgeon. He never completed his studies at Jefferson Medical College. In his incompetence, he killed his first patient. According to his own journal, “When I arrived I found a child about eighteen months old, very much emaciated, who had what we would call the summer complaint, or chronic diarrhea. I examined the child minutely from head to foot. I looked at its gums, and as I always carried a lancet with me and had surgical propensities, as soon as I saw some swelling of the gums I at once took out my lancet and cut the gums down to the teeth. This was good so far as it went. But, when it came time to making up a prescription, I had no more ideas of what ailed the child, or what to do for it, than if I had never studied medicine.” He killed his second patient (another infant) in a similar manner. After the death of his second patient he fled South Carolina, and moved to Alabama where he began to abuse African women and babies in the name of “medical practice.” He was known to use a shoemaker’s awl to pry the bones of African infant skulls into “proper alignment.” He was known to conduct surgery on the genitalia of African women without using anesthesia.

The Shocking Truth.[1] If you are not familiar with this story, then it may come as a shock that these physicians are in fact the same person: J. Marion Sims. By any objective account J. Marion Sims was a butcher. He performed the most horrific, acts of barbarism on African people. He built a makeshift 16-bed “hospital” to house the slaves that he used as experimental subjects. He operated on one enslaved African woman, named Anarcha, over 30 times. Although Sims never used anesthesia prior to cutting on these women, he often gave them opium following the procedures. After being drugged on opium, they moved very little, which aided their recovery. Sims often made a public spectacle of cutting on these women and did so as demonstrations for other physicians. The other physicians would frequently be called upon to hold the women down as they writhed in pain. On one occasion the physicians observing left the procedure as the cries from the woman being cut upon were so dreadful.

The Makeover.[2] So, if Sims treatment of Anarcha and other enslaved Africans is so barbaric, why is he so highly honored? Enter Robert Thom an illustrator born in 1915 in Grand Rapids, MI. Mr. Thom was commissioned by Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals to create a series of paintings depicting “Great Moments in Medicine” and “Great Moments in Pharmaceuticals.” He created these works between 1948 and 1964. One of those paintings was J. Marion Sims: Gynecologic Surgeon. It depicted a very stately Sims, a very demure African patient, and a set of willing assistants. Absent were the torture instruments that Sims admits to creating. Absent was any indication that the facilities were makeshift. The painting gives no indication that the waiting victim was apprehensive, that the other physicians were reluctant or that Sims was incompetent. Thom through his painting provides a patently false misrepresentation of history. But Thom’s misrepresentation is not confined to this one portrait. Thom prepared 85 portraits for Parke-Davis. Among his other misrepresentations is Hippocrates as the father of medicine (with no reference to the African Imhotep that preceded him). In another he presents Joseph Lister as the founder of antisepsis (with no mention of the African medical texts that describe the use of antisepsis over 2,000 years before Lister). Whether we look at Thom’s depiction of Galen, Lavoisier, Jenner, or The Temples and Cult of Asclepius, we will see artistic misrepresentations of history that are rife with inaccuracy.

I am compelled to share here one final cautionary note. Thom did not act alone in making J. Marion the Butcher into a highly respected figure. Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals conceptualized and funded his artwork. The members of the American Medical Association, the International Medical Congress and the American Gynecological Society elected him president to their respective organizations. The legislature of the State of South Carolina (and ultimately its citizens) support the monument erected in his honor. Every member of every organization who in any way honors Sims is complicit in the makeover.

The Fix. There is a Kenyan proverb which states that, “Until lions start writing down their own stories, the hunters will always be heroes.” Friends, you are lions! Write our story. Draw our story. Paint our story. Sculpt our story. Do so without reservation, without qualification, and without hesitation. Give our people the tools that we need to tell our story!

And remember… Have Fun!



Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also a member of the (ES)² Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.

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[1] To learn more about J. Marion the Butcher, read Washington, Harriet A. (2006). Medical apartheid: The dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the present. New York: Doubleday.

[2] To learn more about Thom's misrepresentation of history read, Metzl, Jonathan M. & Howell, Joel D. (2004). Making history: Lessons from the "Great Moments" series of pharmaceutical advertisements. Academic Medicine, 79, 1027-1032.

What's the Use of College?

As millions of young adults head off to college, I am reminded of a disagreement that my father and I often have about the utility of college. Like most Americans my father has been misled about the primary function of colleges and universities. Whenever we see some public official (or private one) do something inane, my father exclaims, “You would think a college educated person would know better.” To which I respond, “Pops, college doesn’t make you smart.”

 

 

What is ironic about this exchange is that my father, who is one of the smartest and most well-read men I know, never finished college. I on the other hand spent most of my adult life in college: eight years as a student and ten years as a professor. So, I’ve met enough college educated people to conclude that college doesn’t make you smart. This, however, never seems to convince him.

 

To win the disagreement I sometimes remind him that he never went to college, but he has been able to advance himself over many of his college-educated peers. “Yeah, well what’s your point?” he might grumble.

 

“My point is that college doesn’t make you smart.”

 

To which he responds with a defeated sigh, “Well it should.”

 

So, for my father and those of his generation that sometimes get caught living in the world that should be, rather than in the world that is, I’ve decided to share a few myths and realities of college and also to provide five guidelines that will help students to maximize their college experience.

 

The first myth of college is that the longer you go, the wealthier you will become. College is not a place where you go for four years to become a millionaire later in life. Despite the fact that college marketing programs and admissions officers sell a four-year degree as a vehicle to wealth, the world’s wealthy are not wealthy by having gone to college. Forbes magazine publishes a recurring issue in which they profile the world’s wealthiest people. They call the list the Forbes 400. In the October 2005, issue eight of the top twenty wealthiest people (40%) had no degree higher than a high school diploma; and four of the top five wealthiest people (80%) were college dropouts. Similarly, the authors of the book, The Millionaire Next Door point out that because college graduates spend at least four years in college making debt rather than money, they begin their working lives four years behind their peers and tens of thousands of dollars in the hole. While college graduates do earn slightly more that non-college graduates for doing a similar job, that difference in income is not great enough to warrant taking on great debt. This leads us to guideline #1, be frugal. Avoid student loans wherever possible. Do not accept credit cards or other lines of credit for unnecessary items. There are untold thousands of college graduates who are mired in debt accumulated during college for frivolous expenditures. Avoid this situation at all costs.

 

The second myth of college is that it prepares you for the workforce. Despite the fact that college marketing programs and admissions officers sell a four-year degree as a vehicle to a great job, only in rare instances do four-year degrees correspond to great jobs. In this respect, students who earn engineering, education, and nursing degrees are in luck. However, students who earn degrees in business management, chemistry, English, finance, history, professional writing, safety management, anthropology, biology, criminology, entomology, geology, philosophy, plant pathology, psychology, family and consumer sciences, neuroscience, soil science, wood science, legal studies, liberal studies, religious studies, social studies, women’s studies (you get the point), will have greater difficulty.

 

Unless students in majors such as these plan to pursue master’s or doctoral level work, they are often compelled to work “out of field.” Instead, most employers invest substantial amounts of time, money and other resources, preparing entry level employees to do a given job. They spend even more resources training established employees for improved performance and advancement.

 

This leads us to guideline #2, plan your career path. After having identified “what you want to be when you grow up.” Talk to “grownups” in that line of work to find out what the best academic preparation is for that type of work. In many career fields, the discipline a worker studies in college is incidental. In other fields background knowledge of a different disciplinary area is extremely advantageous though not necessary. For example, a journalist with background knowledge in genetic engineering has a unique advantage over the average journalist. The idea here is to be proactive and thoughtful in mapping a career path. College plays a very small role in preparing you for the workforce.

 

I can hear some hostile dissenter now. “Well Mr. Smarty Pants, if college won’t help me to earn a million dollars and if it doesn’t prepare me for a job then what is the degree for?” I’m glad you asked. The first reality of college is that, if we complete it successfully, the best we get from it is a credential. This credential (which most people call a degree) is simply a ticket that allows us to begin doing something. A nursing degree would allow a person to begin a nursing practice. An engineering degree would allow a person to begin working as an engineer. A psychology degree would allow a person to begin studying more psychology at a higher level. The degree is simply a credential, nothing more and nothing less. As such it is a starting point. It is for this reason that the ceremony closing out one’s college experience is called “commencement.”

 

Understanding that the four-year degree is only a credential helps to make the next guideline more sensible. Guideline #3 is don’t let school interfere with your education. I first heard this admonition from a professor I had in graduate school. (I later learned that the quote is attributed to Mark Twain). During my first year as a doctoral student, I passed this professor on my way to class. He told me to join him as he was on his way to a lecture given by a Nobel Prize winning physicist who was visiting the university. “No,” I declined graciously. “I have a class to attend. To this he smiled and said, “Don’t let school interfere with your education. Class will be there next week with the same book and the same instructor. This physicist may never come this way again.” Thousands of students spend the greater part of their college lives with their heads buried in books. They miss out on campus events, lectures, plays, the development of friendships, parties, travel abroad and most of the educationally rich experiences that college life has to offer. In the end, they get the same credential that everyone else gets, nothing more and nothing less.

 

The second reality of college is that it is the best social networking institution available. It’s better than First Fridays, better than FraserNet, better than church, even better than Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites. Why is college better? The networking that takes place in college is better for several reasons. One reason it is better is because it does not feel or look like networking. It is place where genuine friendships (or at least associations) can be built without the specter of ulterior motives. Few college students would wonder, “Is this guy trying to be my friend simply to get my money?” While I realize there are exceptions, for the most part college students do not have any money. They do not yet have positions of privilege. They do not run powerful corporations. In fact, even if they did, their peers (other college students) are not typically in positions to take advantage of that money, privilege and power. For this reason, the relationships built during college tend to be more genuine. Another reason college networking is better is because in one place each student has access to thousands of people who will one day be well positioned in nearly every imaginable walk of life. It is not unreasonable for a college student to look up 10 years after graduation to realize that he has personal relationships with four professional athletes, two attorneys, three journalists (one of whom writes for a national publication), four college professors, three engineers, a federal lobbyist, and tens of other professional people.

 

What does this reality mean for today’s college student? This reality leads to guideline #4, build a strong social and professional network. One of the best uses of a students’ time is building strong genuine relationships with fellow students and maintaining consistent communication upon graduation. In this sense joining social organizations is important; volunteering for campus events is important; spending time in a friend’s dorm room in good conversation and uproarious laughter is important; going to movies together is important; visiting one another over spring break and during the summer is important. More than just being important, these types of activities are as important as (if not more important than) getting straight A’s. After 14 years of life post-college, no one has ever asked me what my grade point average was. However, I often rely on the friendships and associations I built while in college.

 

The third reality of college is that it avails us of opportunities that most people will not likely see again in life. Most college and university campuses have radio and television stations, offer study abroad programs ranging from one week to one year, have intramural sport teams, offer regular theater performances, have student governance associations, and have a wide range of clubs and interest groups. The beauty of these offerings is that students do not need any special training or certification for most of these offerings. All that is needed is an interest and a willingness to learn.

 

That being said, guideline #5 is Carpe Diem - Seize the Day (or seize the opportunities). For those who have not been there yet, I will tell you that life does not offer many opportunities to spend four months overseas. What is more, for most adults if the opportunity were there, responsibilities such as work, children, the house, car note, etc. would make it difficult to take advantage of the opportunity. Similarly, most working adults work very hard to find extra time to join sports teams, take martial arts, or try out for and perform in a play. Indeed, the freedom that college students enjoy and the availability of unique opportunities makes it an ideal time in life to learn new things, meet new people, and have rich, new experiences.

 

So, while college may not make you smart, a smart college student can certainly make the most out of her college experience. As June draws near and we look to next September, I encourage parents and students alike to make smart choices. Approach the college years not as a four-year race to be ended quickly, but as an opportunity to establish a foundation for long-term success.

 

 

 

Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. is an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education at the Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis. He is also Principal Investigator of the (ES)² Research Program. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s books, visit https://blackkidsread.org/. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research, visit www.ES2RP.org.