New School of Human Rights

First African-American Superintendent in Fort Worth ISD

2012-01-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

a homeboy prepared all life for the job

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/01/17/3667207/dansby-is-lone-finalist-for-fort.html#my-headlines-default

The Second story, which would have otherwise been the first, was the selection of Walter Dansby as new Superintendent of FWISD.

Eddie Griffin is pictured with the newly selected FWISD Supt. Walter Dansby in this morning’s Star-Telegram

The picture reminds me of the conversation and promise that I made to Mr. Dansby at that time. If he were selected, I would come out of retirement and volunteer once again in the service of the children in our school system, in raising student academic achievement, and continue building a community support network.

If he should have me back in his volunteer ranks, I would look at strengthening our support infrastructure, from a proactive perspective, rather than being passively disengaged in the process of aiding our student's success.

A Business Lesson for Public Schools:

2011-07-21T13:59:00.001-07:00

The Law of Declining Returns

By Eddie Griffin

The great educator, Mrs. Hazel Harvey Peace, as she was approach the centenary milestone, described her production as “the law of declining return”. Her quip took me aback to something I had learned while studying economics. What she was essentially saying to me was that the older she got, the less she was able to do.

But then, I see the same principal at work among school teachers today. Not so much that they produce less the older they get, rather the more and harder they work the less productive the outcome.

These are two examples of the economic law of declining returns. The first, that of Mrs. Peace’s, derives from the manufacturing model of production. The second derives from a defective price model.

When a manufacturer puts a new machine into operation, theoretically the machine produces perfect parts. But gradually, as the machine wears out and becomes depreciated, it begins to produce less perfect parts and more and more scrap. At some point, the machine should be repaired, overhauled, and eventually replaced. Manufacturers who ignore this principal wind up producing their products at a higher and higher cost, until the manufacturing process is no longer profitable and the business no long sustainable.

The second example follows along the lines of a popular Tex-Mex restaurant that annually increased its customer base and sales. The strength of its cash flow allowed it to increase its credit line and expand its business to new locations. But despite increased sales, the company was losing money and had no idea as to why. An analysis showed that it was losing one-to-two cents on each sale, and the increase in sales was only aggregating the total losses.

Teachers are realizing that public schools are in a downward spiral. Academic achievement is on the decline, the dropout rate on the increase, and classroom management is growing less controllable. The solution, they perceive, is to do more, put more time in preparation, work longer hours, give more and more individual attention to each student, use more supplemental materials, and give them homework assignment.

These things they have been doing for years. But this is a case where more produces less. So, what is the problem?

To solve the problem of declining return in the first example, the business owner has to realize at what point the machine is no longer producing profitable products, at what point it needs repairs and at what point even repairs are no long viable and what the long term cost of replacement would be and could the company invest in a new machine before running out of liquidity.

To solve the problem of declining return for Poncho Restaurant chain, it simply meant raising prices on its menu, and to keep raising the prices proportionately as the cost of operation rose.

So what then about the public school system?

Our education system has evolved from the Victorian age to the mass production age to the current digital age. However, our mode of delivery has remained largely the same, and thus the classroom has been manned by the same type of school teacher, with the same type of educational background. Where once education was only for the elite, the mass production model was pyramidal, allowing only a select few to reach the top of the pyramid, while others drop out along the way, with the latter finding mediocre jobs and positions on the lower part of the food chain.

Yesterday’s teachers are not equipped for the digital age. Once they receive their degrees and teaching certificates, they pass on yesterday’s knowledge, which they previously acquired, to the next generation of student learners. Therefore, the pool of knowledge becomes stagnate over time, and antiquated in the long run.

When new technology is introduced into the class, old school teachers are faced with a new learning curve to climb. And, like those on the pyramid in the generation before them, they find themselves sliding. More classroom experience is not necessarily a contemporary asset, but rather a liability like worn out cogs in the machine or old prices fixed against new operations.

We need a new type of teacher, one that is technologically savvy, continues to learn, engages the student, and innovate. Michelle Rhee is right.

Beyond the Crisis in Education: Part 1

2011-06-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Having been a volunteer with the school system for a number of years, I always find myself returning to the same point: What is wrong with our school system? It makes no difference that we have answered the question over and over again, we somehow seem never to get past asking to actually implementing solutions.

In order to break this endless cycle of defining and redefining the problem, we need to break the paradigm of cyclical thinking and jump straight to where we need to be and how education can get us there.

There are three relative benchmarks: (1) The Crisis Point, i.e. the point of failure and dropping out of school; (2) The Minimum Achievement, i.e. reaching the graduation finish line; and (3) The Ultimate Goal, i.e. catching up with Finland, the most educated country in the world.

If it takes all our time, energy, and effort to get our school children to reach the finish line, then it would take an overkill strategy to get them beyond. In Texas, we are consumed by TAKS state testing. In years to come, the standard will be End-of-Course assessment. But in either case, when the academic standards are low, global achievement will continue to decline, relative to the more advanced nations.

This is why it is necessary to look beyond our borders to see why countries like Finland, Japan, and Canada are leaving the United States behind.

The first thing to note about Finland is its commitment to and great appreciation for education. Once primarily an agricultural society, it focused upon becoming a high tech industrial society. To achieve this goal in one generation, it set a tough national curriculum standard and required all teachers have a Masters degree, and drew from the top 10% of college students to teach in the classroom.

There are three teachers per classroom, and many students stay with the same teachers over a number of years. The average student speaks four different languages, including English. And, the dropout rate is only 2%. Per capita cost is about $3,000 less annually than the cost per student in the United States.

See: Education Finland on NBC Nightly News

Sue Huffman: Fort Worth School Superintendent, January-June 1882

2011-05-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

She was born May 12, 1859. Her parents were Philip A. and Caroline Huffman. She was educated at Fort Worth High School, Galveston Female Academy, and Sam Houston Normal Institute, Huntsville, Tex. At a competitive examination for the Sam Houston Normal Institute held in 1879 she obtained the remarkable average of one hundred throughout. She graduated from that institute In 1880, and was awarded the Peabody medal. She is a woman of thorough learning and rare accomplishments, to which are added many personal charms. She has traveled all over the United States and in Canada. She married in 1882 Mr. Ed. F. Warren, who died in 1889; in 1892 she married Mr. Frank Brady. She organized and graded the public schools of Fort Worth, and also those of Decatur, Tex., being the first superintendent of those schools, and the first lady superintendent in Texas.

IDREAM Summit: An Eye-Opening Experience

2010-11-02T12:58:00.001-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

A young school girl sat beside her grandmother and watched intently as my 10-year old grandson manipulated a wave pattern on the screen before an audience. She was about the same age.

I had promised to present a virtual classroom in Science and Math at the October 31, 2010 IDREAM, ILEARN, IWIN Summit in Fort Worth.

Edwin Russell Jr., my grandson, was dying to assist me. He is a fifth grader attending my old alma mater, I.M. Terrel, and some of his school mates were in attendance; unfortunately, though not in his session.

For practice, I had taught him one exercise: How to manipulate the color waves in a light spectrum beamed upon a molecule. When the wave pattern coincided with the graph, the molecule would explode:

KABOOM!

The young girl’s eyes lit up with a starry twinkle, and a toothy grin popped up on her face. She almost leapt out of her chair.

I wondered: Had I done the experiment, no doubt she would have shown lesser interest. After all, a crusty old professor demonstrating in front of a classroom is nothing compared to someone her own age. It's a peer-to-peer motivational phenomenon. That was why I allowed my grandson to do the demo.

Little Ed had boasted like a ham promoting a circus act. To everyone he met that day, including Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, that he would “split a molecule with light waves”. That’s how confident he was.

And, when it actually happened in the classroom, the little girl watching, along with her grandmother, literally jumped with excitement. She wanted to try it for herself. So, I gave her the stage, with grandmother and others watching on.

“Come on, baby, you are at 80%”, her grandmother cheered. “You’re at 90%”.

But not so fast, ladies and gentlemen. This was not a game, but a simulation of an actual experiment conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before this child could perform this operation, she had to learn some other things in the demonstration, stuff for which she had little or no interest and stuff over her head, like Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry.

She had to learn how to pick up subatomic particles and build an atom, first a Hydrogen atom; and then by adding colored balls representing protons, neutrons, and electrons, go up the Chemistry periodic chart, and how to read the new atom's mass.

Here the boy deviated from instruction and created an atomic cloud. Losing his focus, and venturing out into curious territory, just seems to come natural to a Whiz Kid, but a little frustrating for grandpa.

But from an instructor's perspective, I missed nothing, in terms of audience facial expressions, body language, and every questions, both from parents and child. This is what dictated the sequence of my presentation. With the arsenal of math and science tools, I was prepared for any age group, and prepared to move on where interest was lacking.

“What is Velocity?” the little girl asked, as we demonstrated balls of different masses colliding together. Her grandmother was there to explain that is was “speed”, and the simulation program allowed me to show the Velocity vector. It reminded me of a question asked by my grandson the weekend before: “What is a Plane?” It was an indication to me that something was soaking in.

It was fast-paced and inundating. It was not meant to be grasped all at once. The object here was, not mastery of a particular subject matter, but rather exposing kids to the next horizon in math and science, and provide parents with free online resources that they could visit over and over again.

We even had time to break for a Moby and Tim cartoon: How to make a 3-D and 2-D cartoon. The little girl was familiar with the characters, Moby and Tom, and the educational animations.

We visited the Science Lab simulations and produced electricity that lit up a light bulb. It was the Faraday waterwheel demonstration, where water pouring over a waterwheel spun a magnet that generated electrical energy and cause the bulb to light up.

Besides learning how to manipulate objects and waves, the child had to have an intuitive understanding of Graphs. Electricity produced a wave pattern, similar to Trigonometric sine and cosine wave. Using the Fourier Wave experiment, we created periodic waves and listened to the sound of wave packets, which were similar to adjusting the bass and treble on the car radio. Therefore, adjusting light waves was like adjust radio waves, and by tweaking light waves in a spectrum directed into a molecule, at the subatomic (nano) level, the student could cause the molecule to explode.

The grandmother who, at first, came through the door at the end of first session, came in asking, “What is all this wave stuff?” Now, here she was, cheering on her granddaughter inched up to 91%, 92%, 93% in coinciding the wave graph. “Come on, baby, you’re almost there.”

Then: KABOOM!

The little girl did it. She had successfully split the molecule, the same as my grandson. Neither understood that this was Quantum Mechanics, the door to molecular engineering.

And, I would be vain to think that I thought these kids Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Physics, all in one setting. But each child was exposed to new concepts in math and science that will some day come back to them in higher grades. And, even if they cannot remember the math and science involved, they will surely remember their conquest at the console, and not be afraid to tackle these subjects in the future.

Fort Worth Winner among 100 Best Communities for Young People

2010-09-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS: Fort Worth, One of the 100 Best Communities for Young People

National Ceremony: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
America’s Promise, ING and Twilight’s Kellan Lutz

Celebrate the 100 Best Communities for Young People

Location: 15th Street NW and Constitution Ave NW
(near the Washington Monument)

Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m.

About the competition:

The 100 Best Communities for Young People, presented by ING, recognizes and celebrates community-wide efforts to improve the well-being of youth and end the nation’s dropout crisis. The communities represent large cities and suburbs, counties and rural towns. Winning efforts are as varied as local needs, imaginations and willingness to work together.

This year, more than 350 communities in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., were nominated for the competition. The winners come from 37 states and 30 are first-time recipients of the honor. They were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges that included some of the nation’s most well-known civic, business and nonprofit leaders.

Source: http://15in5.americaspromise.org/Default.aspx

“The 100 Best Communities for Young People are taking bold and effective steps to help their youth graduate and lead healthy, productive lives,” said Alma J. Powell, Chair, America’s Promise Alliance. “Each community has proven that they are developing programs and implementing initiatives to provide young people with the essential resources they need to graduate from high school and succeed in college and a 21st century career.”

The 2010 winners will be highlighted at a ceremony in front of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC, with Alma Powell, Alliance President and CEO Marguerite Kondracke, and ING Foundation President Rhonda Mims.

Fort Worth, Texas

http://15in5.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Community-Action/100-Best-Communities/2010-Winners/Fort-Worth-TX.aspx

First-time winner Fort Worth is committed to creating a child-friendly and college-bound culture by investigating the problems surrounding local dropout issues, researching and identifying strategies, implementing the solutions and evaluating the effectiveness of those efforts. The Mayor and City Council have budgeted $13.6 million to provide young people with access to programs and collaborate with a number of local, state and national entities to strengthen the city’s offerings.

The city’s many initiatives designed to improve the wellbeing of youth include the Early Childhood Matters Initiative. Through Early Childhood Resource Centers, families learn how to develop their children's social, emotional and pre-literacy skills so that they are successful when entering kindergarten.

The LeaderKids Fort Worth is a program for middle school students ages 11-14 as a collaborative effort with existing organizations and resources, including the Fort Worth Independent School District, YMCA, Because We Care and Tarrant County Youth Collaboration and more. The program introduces students to the City of Fort Worth in two ways: career presentations allow them to visualize personal achievement as adults, and volunteer opportunities allow them to improve the community in which they live now.

Another collaborative initiative that seeks to encourage teens to return to school and graduate is Prevail to Graduation. This joint effort among the City of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Independent School District, the Fort Worth Chambers of Commerce and others involves a Stay-in School Walk to contact students by phone and home visit to re-enroll in fall classes.

Community Action Teams are composed of eight individual teams: business, faith, government and social service communities along with parents, students and educators. CATs are charged with enacting recommendations, primarily with those outlined in Project Prevail, the FWISD’s comprehensive school completion plan.

The Fort Worth community is also dedicated to securing the afterschool lives of its youth. Eighty-five different school sites, seven Boys and Girls Clubs and the City of Fort Worth’s 19 community centers provide outlets for students. But to alleviate the growing cost of running these programs and provide alternatives, the Fort Worth After School Program was launched. The funds for this program resulted from the Crime Control and Prevention District Tax which was created to provide additional funds for the Fort Worth Police Department for tactical weapons, vehicles and crime prevention. The afterschool program works to improve student achievement, reduce the drop-out rate and assist in the reduction of juvenile crime.

The Fort Worth community supports a number of GO Center projects through its educational and community partnerships. A GO Center is a college and career information, center typically located in high schools, that focuses on creating a school-wide college-going culture and promotes college awareness and accessibility. Ft. Worth was among the first regions in the state to expand this model in order to make GO Centers available in faith and community based locations, thus bringing information about college and financial aid assistance directly to the neighborhoods.

The Kid with the Bloody Nose

2010-06-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Friday, June 11, 2010

The 10-year old kid with the bloody nose is my grandson Little Ed. In the waning days of the school year, a big boy pushes him to the ground, face first. Yet, he smiles with pride as he explains how it happened.

He took a pack of cigarettes from his friend and crushed it. The bigger boy who was trying to entice them to smoke took offense and pushed Little Ed down. That was the extent of the damage.

This is the same tough little kid, who has had a ton of medical problems. He spent his entire summer last year undergoing radiation treatment for colon cancer. Before that, his retina had to be detached and realigned in the socket in order for him not to lose sight in one eye. After all this, he gets pushed off a trampoline, lands face first with his bottom teeth protruding through his lower lip. This injury required seven stitches to mend.

This is the same kid, when I asked how he was going to avoid becoming an alcoholic or drug addict, replied that he was going to be a Christian. I guess that he suppose a Christian is to take cigarettes from his friend, in order to save his life. Whatever his 10-year old thinking, he felt good about himself and what he had done.

It was time for grandpa to teach two lessons: (1) How to choose friends; and (2) How to avoid trouble. These were the same lessons taught to his father, Big Ed.

Choosing Friends

Before choosing a friend, watch them closely. Give them six months to prove themselves. Once you embrace and befriend a person, you inherit their problems.

I made friends with a young man named Hondo. His name literally meant War. He stood about 5’5” and was at war with the world. His enemies became my enemies, and he had many.

Avoiding Trouble

Never go to where trouble exists. If there is a fight on campus, go in the opposite direction. And if trouble must come, let it come to you, not you to it. That way, you can see it from afar, and will have already decided what you will do.

-grandpa Eddie Griffin

Understanding Our Relative Position in the Time-Space Matrix

2010-04-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Where we come from, where we are, and where we are headed is the subject of this discussion, because it is evident that we do not all have the same point of origin, we share a mutual presence, and we are all headed towards the future, but in separate directions.

Where are you going?

The reason I ask is because, where there is no vision, the people perish. A leader cannot lead unless he can clearly articulate what he sees for the future. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, and we shared in the optimism of the times.

There will always be a dream. They see it through rose colored glasses and forget about the trials in reaching it. And, each new generation comes into the picture, wearing a new pair of rose colored glasses. They come into the theater in the middle of the picture, while the graying generation is on its way out.

As the old gives way to the new, the newborn takes the baton in order to continue in the race. But if the baton is dropped, the race is lost.

We must look at the picture, from beginning to end, realizing the relativity of our position in the time-space matrix.

We must look at the particular, then look at the general, and back to the particular, in order to see where a particular situation fits into the big picture, and how it affects the broader situation. We must proceed from the micro to the macro, back to the micro, in order to diagnose the overall situation, by understanding its smaller component parts.

In looking at Planet Earth 2010, relative to our position, we see a downward spiral in human intelligence. The species is relegated to only seeing and living for today, not knowing from whence they come, nor where they are going. This mindset is prone to error. The analogy is like trying to hit a moving target in time T (future) by aiming at time T (now). These young men and women fall short of their expectation: Their thinking is static, not dynamic.

Stand Up and Be Counted

2010-01-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

By Eddie Griffin

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Repeat after me:

I AM SOMEBODY.

Ain’t nobody quite like ME.

I know I Count for something.

No matter what THEY SAY.

When the 2010 Census comes around,

I will let them know that I EXIST.

2010 Census Kickoff
It’s that time of the decade again, U.S. Census time.

We, the underrepresented census, realize there is a potential losing our fair share of the $400 billion in federal allocation money.

Why are we underrepresented?
Do the Census takers actually go into the ‘hood?
Or do they just pass us by?

We Need You
Stand Up & Be Counted

U.S. Census Bureau is Now Hiring:• Census Taker
• Crew Chief
• Assistant Crew Chief
• Recruiter
• Census Clerk

Good Pay: $11.50-$18.25
Flexible Schedule
Weekly Pay
18-yrs, No Experience Required

CALL 1-866-861.2010
VISIT: www.2010censusjobs.gov

Give A Child A Boost

2010-01-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

BOOST UP
http://www.boostup.org/

Now take an active role in helping our kids graduate and excel to higher heights. Send a Boost to a school child.

What is a Boost?

It is a word of encouragement by text, email, or even a pat on the back. A little encouragement goes a long way.

President Barack Obama saw this early on in his administration. This is why Boost Up (dot) org was created. It only takes a minute to give a child a boost.

Visit Boost Up.

I did and sent a Boost to three struggling students. Please help.

Sincerely Endorsed by Eddie G. Griffin,
Child Rights Advocate

Surmounting Classroom Technology Needs – Fort Worth ISD?

2009-12-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

From: Eddie Griffin, Child Rights Advocate,
Fort Worth Independent School District, Community Action Team, Parent Team Leader

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

RE: Making the Classroom Seeable, Comprehendible, Rigorous, Engaging, Challenging & Entertaining

We have reached the 4G Multimedia level of communications and innovations for new modes of teaching and learning in the classroom. It is a new delivery system that can be effectively used to fulfill our purpose in education.

POSTULATE: People progress at an arithmetic rate. Technology progresses at a geometry rate.

ASSUMPTION: The general trend in mass public education inhibits intellectual growth. Impeding forces are old modes of thinking, and old production and education models.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION:

“Bill Gates Unplugged” is an open door to the exciting future in technology that can be applied in the classroom. This is not theory, but actual research in process. In other words, classroom teachers will not be able to dictate the new modes of learning. In fact, teachers are already woefully behind this generation of multimedia-hungry babies.

Following the Lead

Excerpts from a Texas teacher’s request:

I teach twenty-two energetic third graders at a public school in a very high-need community.

My students, who are accustomed to television and video games, need entertaining, engaging lessons to hold their attention and peak their interest.
Therefore, the prerequisite of any lesson in my classroom is it has to be engaging. The most engaging lessons need materials and technology. Technology is definitely scarce.

There are not enough LCD Projectors available at my school

She has requested help to purchase a “SAMSUNG SPL220 MULTIMEDIA PROJECTOR”.

Total Project Cost: $826.82
Current Balance: $611.17

http://www.thenerds.net/SAMSUNG.SP_L220W_Multimedia_Projector.SPL220W.html

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Phone: +1.206.709.3400
Email: media@gatesfoundation.org

DonorsChoose.org
Jeremy Robinson-Leon
Phone: +1.212.784.5702

RE: Fort Worth ISD Research identified Needs

The FWISD CAT FAMILY Team includes a representative of Alcon Laboratories Corporate Giving program.

Current research reveals that 70% of those incarcerated, never were able to learn in school, because of poor eye sight.

We have seen a number of classroom requests for “projectors”, in order to enlarge the traditional blackboard.

The second discovery is the mode of delivery of learning materials. The multimedia generation is bored with the slow learning process.

We discovered this impediment in our Texas classroom. The state school system is moving away from hardback books to more online and multimedia software-driven curricula.

We were the first to introduce computers into inner city school classrooms, to make technology more accessible to the poor. We expanded computer placement through the FWISD school system, and are in process of placing online accessible computers in community GO Centers.

What is happening in cell phone technology and social online media has thrown us into a new teaching arena.

We have yet to catch up in the classroom, by making lesson content “seeable”, “comprehendible”, “rigorous, engaging, and challenging”, and “entertaining”. This is the type of delivery system we need in education for today’s generation.

The FWISD is the largest school district with whiteboards in every classroom. But not all teachers have explored or mastered its infinite multimedia features. There are still teachers who will do barely enough to get by.

We need to identify teachers who are hungry to teach and use innovative techniques in the classroom. The best vehicle to encourage teachers to supply their classrooms needs is through DonorsChoose.Org. A teacher can go there and convey their classroom needs to potential donors, for specific projects of all sizes.

DonorsChoose.org, Gates Foundation and Stephen Colbert Team Up to Support Teachers and Promote College Readiness for All

"Double Your Impact" program to fund 50 percent of teachers’ classroom projects aimed at promoting college readiness

NEW YORK -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and DonorsChoose.org, the online charity that connects individual “citizen philanthropists” with classrooms in need, today announced a landmark grant that enables DonorsChoose.org to fund up to 50 percent of the cost of individual classroom projects developed by teachers to promote college-readiness among students in high-need and underserved urban and rural public schools.

TV personality Stephen Colbert, a DonorsChoose.org board member, moderated the event where the announcement was made. “Double Your Impact” will be funded with a $4.1 million investment from the Gates Foundation and is expected to support more than 17,000 classroom projects, touching more than 300,000 students across the nation. By enabling DonorsChoose.org to contribute half of the required dollars, the grant helps to incentivize individual “citizen philanthropists” to donate and accelerate the process of fully funding projects. DonorsChoose.org enables teachers to describe specific educational projects for their classrooms and individuals to choose which projects to fund. This approach has been effective in funding projects in high-need and underserved schools.

“Teachers across the country are creating classroom projects and lessons that engage kids in creative and innovative ways. Generous citizen philanthropists, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s invaluable support, are making sure they have the materials needed to spark the passion for learning,” said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org. “This grant helps us drive attention and contributions to projects aimed at preparing kids to succeed in college.”

“DonorsChoose.org supports teachers in a truly powerful way—engaging the public in support of teachers and the innovative energy they bring to the classroom,” said Vicki L. Phillips, director of education at the Gates Foundation. “We hope this partnership will give citizen donors an added incentive to support projects that empower public school teachers to help prepare students to graduate ready to succeed in college and beyond.”

Today’s event was held at Manhattan Bridges High School in New York City, which has benefited from three teacher-submitted projects funded through the “Double Your Impact” initiative. Manhattan Bridges serves new immigrants and English Language Learners–historically academically-challenged demographics–and has consistently posted graduation rates significantly higher than the city average, in part due to its tailored programming for students.

“DonorsChoose.org allows people from all walks of life to help specific classrooms directly,” said Stephen Colbert. “As I endeavor to protect our children from bears, DonorsChoose.org is protecting public school kids from classrooms that lack the materials necessary to rigorously prepare them for college.”

While many organizations raise funds for basic school supplies, the DonorsChoose.org model supports specific classroom projects that are submitted and designed by any public school teacher in the U.S. to further defined educational goals. Under the “Double Your Impact” initiative, the requests eligible for 50 percent funding from DonorsChoose.org through the grant from the Gates Foundation are those that promote college-readiness. Such projects include student trips to college campuses as well as classroom books, SAT/ACT preparation materials, and other resources that strengthen the learning experience.

“DonorsChoose.org has helped provide the additional materials, such as college essay prep books, that can help teachers like me create programs that are targeted to the unique needs of our students and get them really excited about learning,” said Elizabeth Smith, a teacher at Manhattan Bridges High School. “My goal is to create opportunities for my students to learn in innovative, inspiring ways. This has made all the difference in what our students believe they can achieve.”

DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and student thank-you letters.

To date, 88,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $30.3 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through www.DonorsChoose.org, individuals from all walks of life have helped 1.8 million students from low-income families.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Eddie Griffin (BASG)

SUPPORT: H.R. 1064
Youth PROMISE Act

Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act:

To provide for evidence-based and promising practices related to juvenile delinquency and criminal street gang activity prevention and intervention to help build individual, family, and community strength and resiliency to ensure that youth lead productive, safe, healthy, gang-free, and law-abiding lives.

Current Status:
The Committee voted to report the bill favorably to the whole House of Representatives by a vote of 17-14.

Family Information Night

2009-11-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 19, 2009
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Martin Luther King Center
5565 Truman Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76105

Be Informed!

Find what services and basic resources are available for you and your family and the steps you should take to access these services.

YOUR TEXAS BENEFITS will be available from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm to provide information and assist families in signing up for CHIP, Children’s Medicaid, Food Stamps, and TANF.

FREE DINNER will be provided at 6:30 pm
DOOR PRIZE drawing will take place at 8:30 pm

CHILDREN ARE WELCOME!

Please call to register or obtain additional information:
Call (817) 457-3911 or Email gocenter@abchrist.org

In collaboration with the Fort Worth Independent School District Family Resource Centers (FRC) and Stop Six Community GO Center

Please bring with you:
• You photo ID
• Everyone’s Social Security card
• Children birth certificates
• Proof of income
• Resident verification (copy of lease, mortgage papers, letter from whom you stay with)
• Copy of Assets (utility bills, medical bills, child care, etc.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TEXAS BENEFITS:
Call 817-569-4778

Closing the technology skills gap: Applying for Microsoft training vouchers’

2009-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

TO MY CHILDREN:

Re: “Closing the technology skills gap’, ‘applying for Microsoft training vouchers’ and their ‘job training program.’”

Microsoft Success Driven by 'Constant Learning' - Andrea Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EupzN_3IqK8

POLY H.S.: We Knew We Could

2009-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

It took a masterpiece strategy and a Herculean effort for Polytechnic High School to survive being axed for lagging academic performance. Everybody in Fort Worth pitched in to save historic Poly High.

From top to bottom, from the state legislature to the students themselves, everybody was on the same mission.

What is astounding about this story is that most everybody feared the worse, and the kids were walking around, cool, calm, collected, and confident that they would do it.

Like most people, I started with my doubts. As I saw it, we had to achieve Mission Impossible, a subject that generated some lively discussions and ideas between us. When I tried to pin the tail on the donkey, the chief academic officer assured me that this was Our Mission Impossible together.

How can you resist the ultimatum: Either you are part of the problem or part of the solution? And, the kids at Poly were already giving their all and all.

So, when I saw the Star-Telegram’s headline this morning, “Polytechnic High rated academically acceptable by the state”, I was not surprised.

We set out to achieve Mission Impossible, with somewhat of an overkill strategy. We poured it on, and on, and on, every hand on deck, every resource available.

It was school in the morning, school in the evening, on weekends, no holidays, the kids went for it like ice cream.

If you oversleep, you got a call. If you needed a way, someone would pick you up. Just to know that somebody cared for them. After all, this was a school sitting on hard hood turf. Few kids make it up out of here and go on somewhere in life.

The teachers kicked in on their part, tutoring in the morning, on free time, during off hours, whenever and however they could. They worked as a team, meeting in the morning, developing collaborative teaching strategies, with each reinforcing the other teachers’ subjects.

The Fort Worth business community kicked in also, with incentives and goodies, scholarships and awards. The local colleges provided volunteers and tutors, some calling themselves the G-Force, serving as navigators to the college-bound. Community Action Teams worked to generate parental support.

Soon the parents were as strongly involved as the student were confident in saving Poly High School.

“I knew we had it in us,” said Luis Ubanda Jr. victoriously as the reports from the state came in. “We had no doubt that we would make it.”

WE HAD NO DOUBT THAT WE WOULD MAKE IT

I saw this display of self-confidence in these students when I visited the campus in 2009, contrary to what I saw in 2006, when a group of us unveiled the new GO Center for the school. The Class of 2009 was a different class, with a different aim and different motivations.

WISH ME- I wish that I could capture it and put it in a bottle, so that it could be sold again and again, and released upon a generation like a magic spirit upon the head of each high school student. But the law of physics forbade me by this principal: Something set in motion from rest will gather momentum and lose it over time and distance. Therein is a natural tendency to scale back the force and reduce our effort.

SEEN IT BEFORE- After reaching the state’s highest rating of “exemplary” for two consecutive years after its turnaround, Trimble Tech High School regressed to an “acceptable” rating and has been holding steady for these many years.

When NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, followed after the Bill Clinton's Teach America 2000 Act, we began seeing an upon trend in academic achievement standards. The logic behind this new educational stratum of milestones was base upon the recognition that we were living in rapid globalization and our kids were falling behind the rest of the world. The Education Department set forth to establish some minimum academic standards, with a key provision to raise those standards annually.

On the other hand, the public education system was stuck in stagnate mode. They were more accustomed to straight line progression, rather than an annual escalating academic target. Our educational efforts were more like trying to hit a moving target by shooting behind it.

The Fort Worth ISD, as of late, has put on its futuristic thinking mode, being the first and largest school district to introduce smart whiteboards into each classroom. The FWISD website is an all-you-can eat buffet of information, programs, times, schedules, schools, and classroom information, and soon mom get be able to pull up her child’s daily attendance and progress report.

The challenge now before is not another Mission Impossible, but a Possible Mission of achieving even greater heights.

Congratulations to the FWISD & POLYTECHNIC HIGH SCHOOL.
You made this history.

Watch the Video at
http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/1460972.html

JENA 6 Case Closes with Resolution

2009-06-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Eddie Griffin

It's taken more than two years, but the "Jena 6" can now put this saga behind them. The five young men whose trials had been on hold pleaded "no contest" to simple battery—a misdemeanor for which they received no jail time. It's the kind of charge that should have been made all along.

Just after the trial, criminal defense attorney Jim Boren—the attorney representing Robert Bailey and a coordinator for legal strategy across the cases—called ColorOfChange executive director James Rucker. His words speak for themselves. You can listen to the core of his voicemail message here:

The Jena Six: Resolution
"None of this would have happened without you"

While this is a great moment, it’s important to remember that if it were not for the extreme nature of this case, most of us wouldn’t have known about it or gotten involved. The reality is that there are countless Jena 6’s: young people–often Black and male–who are overcharged or unduly criminalized, and whose plight is unknown to most of the outside world.

Even in the case of the Jena 6, we need to take stock of what did not happen. While Judge JP Mauffray was taken off the case due to the appearance of bias (a pivotal moment for the cases), District Attorney Reed Walters–the person largely responsible for the problems in the first place–still has his job.

It’s the reason our work cannot just be about identifying and fighting for individuals railroaded by the system, but about creating systemic change in criminal justice in America. We are truly grateful to have the chance to do this work with you, and we’re hoping for your continued engagement and support.

Thanks and Peace,
– James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
June 28, 2009

Excerpts from Eddie G. Griffin (BASG) files: Jena 6 Campaign

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2007

One by one, they are picking our children off, out of our hands, out of our control, out of our schools, and sending them straight into prison… the African-American community was so outraged at the Jena 6 case that they sent 30,000 people to Louisiana to protest the injustice…

After a nationwide fight to get young 17-year old Mychal Bell out of jail, and posting a $45,000 bail, we as a people had hardly licked our wound before they sent him back to jail- this time with an 18-month prison sentence, under the technical auspices of probation violation.

So, why did they let Bell out of jail on a $45,000 bail? They took his money one day and put him back in jail the next day, but only because they were ordered by the higher court to give the child a bail hearing. After nine months of incarceration, minus bail money provided by thousands of well-wishers, he was back where he started-in jail- worse, in prison doing 18-months.

Maliciously delicious to the Devil’s appetite because, by law, no one can save the little black boy- don’t call him Mychal, call him Sambo for breakfast.

There is something fishy here. Are the others of the Jena 6 going to be devoured before our eyes also?

Monday, September 17, 2007 11:05 AM

Reed Walters initially charged Bell and five other black teens, who have come to be called the "Jena 6," with attempted murder after the white student was beaten and knocked unconscious at Jena High School last December. The white student suffered cuts and bruises but was treated and released from a local hospital.

Walters later reduced the charges to aggravated second-degree battery, contending at Bell's trial-the first case to go to court-that the tennis shoes Bell was wearing constituted a dangerous weapon.

Louisiana's Third Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on an emergency defense appeal, reversed the aggravated second-degree battery conviction of Mychal Bell, 17, ruling that the youth had been tried improperly as an adult in a case that has raised allegations of unequal justice in the small, mostly white town.

Walters said in a statement Friday that he intended to appeal the reversal of Bell's conviction to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

National civil rights leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, had been planning to join African-American celebrities and thousands of Internet bloggers in a demonstration in Jena next Thursday, the day Bell had been scheduled to be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison on the battery conviction.

Nearly 200,000 people have signed petitions criticizing the prosecution of the black students and calling on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to intervene in the case. Bus caravans headed toward Jena have been organized at scores of churches across the country and organizers had predicted more than 20,000 protesters might show up in the town of 3,000

So long as these kids were in the dark without representation, they were all going up the river. When the lights came on and the public pressure flooded in, it began to change everything."

Alan Bean, director of Friends of Justice, a Texas-based civil rights group that was the first to notice the Jena case, said he expected the reversal of Bell's convictions will turn next Thursday's protest into a "celebration" of the power of public opinion to influence the Jena 6 case.

The NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Congressional Black Caucus have all denounced what they view as the harsh prosecutions of the Jena 6.

On Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama added his criticism of what he termed the "excessive charges" in the case.

"When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it's a tragedy," Obama said in a statement. "It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn't just Jena's problem; it's America's problem."

hwitt@tribune.com

US House of Representatives Committee Probes Case with Racial Overtones

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2007

After last month’s mass demonstration in Jena, Louisiana, you would think that the country would wake up to the plight of African-American youth being routed out of the school system into prisons. But no, there seems to be this mad insistence in prosecuting six black boys for a schoolyard fight that was instigated by nooses looped over a tree by fellow white students. And to make matters worse, nooses keep cropping up all over the country to reiterate the point that black people still cannot get any respect.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2007

I was inspired to write the article after receiving several emails calling for the boycott. In an earlier article, “Beyond Jena”, I wrote: “By now, we should be three miles down the road past Jena, with contingency planning as to where do we go from here.” At the time, I believed that the then-upcoming September 20 mass demonstration would not be enough to change the situation in this part of Louisiana. Therefore, I eagerly endorsed subsequent strategic actions…

Secondly, Jena is David Duke territory. This is where he reigned as Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Third, Louisiana, historically, has had the highest number of recorded lynchings, more than any other state in the union. Considering that fact, the Jena nooses represented a real threat to the black students at Jena High.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007
FREE AT LAST: Genarlow Wilson

Praise the Lord and Hallelujah! Genarlow Wilson is free. And the scoop has not yet been posted on Genarlow’s blogsite…

In September, presidential candidate Barack Obama said: "Going forward, we have to fix our criminal justice system. Whether it’s Jena 6 or Genarlow Wilson, it’s long past time for us to admit that we have more work to do to ensure that our criminal justice system is fair…”

In an article dated June 29 entitled “Can We Save a Black Boy”, Eddie Griffin wrote: The only way to save a black boy is one child at a time. Today, it is Genarlow Wilson, The Jena Six, and Memory of Ron Pettiway.

Lord, help us. See how much time and energy it takes to try and save one black boy at a time. There must be a more expedient way.

JENA 6 Chronology: From September 6, 2006 to April 29, 2009

http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS/70915030

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2007
The Last Word on Jena 6

We have investigated and flushed out the facts in the Jena 6 case. Together, we have focused international attention upon a case of Unequal Treatment Under the Law. Six black teenagers were being charged with “attempted murder” and “conspiracy to commit murder” in adult court, where they could each receive up to 80 years. This was Jena, Louisiana, but it signified what is happening to thousands of black male youth across America.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2007
Jena 6 defendant cracks, cops plea

After spending nearly a year in jail, Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell finally cracked and copped a plea to a lesser charge of second-degree battery and an 18-month sentence, with credit for time served.

The case sparked one of the largest civil rights protest in recent memory, bringing national and international attention to the small Louisiana town of 3,000. Originally, the six black youth faced up to 80 years for their involvement in a school fight following months of racial tension that began when white students hanged nooses on a schoolyard tree after black students requested to sit under it.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007
Paradox of a Guilty Plea

When we advocated school integration, I never expected that we would have to teach our children to accept humiliation and racist threats without fighting back. But obviously that is subtle meaning behind the guilty plea of Jena 6 Mychal Bell. In reaction to the nooses hanging across a schoolyard tree, some people feel that the black Jena High School youth should have gone about their business unperturbed.

It is okay for an old black man like me to turn the other cheek, because I have been around long enough to see why the Lord said, “Vengeance is mine.” He has always avenged me against my enemies.

But I have never taught my children to be docile and accept humiliation, abuse, and violence against them. Never!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007
Why We Protest

To the critics who have arisen in light of the recent wave of mass demonstrations, let’s get some things clear as to why we engaged in protest.

First, social protest is a means of raising public awareness about situations that may otherwise go unnoticed. Take for example the small town cases: Shaquanda Cotton, Jena 6, and Genarlow Wilson. Lest people forget how these cases arose from obscurity to national attention, review the plight of these youth.

Shaquanda Cotton was a 14-year old girl sent to prison for up to seven years for pushing a school aide in Paris, Texas- note that the hall monitor was not seriously injured.

Six black high school students faced up to 80 years in prison for jumping a school mate- note that the school mate was also not seriously injured.

A 17-year old boy was sent to prison with a 10-year sentence for having consensual sex with a 15-year old girl.

If there is one thing that these three cases had in common, it would be this: The majority of the American public agreed that the punishment for these juveniles were too harsh.

So, what do we do? Do we allow these things to happen and say nothing? Without public awareness, these children would have been condemned to long periods of incarceration and their lives destroyed without even given a second thought.

These are the basic facts. Whatever came afterwards was a reaction thereto.

HAT TIP to Marian Wright Edelman

2009-06-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund, has some answers that addresses the Prison Pipeline crisis. She offers us some valuable insights in stemming the flow of our youth into the juvenile justice system and hence into prison.

As a community activist and child's right advocate, I find Marian Wright Edelman work very refreshing, if not fascinating with hope.

Breaking the pipeline to prison

By Marian Wright Edelman
Special to CNN

Editor's note: Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children's Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to help children escape poverty, abuse and neglect and gain access to health care and education. Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi bar and was a leader in the civil rights movement. Her latest book is "The Sea Is So Wide And My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation."

(Excerpted by Eddie Griffin)

(CNN) -- One of the most dangerous threats facing black America right now is quietly stealing our children at a young age.

Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid, and poor children of color are the fodder.

So many poor black babies in rich America enter the world with multiple strikes against them: born without prenatal care, at low birthweight and to a poor, and poorly educated, teenage single mother and an absent father.

At crucial points in their development after birth through adolescence, more risks pile on, making a successful transition to productive adulthood significantly less likely and involvement in the criminal justice system significantly more likely.

This is America's pipeline to prison, a trajectory that is funneling tens of thousands of youths down life paths that lead to marginalized lives, imprisonment and, often, premature death.

Nationally, one in three black boys and one in 17 black girls born in 2001 is at risk of imprisonment during their lifetime.

It's time to sound a loud alarm about this threat to American unity and community, act to stop the growing criminalization of children at younger and younger ages, and tackle the unjust treatment of minority youths and adults in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems with urgency and persistence.

We must reduce detention and incarceration by increasing preventive supports and services children need, including access to comprehensive child health and mental health coverage, quality early childhood development programs like Early Head Start, and supports for parents including home visitation programs. And every child has to get an education that prepares him or her to succeed in the 21st-century economy.

The failure to act now will reverse the hard-earned racial and social progress for which the Rev. Martin Luther King and so many others died and sacrificed. The urgent challenge for each of us and for our nation is to prevent this waste of our children's lives and our nation's future capabilities.

Read what is being done to stem the flow of our youth into the Prison Pipeline: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/17/edelman.children.prison/index.html

Motivational Teacher Junichi Lockett Unleashes “Soldier Mentality”

2009-06-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

As a takeoff: SOLDIER, how do you hit a moving target? A lession from World War II: If you are going to shoot an enemy plane out of the air, AIM AHEAD of the target.

ENTERTAIN this thought: That Time is a moving target. If you are going to solve a today’s problem, you aim at tomorrow.

At A.M. Pate Elementary School, Junichi Lockett, Jr. teaches fourth graders to aim high and shoot for 2017, the year and the day they will hit their target: Graduation from high schools.

When Junichi Lockett, Jr. released “Soldier Mentality” at The Dock Bookshop in a book-signing debut on Saturday, May 30, it drew a crowd mostly of the upward mobile 20-30 crowd, along with teachers, and supporters.

Soldier Mentality is infectious. Even UTA NAACP President, Carla M. Christle, walked away infected with the soldier’s mentality. She hits me and the crowd with a 50-caliber dose of rap-fire reality rap, about what the soldier mentality is all about. She took me to another dimension and another place where education is stingingly entertaining, and leaving a man with bullet-riddle thoughts in the head. Ouch! Carla shoots like a gunner on a mission. Don't get in her way or in her life. She'll blow you away.

I was utterly impressed to the nth and honored to be one of the guest speakers at the roll out of the book, “Soldier Mentality”. It was a launch into a new mode of critical thinking. I was also honored to be dubbed as one of Mr. Lockett’s mentors. Needless to say how proud I am to adopt him as a son and protégé.

I met Junichi Lockett, Jr. when he invited me to speak to a group of students at the University of Texas at Arlington, and talk about the early days of the civil rights movement on this campus. In the year the Old Guard brought Ole Dixie down, we opened the way for organizations like a campus chapter of NAACP. It was Mr. Lockett who connected the dots from his generation back to my generation.

He later graduated from college and went to work in “the trenches”, teaching at the elementary school level for the Fort Worth ISD.

Working in the trenches is something Mr. Lockett knew about. He was also a veteran of the Iraq War, and by right a war hero. He survived, with his mind intact, ready to put his soldier’s survival mentality into action.

SOLDIER, what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?

As a writer and researcher, I challenged everybody in the crowd that appeared infected by the soldier’s mentality with this question. My objective is to provoke the protégé and understudy To Think and Think Critically.

I asked the question of each in the crowd, each one gave me that same hilarious “ding” look in their eyes.

I remember one of Mr. Lockett’s fifth graders attending the ceremony, standing along side her father when I asked her the question.

The “ding look” is when you catch a young person by surprise with a thought-provoking question. The first reaction: The fifth grader’s eyes shot straight toward the ceiling as if a light bulb went off in her head. DING!

She shot back with an answer that caused even her father to laugh and say, “I didn’t know all that was in her.”

I worked the crowd, gathering feedback of this infectious phenomenon known as “Soldier Mentality”.

FWISD SCHOOLS NOW CONTROLLING THEIR INTERNET VOICE

2009-04-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Source:
http://www.fwisd.org/News/Pages/2009-04-06_TechnologyIntegrationEducator.aspx

Fort Worth, Texas – The Fort Worth Independent School District has empowered all school campuses to control the content in their individual school Internet Web sites. Under an older Internet administration program, maintaining and updating individual campus Web sites was costly and tedious. With the newly launched Microsoft SharePoint Content Management System, the District is not only saving $100,000 per year, but also providing schools with the power to better unite their local teams.

Each campus should have at least one trained Technology Integration Educator, or TIE, who will keep their campus Web site up-to-date. TIE’s receive a stipend of $500 for their Web site work. The District’s Communication Department has spent the last six months establishing official school colors and ensuring that each mascot is unique to that campus.

“The campus Web site is a very important tool to keep students, faculty, staff and parents connected at each school,” said Jennifer Perez, the FWISD Web Master. “Now, we have provided each campus with the skills and the tools they need to regularly and consistently update those sites so each school community can better organize as a team.”

FWISD’s Digital District follows the Strategic Plan goals of making all operations in the District efficient and effective. Additionally, it supports family involvement and community partnerships as an integral part of the education of all children.

Each newly improved campus Web site now mirrors and be accessed through the primary District Web site, www.fwisd.org.

Class of 2020: My Stroke of Insight/Hindsight

2009-04-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dropout Summit: Part 2
By Eddie Griffin

Friday, April 03, 2009

I saw him with 2020 hindsight, Michael Sorum, Chief Academic Officer for the Fort Worth Independent School District, bringing up the rear in the buffet line at the Dropout Summit. I noticed his name tag first, though I should have known him now by sight. In lieu chicken breast, I chose rather to chew on Sorum. Either that, or we were going to chew the fat together.

“What’s our mission?” I asked.

“Mission Impossible, sir,” he replied.

We both burst into laughter. He remembered my last words when first met. Our mission is Mission Impossible... meaning a 100% graduation rate with kids who can hit the ground running.

“Okay," I replied. "So, you know now what YOU have to achieve.”

“Oh no sir,” he replied. “That's what WE have to achieve.”

We’ve been going at it, indirectly, for some time, testing, testing, testing by fire... hot fire... rapid fire... and straight shooting at point-blank range. In my mind, I was holding Mr. Sorum responsible for our district’s low academic achievement.

When our school superintendent Melody Johnson introduced Mike to me, the Leo in me growled. Surely, she must have known that this was like throwing Daniel into a lion’s den. She just casually, out of the blue, asked “Oh, I want you to meet with our Chief Academic Officer.”

Chief Academic... what? Let me go back and get an organization chart of Dr. Johnson's executive cabinet, this ISD army of intellects, because I had never heard of a Chief Academic Officer.

“And, what is the basis upon which you are evaluated each year?” I asked the academics officer, as we shook hands. It was a direct question, like YUM, I’m fixing to eat your lunch.

“Upon the basis of the district’s academic achievement,” he replied.

“Oooh,” I said, turning to Dr. Johnson, a surprised but coy look on my face and secretly thinking in my mind: “Can you believe it, this guy still getting a paycheck?” Let me not rush to judgment in a food frenzy, this may be his first year on the job, I thought.

“Before a student graduates out of my class," I told him, "they must achieve MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.” It is the starting point of mutual understanding between me and all of my students and understudies. My students ask for this challenging methodology, vowing no tears at failure.

No student is allowed out into the big world until they come through me. I am the hardest obstacle they will ever encounter.

There is an art behind Paradoxical Thinking. The answer to the question:

What happens, when an irresistible force meets and immoveable object?

Of every student, I ask this question. Then I set myself up as that immoveable object. I represent resistance. The object is to stimulate an equal counterforce. They, the student, must become an irresistible force. In other words, in order to graduate out of my class, a student must have learned how to think for themselves and solve multiple problems of diverse sizes.

The 2020 Hindsight perception starts in the year 2020 and looking backwards to today... that is if Planet Earth lives to see 2020.

This is how a Chief Academic Officer should look at planning a future education system suited to the needs of today’s first graders... that Class of 2020.

Congratulations to Mike, not only did he show up with Dr. Johnson’s executive cabinet at the Dropout Summit, but he was back in the trenches on Tuesday night, at the Poly High School forum.

This is 'hood turf, not a place for the fainthearted. Nevertheless, here comes the general, Dr. Melody Johnson, with her army onto the battlefield of ‘hood turf.

My footprint is upon this turf. I walk this beat here.

So, I was compelled to look at Poly High School which is threatened with terminal sanction. One more bad academic report... no telling what the state was going to do. And, closure was the almost certain option.

But during the program and pep rally motivated to save Poly High School, I heard teacher team leaders talking about their team-building efforts and collaborative teaching methodologies, and an all out mental assault to reach academic achievement. I saw and heard testimonies to the effect: all-hands-on-deck.

If they fail, I thought, they will at least go down with a great fight.

During the entire Poly forum, I sat next to Michael Sorum, our Chief Academics Officer, who was sitting, as it seemed, still in an uncomfortable hot seat.

As I departed, I shook his hand and said, “You got a winner here. I love the effort.”

Dropout Summit: Part 1

2009-03-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

A Thankful Eddie Griffin
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

As I give thought of the day, I am thankful and humbled by my friends. On yesterday, my friends came out to the America’s Promise Alliance’s Dropout Summit. And, I saw a lot of love in the room… love for our children, love for ourselves… and, more importantly, love for each other.

Our kids are in good hands in Fort Worth, Texas. Eat your heart out, World.

There they were marching up onto the stage, the Class of 2021, singing a vow to some day march across that latter stage in life, school graduates.

Danna Diaz wiped a tear from her eye, and leaned over to me and whispered, “Where will you be in 2012?” I wept silently also. I thought about my 5-year old granddaughter, the one who always asks, “What did I do wrong?” She, too, is in the Class of 2021.

We talked about the grandkids, Mayor Mike and I, and about how gray we are getting. We both have 9-year old grandsons. This is the Class of 2018. After our being overly drunk on politics, we have sobered up to see what is really important in our life’s work. What will become of our children and our children’s children?

Star-Telegram editorialist Bob Ray Sanders moderated the panel discussion with a panel of teens, one of whom was nicknamed “Knucklehead”. Strange, I thought. For over 20 years, I had dubbed my kids “Dingbats and Knuckleheads”. This was my way of teaching at-risk kids how to learn from their mistakes.

So, Bob Ray and I chewed the fat as usual, going back to elementary school together, him and me. He hasn’t changed a dime.

What’s happening with the newspaper business these days and all these rumors about the Star-Telegram going out of business?

I could swear that boy Bob Ray still got blinders on, with his head to the sky. The future of US newspapers, I explained, is one universal national daily, and subscribing locals for papers and online delivery. (But what the heck, I’m talking to an old school mate from the 1960s and who still does not have a Face Book account.)

And here was my star student Candis Davis joining me at our table. This is the Class of 2009. And typical of a young lady, she is flirting... maybe, maybe not.

“What?” I exclaimed. “I thought you were set on TCU?”

Well, since receiving an acceptance letter from TCU, she has had some other enticing offers, like, for example, Baylor.

“Baylor? That’s in Waco,” I muttered. Oh well, at least one of my high school kids is set on TCU. She, too, is in the Class of 2009, and also a member of the Student Council.

I was amazed the students had a brain trust amongst their group. And, when the voting was done, I found myself voting for the ideas of the kids.

After all, where will I be when they face the challenges of 2012?

Class of 2024

Class of 2019, 2022, and 2024

Dropout Summit Response to Part 1

In looking back over the past weekend’s Dropout Summit, I overlooked Gloria Campos, our illustrious host, and she was offended. This is part of the exchange that brought this to my attention.

From: Campos, Gloria
Subject: RE: Dropout Summit: Part 1
To: Eddie Griffin
Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 3:52 PM

I guess me driving in from Dallas before reporting for work was not note worthy.
Sorry if I disappointed you.

Gloria Campos

WOW! I admit to being too narrowly focused that day at the summit. Plus, Gloria did not look like herself on TV. She was wearing glasses. She probably didn’t see me, the “blind man” in the back, wearing the dark glasses.

Nevertheless, I wrote to apologize, as best I could. After all, it was she, moderating the summit from the podium that said: "it's not about us, but all about the kids.”

So, I wrote:

Gloria, but of course, you were our maiden of honor. We were enriched, charmed, and blessed by your presence. My essay, “Dropout Summit: Part 1” was focused more on the kids, the Class of 2021 to the Class of 2009. It would have been impossible to write about everybody at the summit... Are you jealous, Glory?

AFTER-THOUGHT

I should have known not to ask or add insult to injury. But this was her response:

No I am not, but I know when I've been snubbed...
Gloria Campos Wfaa-TV News Anchor/Reporter

A Confession and Apology to Gloria Campos

After some deep soul-searching, I confess the truth that I paid little attention to Ms. Gloria Campos. The Dropout Summit was a work session for me. So, I was panning the room as she was speaking. There were people I wanted to see and talk to about ongoing business. My bad!

Best Cost-Saving Efficiency Plan

2009-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today a department-wide action directive challenging every agency, component and office to generate new efficiencies and to promote greater accountability, transparency and customer satisfaction.

“Developing a leaner, smarter and more efficient DHS is a responsibility shared by all agencies, offices and employees across the department,” said Secretary Janet Napolitano. “Transforming DHS will require significant effort and input on everyone’s behalf. But through a unified and sustained effort, we will make lasting and meaningful improvements.”

An Efficiency Review Initiative Steering Committee, composed of key office and component leadership, will be established to coordinate this DHS-wide initiative. The Steering Committee, which will have its initial meeting before the end of the month, will identify and develop strategies to reduce costs, streamline processes, eliminate duplication and improve transparency and customer service.

The action directive requires each agency to initiate an internal review of current efforts related to improving efficiency, which will be incorporated into a department-wide inventory.

When she was Governor of Arizona, Napolitano oversaw a similar initiative resulting in more than $1 billion in savings and cost avoidances for the state government focused on procurement, energy conservation, travel, fleet management, training and electronic communications.

************************************

Today the Department took a major step forward to advance one of President Obama's most important goals – improving efficiency and transparency across the Federal government.

Efficiency is essential to effective governance. It helps reduce costs and ensure taxpayer money isn’t wasted. It improves performance and customer satisfaction. And it strengthens employee morale.

Over the next 120 days, we will begin implementing nearly two dozen initiatives to trim costs, streamline operations, eliminate duplication, and better manage resources across the Department.

This effort is the result of a comprehensive assessment by our Efficiency Review team, which worked with DHS components, offices, and employees to identify more than 700 initiatives – some immediate, some long-term – to improve efficiency and transparency.

Among the immediate changes we will make over the next 30 days:

• Eliminating all non-mission critical travel for employees and maximizing our use of conference calls and web-based training and meetings;

• Reducing subscriptions to professional publications and newspapers to lower costs and avoid duplication;

• Eliminating printing and distribution of all reports and documents that can be sent electronically or posted on-line.

Over the next 30 days, we will also begin using purchasing agreements to substantially save on office supplies. This may sound like a small matter, but by leveraging the Department's collective buying power, we can save up to $52 million on office supplies over the next five years.

We're also going to take action to improve how we track and monitor fuel usage for our vehicles. Over the next 60 days, we will begin implementing a new electronic tracking system that will help increase alternative fuel usage; guard against waste, fraud, and abuse; and optimize how we manage our fleet.

In addition, we will begin acquiring hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles over the next 120 days. We expect a 30 percent increase in fuel efficiency in large vehicles, and even greater efficiency in smaller vehicles as a result of this change.

To become more energy efficient, we will also begin implementing energy efficiencies at DHS offices across the country. Over the next 120 days, we will initiate a process to identify and move toward renewable energy technology and greater energy conservation, with a goal of saving $3 million per year.

Over the next 60 days, we will also implement a process to purchase computer software licenses as a single Department – as opposed to individual agencies. As a result, we expect to save over $47 million per year and $283 million over the next six years.

Finally, we’re going to take steps to streamline employee training and orientations, and reduce costs and backlogs associated with background checks for new employees.

This is just the beginning. In the coming months, we’ll announce even more initiatives to improve efficiency. I look forward to keeping you updated as we make these changes, which will result in a stronger, more effective DHS.

Janet Napolitano

President Barack Obama on the passing of John Hope Franklin

2009-03-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama noted the passing of this history-maker:

Because of the life John Hope Franklin lived, the public service he rendered, and the scholarship that was the mark of his distinguished career, we all have a richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our journey as a people. Dr. Franklin will be deeply missed, but his legacy is one that will surely endure. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones, as our nation mourns his loss.

(source: Anderson@Large)

HAT TIP to the Students at Village Academy High School

2009-03-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

IS ANYBODY LISTENING?

Out of the mouth of babes never has come a more heart-wrenching testimony of life in America as families sink deeper into financial ruins. They spoke into a video camera that mirrored their painful souls, to an invisible audience, and cried out into the abyss: Is anybody listening?

A compassionate President responded: “You bet! Somebody is listening.” Not only was the President of the United States listening, he went out to California to see them personally.

Never let anyone tell you that your voice cannot reach the pinnacles of power. Even a child has a voice that needs to be heard.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education

2009-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity— it is a pre-requisite. The countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow.—President Barack Obama, Feb. 24, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Saving and Creating Jobs and Reforming Education

March 7, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides approximately $100 billion for education, creating a historic opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of jobs, support states and school districts, and advance reforms and improvements that will create long-lasting results for our students and our nation including early learning, K-12, and post-secondary education. This document describes the principles and strategy that will guide the distribution and implementation of the ARRA funds appropriated to the U.S. Department of Education. Accompanying documents provide initial guidelines for three components of ARRA education funding: the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF), Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B. Separately, we will issue guidelines on other ARRA funds as they are developed. The Department will periodically provide updated information at www.ed.gov.

Principles: The overall goals of the ARRA are to stimulate the economy in the short term and invest in education and other essential public services to ensure the long-term economic health of our nation. The success of the education part of the ARRA will depend on the shared commitment and responsibility of students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, education boards, college presidents, state school chiefs, governors, local officials, and federal officials. Collectively, we must advance ARRA's short-term economic goals by investing quickly, and we must support ARRA's long-term economic goals by investing wisely, using these funds to strengthen education, drive reforms, and improve results for students from early learning through post-secondary education. Four principles guide the distribution and use of ARRA funds:

a. Spend funds quickly to save and create jobs. ARRA funds will be distributed quickly to states, local educational agencies and other entities in order to avert layoffs, create and save jobs and improve student achievement. States and LEAs in turn are urged to move rapidly to develop plans for using funds, consistent with the law's reporting and accountability requirements, and to promptly begin spending funds to help drive the nation's economic recovery.

b. Improve student achievement through school improvement and reform. ARRA funds should be used to improve student achievement. In addition, the SFSF provides funds to close the achievement gap, help students from all backgrounds achieve high standards, and address four specific areas that are authorized under bipartisan education legislation – including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the America Competes Act of 2007:

1. Making progress toward rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities;

2. Establishing pre-K-to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement;

3. Making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need;

4. Providing intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest-performing schools.

c. Ensure transparency, reporting and accountability. To prevent fraud and abuse, support the most effective uses of ARRA funds, and accurately measure and track results, recipients must publicly report on how funds are used. Due to the unprecedented scope and importance of this investment, ARRA funds are subject to additional and more rigorous reporting requirements than normally apply to grant recipients.

d. Invest one-time ARRA funds thoughtfully to minimize the "funding cliff." ARRA represents a historic infusion of funds that is expected to be temporary. Depending on the program, these funds are available for only two to three years. These funds should be invested in ways that do not result in unsustainable continuing commitments after the funding expires.

Categories of funds and schedule for distribution: Balancing the need for speedy investments and for rigorous accountability and transparency, the Department has designed the following approaches for distributing different categories of funds. Some funds will be distributed in stages to states on a formula basis and then distributed from states to local education agencies (LEAs) or institutions of higher education (IHEs) for use over the next two school years (2009–10 and 2010–11); some funds will be distributed all at once; some funds will be distributed through a competitive grant process.

The ARRA Pell grant and work study funding will be used for school year 2009–2010. These funds are available, pending disbursement, beginning July 1.

Pell Grants—$17.1 billion. This will increase the maximum Pell award for all eligible students from $4,850 to $5,350.

Work Study—$200 million.

The funds under the SFSF, Title I, Part A and IDEA, Part B will be available in two stages. Funds from these very large programs are to be delivered by formula from the Department to the states. The Department will release 50 percent of Title I, Part A and 50 percent of IDEA, Part B funds before the end of March 2009, without requiring new state applications. Streamlined, user-friendly applications for the initial 67 percent of the SFSF will be available to governors by the end of March, and funds will be made available by the Department within two weeks after receipt of an approvable application. For these three categories of funds, we expect to make available the remainder of the funds during the period July 1 to Sept. 30, 2009, conditioned on states providing additional information. The guidelines for securing these funds will be available on our Web site at www.ed.gov.

SFSF delivered to the state governors ($48.6 billion)
$39.8 billion is devoted to public early learning, K-12, and higher education. This amount must be distributed by formulae from the state to local education agencies and through a mechanism determined by the state to institutions of higher education.

$8.8 billion is allocated to governors for education (including school modernization), public safety, or other government services.

Title I, Part A ($10 billion) to State educational agencies.

IDEA, Part B ($11.7 billion) to State educational agencies.

A minimum of 50 percent of the funds for the following programs will also be available by the end of March as soon as guidelines are issued:

IDEA, Part C ($500 million).

Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants ($540 million).
For the following programs under $500 million, all of the formula funds will be available by the end of March:

Impact Aid Construction ($100 million: only 40 percent will be distributed by formula; 60 percent will be distributed through competitive grants at a later date).

Independent Living Services ($140 million: only $52.5 million will be distributed by formula; remaining $87.5 will be distributed by competitive grants at a later date).

Education for Homeless Youth ($70 million).
For the following programs, funds will be made available beginning in fall 2009, and will be conditioned upon receipt of further information that will be outlined in future guidance:

Title I School Improvement Grants ($3 billion).
Educational Technology State Grants ($650 million).
The following funds will be made available beginning in fall 2009, based on the quality of the applications submitted through a competitive grant process. Guidelines for these funds will be posted shortly:

Teacher Incentive Fund ($200 million).
Teacher Quality Enhancement ($100 million).
Statewide Data Systems ($250 million).

Under the $5 billion in SFSF reserved for the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants, the Department will conduct a national competition among states for a $4.35 billion state incentive "Race to the Top" fund to improve education quality and results statewide. The Race to the Top fund will help states drive substantial gains in student achievement by supporting states making dramatic progress on the four reform goals described above and effectively using other ARRA funds. $650 million of the $5 billion will be set aside in the "Invest in What Works and Innovation" fund and be available through a competition to districts and non-profit groups with a strong track record of results. Guidelines and applications for the competitive funds will be posted expeditiously. Race to the Top grants will be made in two rounds—fall 2009 and spring 2010).

In the coming months, the Department will also announce opportunities to compete for discretionary funds under non-ARRA programs. The priorities for these competitions will be aligned with the reform goals of the Race to the Top fund, and will recognize states and LEAs that optimize the use of the varied funding streams provided under ARRA. In addition, the Department will identify technical assistance resources to help states and localities effectively implement the most promising and evidence-based reforms using all relevant federal, state, and local resources. With federal funds available for R&D, the Department also hopes to work with schools to support rigorous testing of interventions that states and districts support with ARRA funds, to build the knowledge base about what works.

What must states do to receive SFSF, Title I, Part A and IDEA, Part B funds? States will receive initial Title I, Part A and IDEA, Part B funds under pre-existing applications. For the first round of state stabilization funds, governors must provide three things:

Assurances that they are advancing the four reforms described in the statute and complying with maintenance of effort requirements;
Baseline data on their current status in each of these areas; and
Basic information on how the funds will be used.

The Department intends to provide governors with a streamlined, user-friendly, initial SFSF application package.

For the second round of funds, state educational agencies (SEAs) must provide information regarding their ability to meet reporting requirements under the ARRA under Title I, Part A and IDEA, Part B. In the case of the SFSF, governors must provide plans outlining the state's plans and progress in the four reform areas described above. As part of its application for the second part of the SFSF, a state must describe how the state and its LEAs plan to use SFSF and other funding in a fiscally prudent way that substantially improves teaching and learning. Governors and chief state school officers should work closely with other state and local officials in the state to develop effective data reporting systems and plans that will meet the assurances required by SFSF.

Conclusion: This distribution strategy balances the need for speed and economic stimulus with the need for aggressive and effective education improvement and reform in order to drive our nation's long-term economic well-being. It provides significant resources quickly while giving states and local educational agencies time to carefully plan thoughtful use of funds. It seeks to align the use of the funds provided through SFSF, Title I, IDEA and state incentive grants, with the purposes of prudent investment under the ARRA and improving student achievement. Success will depend on the quality of leadership, judgment, coordination, and communication of all involved. It represents a historic opportunity to restore America's global leadership in education.

Education Department to Distribute $44 Billion in Stimulus Funds

2009-03-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

$49 Billon More to Be Available within 6 months

FOR RELEASE:
March 7, 2009

Contact: Sandra Abrevaya
or John McGrath
(202) 401-1576

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that $44 billion in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be available to states in the next 30 to 45 days. The first round of funding will help avert hundreds of thousands of estimated teacher layoffs in schools and school districts while driving crucial education improvements, reforms, and results for students.

"These funds will be distributed as quickly as possible to save and create jobs and improve education, and will be invested as transparently as possible so we can measure the impact in the classroom," said Duncan. "Strict reporting requirements will ensure that Americans know exactly how their money is being spent and how their schools are being improved."

Guidelines posted by Duncan today authorize the release this month of half the Title I, Part A stimulus funds, amounting to $5 billion, and half the funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), $6 billion, without new applications.

By the end of March, governors will be able to apply for 67 percent of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF) and discretionary SFSF, totaling $32.5 billion. These funds will be released within two weeks after approvable applications are received.

In the next 30 days, nearly $700 million more will be available for various programs including vocational rehabilitation state grants and impact aid construction, Duncan said. Another $17.3 billion for Pell Grants and work-study funds is available for disbursement for the next academic year beginning July 1.

An additional $35 billion in Title 1, IDEA, and State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, as well as monies for other programs will be distributed between July 1 and September 30.

ARRA funds must be used to improve student achievement. To receive the first round of state stabilization funds, states must commit to meet ARRA requirements, including making progress on four key education reforms, sharing required baseline data, and meeting record-keeping and transparency requirements. To receive the second round of funding, they must provide evidence and plans for progress on these assurances. All four education reforms were previously authorized under bipartisan education legislation—including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the America Competes Act of 2007:

Raising standards through college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities;

Increasing transparency by establishing better data systems tracking student progress over time;

Improving teacher effectiveness and ensuring an equitable supply and distribution of qualified teachers;

Supporting effective intervention strategies for lowest-performing schools.

Finally, a $5 billion fund has been established under the law for the Department of Education. This includes a $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" fund to help states with bold plans to improve student achievement—including these four reforms—and $650 million to assist school districts and non-profit organizations with strong track records of improving student achievement. State grants will go out in two rounds over the next year, beginning in October 2009. Applications will be available later in the spring.

"These investments will save and create jobs in the short term, while raising achievement in the long term," Duncan said. "We will need a strong commitment on the front end and even stronger proof on the back end that states are making progress."
Duncan also said that states should work hard to avoid "funding cliffs" by investing ARRA funds in ways that minimize "the tail"—i.e., ongoing costs after the funding expires.

"These are one-time funds, and state and school officials need to find the best way to stretch every dollar and spend the money in ways that protect and support children without carrying continuing costs," Duncan said.

Additional details, including a category-by-category list of all ARRA funds appropriated to the Department of Education, as well as requirements and plans for their distribution are posted at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html.

"Our goals are to save jobs and improve education. Today's guidelines show exactly how we can do both—balancing the need for a speedy release of funds with the need for aggressive and thoughtful school improvements and reform to improve results for our children," Duncan said.

Candis: A High School Student Leader

2009-02-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Near Southeast Fort Worth was once the epicenter of hopelessness. Drugs weigh the community down and alcohol washes away the pain of guilt and responsibility. Crime is petty but prevalent, and money is nowhere to be found. But out of the rough comes a rare diamond. Candis is going to college.

This is hood rat turf. Kids here are not known to go to college. They are usually included into the statistics of the dropouts and teen pregnancy. And, anyway, who would even dare them to hope to go to college, when the thought of cost comes in? But Candis worked, hoped, and dreamed of a scholarship. And, she got it.

I remember watching her grow up under the tutelage of Wallace Bridges and the Near Southeast Fort Worth CDC “Weed and Seed” program. She was one in a group of ashy face high school kids chatting in a forum with adults and community activists. The teenagers talked, and I never considered how serious they might be about their goals and aspirations. Hood rats are always full of fat talk.

But there was something Wallace Bridges did. He made Candis and the other teens feel special. To him, they were somebody. And, he was determined that they would be somebody.

Shirley and Johnny Lewis conceived the “Weed and Seed” program in Near Southeast Fort Worth. The idea was to first weed out crime and corruption. And, indeed, this is the only part of Fort Worth where crime is down.

Second came the seed- the children of a new generation. These kids would be nurtured in a cleaner and safer neighborhood environment. And, although they were surrounded by poverty and family hardships, they had a haven, even if it meant sleeping on the floor at the home of Wallace Bridge until the storm blew over.

Wallace is the program director of the Near Southeast Fort Worth CDC “Weed and Seed” program. He has connected with all the near elementary and middle schools.

The two high schools in the area, Poly and Trimble Tech. is as different as night and day, one academically acceptable and other unacceptable. But the neighbor "hood rats" are fighting for better. One by one, I see them fighting for a way out.

Candis was one of the first seeds to blossom. The announcement came during a Black History program at the new neighborhood Shamblee Library. Candis Davis received an acceptance letter to TCU, as in the prestigious Texas Christian University.

All I could say was: You Go Girl!

DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY FORUM

2009-02-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

WHAT: Parent-Student forum hosted by FWISD Board of Education Representative Christene Moss –Dunbar High School “Excellence—the Wildcat Way”

WHEN: Monday, February 23, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: Dunbar High School auditorium, 5700 Ramey

SUMMARY: Fort Worth ISD Board of Education Vice President and District 3 Representative Christene Moss will host a Parent-Student Forum at Dunbar High School on Monday, February 23, 2009. The meeting will get underway at 6:30 p.m.

All of the different components of the Dunbar community will participate in order to share the achievements and successes of Dunbar High School. In addition to parents and students, other groups invited to the meeting include local pastors and community members, the Alumni Association, Adopt-A-School Partners, Booster Club, and parents of all students in the Dunbar Pyramid. We are especially excited about sharing with 8th graders at Dunbar Middle School all the wonderful programs at Dunbar High School.

“It is our hope that parents, students and the community will spend some time to understand the gains that are being made in the Dunbar pyramid,” said Mrs. Moss. “At the same time, it is important for all involved to understand their responsibilities in continuing that growth.”

All parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend so they may learn about Dunbar High School “Excellence—the Wildcat Way.” Additional information is available from Dunbar High School at 817-496-7400.

Trimble Tech Students Righteous Stand against FWISD Board Changes

2009-02-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

By Eddie Griffin

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The school board meeting last night was too much fuss over too little that mattered. The reckless assertions of Trimble Tech High School cherry-picking its students from the pool of high school applicants, based upon their academic performance, at the expense of other schools, were harmful both to students and public.

A school that pulls its academic achievement up by its bootstrap should be lauded and emulated, and not undone. Like some supporter said during the meeting, “Other high schools should be like Trimble Tech.”

I am particularly astounded that these faulty notions of cherry-picking were not nipped in the bud by senior board members who predated the 1995-1996 Trimble Tech Improvement Plan- a plan that led to the school achieving an “exemplary” rating with the state.

On the other hand, as I recall our little coalition of parents, businessmen, and civic leaders who drafted the improvement plan, there were certain board members who never took time to participate in the workshops, never read our reports, and only gave us verbal lip-service for support. Now these same surviving board members are asking ignorant questions about why the school uses the current application screening process.

The Tech students were right last night. The criteria for entrance should be based upon the student’s career goals and essay. That was our objective as architects of the plan. We wanted students who were serious in their career aspirations, something we could easily discern from their essays.

The School Board, on the other hand, was wrong. By tweaking the entrance policy for the simple sake of change, members of the board have made the student application and review process part of a new bureaucratic function. Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, students applying for entrance into Trimble Tech High School would be required to submit their application to the central office.

It seems to me that the students themselves are more qualified to judge their peers and determine who best fit into their school environment, rather than someone so far removed as the central administration which already has a problem figuring out how to raise other high schools up to Tech’s level.

Maybe I should have added: If it’s not broke, don’t tweak it.

FROM THE WHITEHOUSE:

2009-02-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

"How our schools should be"

[Excerpt Edit by Eddie Griffin]

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 at 10:20 am

"This kind of innovative school…is an example of how all our schools should be," President Obama said yesterday, as he and Mrs. Obama visited a public charter school in Washington, D.C.

The President and First Lady read "The Moon Over Star," a book by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Jerry Pinkey, to a second grade class at the Capital City Public Charter School. After finishing the book, they asked the students if they had any questions. The President fielded queries about pets ("We had a fish. I’ve got to admit the fish died"), why he wanted to become president ("to be able to help people"), and his favorite superheroes ("Spiderman and Batman").

Less than 10 years old, the school serves 244 students in grades Pre-k through 8, and is widely regarded as one of the best schools in Washington.

"We're very proud of what's been accomplished at this school and we want to make sure that we're duplicating that success all across the country," the President said.

That task falls to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who attended the event along with the President and First Lady.

We sat down with Secretary Duncan to get to know him a little bit better and understand where he gets his passion. He told us that improving our schools isn’t just about education – it’s a matter of social justice.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Overview

Watch the Video Message About Organizing for America

2009-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

The Future of the Grassroots Movement

Towards Solving the Fort Worth ISD Problem:

2009-01-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

Solving Problems in Education

Thursday, January 08, 2009
By Eddie Griffin

Let me be as brief and concise as possible. We are not getting there in Education. As the saying goes, “a servant is not greater than his master”, so also students are not greater than their teachers, and many teachers are simply 9-to-5 employees, stagnate in educational growth, and less educated than the captains of industry.

Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Melody Johnson has taken a blind step toward improving curriculum delivery with Smart Boards and technology upgrades. Streamlining and economizing is a problem, because applied technology in the classroom must be guided by forward thinking and insight into the future. Where there is no vision, the people perish.

It was reported to me that two whiteboards were marred when two Fort Worth ISD teachers used the boards as chalkboards, marking on them with ink markers, before they were instructed and trained. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks. But old dogs are protected by teachers’ unions, clearly a lose-lose situation.

We need a new type of teacher, not merely more new teachers. We need hands-on people, technologically savvy, and innovative. This think-inside-the-box paradigm is not working. It’s time to think outside the box. We can do no worse than the current 50% dropout rate.

[See Smart Board YouTube Demonstrations]

Outmoded Education System

2008-12-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

The Pareto Principle, commonly known as the 80-20 Rule, postulates that 80% of our effort produces only 20% of the results. By the same principal, there is a 20% effort that produces 80% of the outcome. I will utilized that latter to prove that 80% of our energies poured into our public education system is producing 20% of the results.

Postulation: We are pouring more energy into a wasteful and unproductive system.

Cognition: We have not, because we ask not. Ask and it shall be given. Seeking and you will find.

We can best reduce public school budgets by maximizing free educational resources provided. The government has invested millions of dollars into free online curriculum in various subjects. Yet, someone has yet to connect these free resources to the classroom.

Another free service can be provided by volunteer services, like the G-Force. There are hundreds of volunteers in the community, and thousands more online, who would serves as educators and mentors for our children.

These free services are never on the school’s budget cost-cutting agenda.

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not…

The U.S. Department of Education has been developing online educational programs in an effort to close the achievement gap by making tools accessible for free. It began as part of the No Child Left Behind initiative.

CASE STUDY

I must contend with educators to get my children and grandchildren the best curriculum material available. However, as of late, my third-grade grandson’s average in math dropped from the 90s in the first grade, to 80s in the second grade, and now 70s.

When I examined the math book, therein I saw the problem between curriculum and student cognition. The math curriculum is CONFUSING.

My grandson is learning how to multiply and carry over, for the first time. This should have been learned in the first grade. But the math curriculum in the book is misaligned. Now my grandson, once an A-honor student, is now taking a math tutorial class.

I would prefer the tutor use a free online tool for multiplication built through the Department of Education at http://www.aaaknow.com/mul.htm. Other similar free math tools are available, as well as tools in different subjects. Also, a highly recommended free math online teaching tool is www.math.com.

My first-grade granddaughter is having trouble with her vocabulary and word recognition. As a vocabulary-building tutorial, she was given a list of words to memorize and spell.

Where does a child’s cognition associate word with meaning? This is one of the shortcomings of teaching word and meaning by phonics.

I would prefer my granddaughter be taught from http://www.aaaspell.com/vocabulary1.htm.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

2008-12-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

Exploration in Education Solutions- A report by Eddie Griffin

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM related programs.

The STEM Education Coalition is composed of advocates from over 600 diverse groups representing all sectors of the technological workforce – from knowledge workers, to educators, to scientists, engineers, and technicians. The participating organizations of the STEM Education Coalition are dedicated to ensuring quality STEM education at all levels. Read the STEM Coalition Objectives.

The Coalition is co-chaired by the American Chemical Society and the National Science Teachers Association.

Meetings are held monthly at the American Chemical Society, 1155 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research is a half yearly, peer-reviewed publication for educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The journal emphasizes real-world case studies that focus on issues that are relevant and important to STEM practitioners. These studies may showcase field research as well as secondary-sourced cases. The journal encourages case studies that cut across the different STEM areas and that cover non-technical issues such as finance, cost, management, risk, safety, etc. Case studies are typically framed around problems and issues facing a decision maker in an organization.

Summer engineering program LEADs students to Tech
by Robert Nesmith

(Excerpts)
During three weeks in July, Tech was the site for an inaugural program to increase underrepresented minority high school students’ exposure to engineering. The College of Engineering collaborated with the Leadership Education and Development program to host the Summer Engineering Institute (SEI). more...

The inaugural SEI at Georgia Tech will host 30 students this summer for a three-week residency. "Despite efforts to improve the public's understanding of engineering, studies show that K-12 students generally do not have a clear understanding about what engineers do," said Don P. Giddens, dean of Georgia Tech's College of Engineering .

"Exposing high school students to exciting and innovative experiences through programs like the LEAD Summer Engineering Institute will serve to inspire and attract young people to future careers in engineering."

Additional SEI campuses will be announced as they are confirmed. SEI curriculum will focus on electrical, mechanical, computer and civil engineering; associated disciplines such as chemical, biotech, biomolecular, materials science, aerospace, polymer-textile/fiber, and technological systems will also be studied.

LEAD Engineering Program

LEAD Engineering on Comcast Newsmakers/CNN Headline News

Put Kids First Campaign

2008-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Endorsed by Eddie G. Griffin, International Child Rights advocate

On Feb. 4, 2009, adults and youth from throughout the state will be asking elected officials to

Put Kids First in their decision making for Texas.

Please send:
Student Letters to Leaders
by January 30, 2009

Include your school or program address and an optional wallet-sized photograph to:

Put Kids First
c/o Texans Care For Children
814 San Jacinto, Suite 201
Austin, Texas 78701

Students should include in their letters an introduction of who they are (name, grade, etc.), their reason for writing, and what change they think is needed for kids in Texas. You can also have students attach walletsized pictures of themselves to their letter.

Explain that the elected officials will keep the pictures to remember all the youth and children they work for.

The leaders will likely send replies to the address on the letter (e.g., your program’s address). Also, with this address, we will make sure the letters get to one or more of the correct legislators for your district.

Send envelope of letters postmarked by January 30, 2009 to:
Put Kids First, c/o Texans Care For Children, 814 San Jacinto, Suite 201, Austin, Texas 78701

LEAD Engineering Program Video

2008-12-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

LEAD Engineering Program

LEAD Engineering on Comcast Newsmakers/CNN Headline News

EDUCATION: No Uncertain Terms

2008-12-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

The bottom line, according to a Star-Telegram report, the Fort Worth school district needs more money soon or it will have to make major cuts, such as small schools and programs, Superintendent Melody Johnson told legislators.

[Editor: We do not need cuts in local education funding. We need help.]

"We’re in a real world of hurt," Johnson said. "I want you to know we have been responsible in using our resources and in cost-containment, but we’re just not getting anywhere with that. We need new revenue, or we’ve got to cut drastically."

Superintendent Johnson spoke on No Uncertain Terms.

State Representative Charlie Geren says, "I don’t care what you cut or what you add, but you have to have a common voice on what’s wrong with the system and how we can fix it."

[Editor: No one knows how desperately our children need more educational resources, not less. But we are not to selfish to recognize the needs and priorities of others- other counties in Texas.]

Charlie Geren says that we must have a common voice. Fact is, we have a common voice in Senate-elect Wendy Davis. We have a national consensus voice on education, and a forward looking Obama administration.

Geren asks: What’s wrong with the public education system and how can we fix it? Somewhere implied in the silent background is the question: How much is it going to cost us?

Like it or not, these are valid questions that needs to be addressed, especially in times where the Big Three must come to Congress with a bailout plan. If we need a bailout, we must have a bailout plan.

What is wrong with the FWISD system of public education?

*High Dropout Rate
*Low Academic Achievement

How to fix the problem?

Here is an opportunity to do a transparent introspection, line-by-line. Every line item justified in the sight of the public. We need to bring together each school's site-based management team into one setting for a "shake out" budget-cutting session.

And, then after we have streamlined our education system, we will be more trim to fight in the legislature for what our kids really need.

We can expect some belt-tightening.

But there are more ways to tighten our belt without scuttling our Ten Year Plan, or gutting our service. We can tighten our belt through efficiencies… more efficient curriculum delivery systems, integrated management, and community involvement can trim some of the fat out of the system and out of the school budget.

Interactive Digital Learning: Whiteboards

2008-11-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

Promethean Board Demonstration

Promethean Activboards - Baltimore MD

Creative Ways of Exploring Adjectives, Using the Activboard.

Smart Boards in Action

A new 3D virtual world on your Promethean Activboard

Promethean Board Demonstration - Spanish

RESPONDING TO THE GREAT NEED IN EDUCATION FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

2008-11-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

Immediate Release: RESPONDING TO THE GREAT NEED IN EDUCATION FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

Donors Choose.Org

Our Beginning

DonorsChoose.org was pioneered by teachers at a Bronx public high school in the spring of 2000. Charles Best, then a social studies teacher, saw first-hand the scarcity of materials in our public school classrooms and the profound impact of this scarcity on kids' education. Looking for a way to address this problem, he sensed an untapped potential in people who were frustrated by their lack of influence over the use of their charitable donations. DonorsChoose.org, a website connecting classrooms in need with individuals who want to help, was born.

Our Mission

DonorsChoose.org is dedicated to addressing the scarcity and inequitable distribution of learning materials and experiences in our public schools. We believe this inequity is rooted in the following factors:
1. Shortages of learning materials prevent thorough, engaging instruction;
2. Top-down distribution of materials stifles our best teachers and discourages them from developing targeted solutions for their students; and
3. Small, directed contributions have gone un-tapped as a source of funding.
DonorsChoose.org will improve public education by engaging citizens in an online marketplace where teachers describe and individuals can fund specific student projects. We envision a nation where students in every community have the resources they need to learn.

Our Philosophy

DonorsChoose.org has attracted contributors from all walks of life through an approach called Citizen Philanthropy. No matter their contribution size, all donors are treated to a level of service normally reserved for established philanthropists. This includes:

Meaningful Choice: Whether interested in pre-K literacy or science field trips, donors can select the specific project that they feel will have the biggest impact.

Full Accountability: DonorsChoose.org provides "end to end" integrity. We screen each project proposal before posting it online; purchase the materials for the teacher (shipping directly to the school); and compile photographs, student thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter as feedback for the donor(s) who completes the project.

Portfolio Services: DonorsChoose.org contributors can track and manage their giving in "My Account," which shows the citizen philanthropist everything from the subject areas she/he has funded to the number of students she/he has helped. Tools such as GivingCards and gift registries allow donors to engage their children, friends, and family members in citizen philanthropy.

Our Projects

Project proposals at DonorsChoose.org range from "Where Did All the Pencils Go?" ($60), to "Dictionaries for At-Home Use" ($259), to "Geological Field Trip" ($2,000). Most proposals are not simply requests for materials but fantastic ideas for helping students learn. Thanks to the participation of dedicated and imaginative teachers, DonorsChoose.org has become a showcase of original and successful student projects.

Please see Case Studies for stories about selected projects created at DonorsChoose.org.

More questions? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions in the Help Section.

Donor and Media Inquiries
To receive an answer to your question as quickly as possible, check if someone has asked it already: 'What happens when a project expires?' 'Can I send you physical materials?'. The answers to these questions and more await you, right around the corner in the FAQ.

Contact Form for Donors
If you are a member of the media:
Click here to send us a message.

Link to DonorsChoose.org

Help us spread the word by using these images and snippets of html
to link from your site to DonorsChoose.org.

National Office
DonorsChoose.org
347 West 36th Street, Suite 503
New York, NY 10018
Phone 212-239-3615
Fax 212-239-3619

Teacher Inquiries

Be advised...
Before contacting DonorsChoose.org, please try answering your question/concern by visiting the links below. If your question could have been answered by reading one of these resources, we will not be able to respond. When you answer your own question using the links below, DonorsChoose.org can devote more time to getting your proposals funded!

Frequently Asked Questions -- Answers to all the common questions that teachers have.

Teacher Online Tutorial -- Review the series of Web pages that you clicked through when submitting your first proposal.

Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting a Proposal -- A printable guide that explains how to submit a project proposal at DonorsChoose.org.

If your question wasn't answered above...

If the links above do not answer your question, please describe your issue to us using our Contact Form for Teachers.

http://www.donorschoose.org/contact/contact.html?zone=0

What Do You See in These Pictures?

2008-11-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Who are these people? And, what are they talking about?

History is being made here. Can you explain how?

Who are the two witnesses? Who did the transcription?

These are records of history, to be enshrined and preserved throughout the ages.

From Virtual Classrooms to Virtual Schools

2008-11-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

What the future in Education will look like

As we move rapidly from election to the reality of the future, we should be looking for ways into the new world of our vision, a new way of looking at and doing things, qualitatively different than the paradigms of the past.

It is not farfetched for a futurist to imagine a Virtual School to supplement and maybe someday supplant the old traditional classroom. In Florida, they have already started.

In Florida, Virtual School Could Make Classrooms History
OrlandoSentinel.com
11/12/2008

Thousands of Florida students may ditch public elementary and middle schools next year in favor of online classes at home -- an option that could change the face of public education.

A new law that takes effect next fall requires every district in the state to set up an online school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. They won't have to get on the bus -- or even get out of their PJs -- to head to school at the family computer.

A handful of elementary- and middle-school students already are experimenting with virtual classes, withdrawing from regular schools and enrolling instead for online instruction. Students take a full range of courses, including reading, writing, math, science, history, art, music and even physical education.

"I am so excited about this that my goal is to go all the way through 12th grade," said Joni Fussell, whose 8-year-old daughter has been studying at the kitchen computer in their Altamonte Springs home since January.

Read more… at http://www.districtadministration.com/newssummary.aspx?news=yes&postid=51283

NEW SCHOOL OF HUMAN RIGHTS

In 2002, I began researching online educational tools after a student introduced me to www.math.com. These and other tools were later published on Juneteenth 2007 at

Virtual School Tools

We have long since entered the digital age. The government and many colleges and universities have published free educational tools online. But our public school system is far, far behind the curve in applied technology for the classroom. In Fort Worth, Texas, we are still upgrading Windows 95.

I remember how hard it was to get computers into the classroom in 1995-1996. The teachers were the first to balk, threatening to quit if they had to learn computers. By that time, students were already computer literate.

The biggest obstacle came from book publishers who perceived computers to be a threat to the traditional paperback textbooks. The fear still exists, but more from software developers who have contracts to produce computer programs to be used for classroom curriculum. Although free online tools are used by students, complicated cumbersome home-made programs do not integrate well. Software developers have no concept with different learning styles and techniques. They struggle simply to write a program that works. Online tools are much more user friendly and infinitely more engaging.

Background and History

If necessity is the mother of invention, then surely our short-lived community-based computer school discovered useable and effective free tools from online. We never received the public funding the program deserved. For the most part, I funded the computer school out of my own pocket, and by 2004 when we closed our doors, I manage to keep a little of the curriculum, which is posted at

http://educationofeddiegriffin.blogspot.com/2007/07/virtual-school-tools.html

Vision

Some time in the future, maybe far past my time, the classroom will be wired with new technology and innovations. Students will be engaged to learn by fascination alone… no motivation needed. And, they will learn at a rapid, efficient clip, based on new theories of learning.

But it is hard for the new to replace the old unless we have a national leader with a vision and foresight.

Secret Malcolm X recording with FBI

2008-11-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Listen closely to the FBI agents. Here is why Malcolm X was assassinated.

TCU Community Scholars Online Application due November 15, 2008

2008-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

It is an excellent program that pays full tuition for deserving students who attend the nine high schools… Eva Bonilla, Chair HWNT – FW Chapter - evabonilla@charter.net

The Community Scholars application is available online at the following link: http://www.admissions.tcu.edu/communityscholars/.

Please remind your students that by completing the application, the $40 fee will be waived automatically.

Community Scholars Program: Qualified Texas Schools

Dunbar (Fort Worth)
South Hills (Fort Worth)
Polytechnic (Fort Worth)
Trimble Tech (Fort Worth)
Diamond Hill-Jarvis (Fort Worth)
North Side (Fort Worth)
O.D. Wyatt. (Fort Worth)
Lincoln (Dallas)
Sam Houston (Arlington)

Information Source:

Michael J. Marshall
Assistant Director of Admission
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 297013
Fort Worth, TX 76129
817.257.7490
817.257.7268 (fax)
m.marshall@tcu.edu

Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarship Program Presents Information Forums

2008-10-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

CALLING ALL TARRANT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS & PARENTS

Do you need $$$ for College???? Well, attend the program presented by Citi Financial and Renaissance Cultural Center on Saturday, November 1, 2008, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., and start earning and learning about the 2009 RCC Scholarship and the opportunities Citi Financial offers.

REMEMBER: Your attendance will count towards the volunteer hours needed to apply for the 2009 RCC Scholarship.

THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO EARN ONE OF:

10 to 20 - $2500.00 Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarships that will be awarded to attend the university, college, business or trade school of your choice!

5 - $1000.00 to $2000.00 Ashanti Monique Austin Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to attend Tarrant County College!

DON’T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY – ACT NOW – START EARNING THOSE REQUIRED WORKSHOP HOURS THIS SATURDAY!!!

For additional information or to sign up to attend –
Email: info@renaissanceculturalcenter.org or call
(817) 922-9999.

For the 2009 RCC Scholarship Application Deadline & Criteria,
Schedule of Upcoming Scholarship Workshops visit:
Web Site: www.renaissanceculturalcenter.org

Workshop Location:

National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum
(Formerly National Cowboys of Color Museum)
3400 Mount Vernon Avenue, Ft. Worth, TX 76103

FREE PARKING – FREE ADMISSION – REFRESHMENTS SERVED
OPEN TO 9TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE AND PARENTS

2009 RENAISSANCE CULTURAL CENTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

INFORMATION FORUM SCHEDULE

(Attendance will count towards required RCC Scholarship application hours.
Open to 9th thru 12th Grade Students & Parents. Free Admission.)

“SO YOU WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE”

CITI FINANCIAL EDUCATION... Saturday, November 1, 2008

Super keys to financial success: banking and accounting skills, budgeting and credit worthiness.

UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART I & II... Saturday, November 15, 2008

Transition from high school to college – learn new study skills, talk about student lifestyles, balancing schedules and time management skills and tools. Tips to launch your college years: get to know your instructor, degree planning, and college community involvement.

PRESENTATION SKILLS AND DRESSING TO IMPRESS……….Saturday, November 22, 2008

Discuss interviewing skills, business and social settings. Review clothing terminology - business, casual, formal, semi-formal.

UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE CULTURE PART III………………Saturday, December 6, 2008

Choosing the right college and identifying your needs (size, cost, location).

“I KNOW WHERE I AM GOING! GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS”

WRITING SCHOLARSHIP AND THANK YOU LETTERS…………Saturday, January 17, 2009 Learn writing techniques for various topics.

Success Should Build Upon Success

2008-10-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Twenty-five students and four teachers from Nagaoka, Japan visited two Fort Worth ISD middle schools recently, participating in the annual Sister Cities International Ambassador Middle School Program.

The Japanese guests were hosted by students and families of William James Middle School and Daggett Montessori.

The Ambassador Program is a cultural and educational exchange for 8th graders. The students and teachers visit Fort Worth for approximately nine days each September. The goal is to provide an international experience that inspires global understanding, provides an opportunity to share and learn about educational systems, cultural heritage and traditions, and develops new international friendships, while gaining a personal experience of living with a host family.

Eddie Griffin Commentary

As the world becomes more a global community, cultural exchange program such as Fort Worth ISD Ambassador Program opens the door to an international education classroom. What if our children could speak and write Japanese, the kids could become lifelong classmates, through online communications.

We must teach our children new languages and expose them to new cultures.

Remember the commerical on television about the Japanese middle school student and the American middle class student looking directly at each other on opposite screens. The object was to see who would blink first.

The is the international classroom of the future: Online and tele-video vis-a-vis exchanges in Real Time teaching-learning experience.

South Hills High School students who demonstrate extraordinary leadership or academic gains will be the recipients of a PEAK Scorpion Spirit shirt. The students will be allowed to wear these spirit shirts on designated days and will receive special privileges.

This is just one of the innovative programs being launched in the District's PEAK schools. PEAK -Public Educators Accelerating Kids - is a pilot program for 15 FWISD campuses.

Mapping Empirical Reality to Solve Social Problems

2008-08-22T07:56:00.001-07:00

Written for Educators

By Eddie Griffin

Friday, August 22, 2008

Here is a page from the Black Panther Old School: Teaching problem-solving techniques by “mapping” reality, interpolated from Alfred Korzybski’s “Science and Sanity”.

Probably, the simplest way to explain it is like this scenario:

In our minds, we map a mental picture of the world we engage in. When the map does not accurately depict empirical reality, we misjudge situations and make mistakes in our engagement.

A classic example of this phenomenon would be a man sitting in a car at a stop sign, waiting for the traffic to give him a break, so he can traverse to the other side.

An accident at the intersection tells us that a misjudgment has been made on the part of the man sitting at the stop sign. The “map” inside his head was simply incorrect. Therefore, he proceeded with a distorted and false mental picture of the true external situation.

He either miscalculated the speed of the oncoming car, or miscalculated its distance. Simple mathematics inside the head would signal when it is “safe” for the man to make a dash. Even if the man fails to understand the physics of distance and speed, he should be able to judge, intuitively, if it is “safe” to cross.

What is missing in the mental equation is the “risk” factor. What is “safe”?

Here, a whole number of subjective issues come into play, the most egregious of which is the driver who did not see the other car coming.

How can a person miss seeing another vehicle barreling down the road? It is inconceivable but common. Something in the composition of the driver’s mental picture did not include the other car. Simply put, the other car was obliterated by “mental blinders”, commonly put on by the attitude of “seeing only what I want to see”. Therefore, the driver only saw that the road as “his”, when it actually was not.

The same principle holds true when we map out a social problem and try to solve it. An incorrect mental picture will produce a false answer.

Being wrong is not as big a crime as a terminal mistake. It’s one thing to come up with a false answer, but another when comes the attitude of forcing a round peg into a square hole. The War in Iraq is a classic example of trying to force fit a round peg into the square hole conceived by politicians with a faulty mental map of the world.

It is of ultimate importance that our subjective mental map of reality matches the objective, empirical world. For then, with correct information, accurate data, a keener sense of casual relations, and intelligent mental diagnostic and analytical tools, we can make better decisions in our problem-solving.

First Day of School: What Next?

2008-08-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Nearly 50 ministers on Monday embraced plans for students to boycott at least the first day of Chicago Public Schools classes… Also Monday, another group of clergy urged a different tactic on Chicago's first school day. Organizers of the 5th annual Million Father March asked fathers to escort children to class on Sept. 2. (“A school boycott, or not?” Robert Mitchum and Ray Long, Chicago Tribune)

Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (James 3:11)

Wouldn’t you just know it? The Chicago Tribune discovered this apparent contradiction arising from the African-American community.

On the one hand, the Million Father March seeks to recruit “500,000 men in 300 cities to take their children to school this first fall school day”. While on the other hand, Chicago State Senator James Meeks “has issued a call for all school kids in Chicago's poorest districts to boycott the first day at their assigned school and instead head to resource-rich predominately white schools and attempt to register there.”

Before we conclude the right hand don’t know what the left hand is doing, let’s examine what these two different strategies entail.

The Million Father March is an annual national event originally designed to get fathers more involved with their children’s education. Historically, fathers have been the absent factor in a child's education. Recent experience has shown that children accompanied to school on the first day with their fathers exhibit more pride and are less fearful.

The boycotters of the Chicago school system have one primary local focus: the disparity in education funding. By skipping registration at the home school and seeking to register in the “resource-rich predominately white schools”, students in poor schools might gain a contrasting view of what the best schools offer, as compared to their own.

But how can both strategies work in the same city at the same time, with the million father back-to-school movement, on the one side, and a boycott on the other?

It is impossible for both events to occur without one undermining the other... UNLESS.

Note that both plans anticipate that all students attend school on the first day, whether their home school or whether to try and register at the better school. In either case, the father should accompany their child, especially those who try to get into a new school where they might not be particularly welcomed.

Whether the black community can come together with a merged strategy or whether each movement will pursue its own agenda will be an interesting dilemma to see played out.

A TEEN FORUM: Let’s Talk

2008-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

“Let’s Talk” aims to decrease infant mortality rates by providing adolescent girls with formal instruction on

• Prevention of teen pregnancy
• Prevention of STDs
• Self esteem and stress management
• Proper nutrition and fitness
• General Health Promotion

For Girls Ages 13-17
Saturday, September 20, 2008
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
University of North Texas Health Science Center
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, Texas

Limited seating, call or email for registration

Phone: (817) 457-3911
Fax: (817) 457-9556
E-mail: goenter@abchrist.org

Sponsored by:
A B Christian Learning Center; Center for Community Health, UNT Health Science Center, Fort Worth Independent School District, Fort Worth Public Health, Susan G. Komen FOR THE CURE Tarrant County, Texas Center for Health Disparities, Fort Worth Women’s Health Initiative

Loretta Burns
Executive Director
AB Christian Learning Center
5009 Brentwood Stair #101
Fort Worth, TX 76112
(817) 457-3911
lburns@abchrist.org

Texas Loses Track of Black Student Drop-Outs

2008-08-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

The annual dropout rates for African American students in Texas, already higher than dropout rates for white and Hispanic students, might be even higher than previously reported, according to a Texas Education Agency report released last week.

(For the full story, read “Study: Texas schools more likely to lose track of African American students” by Molly Bloom, Austin-American Statesman)

Linda Roska, director of the Texas Education Agency's division of accountability research and a co-author of the report, said she couldn't say why the gap exists.

Eddie Griffin Commentary:

When the TEA reports that African-American students are falling through the cracks of the educational system and the Division of Accountability cannot explain why these students do not show up on the drop-out statistics, something is terribly wrong with the meaning of accountability.

Did this information come as a new revelation to the Texas Education Agency? If so, how long has this trend been going on? And, how many black students have we already lost, without any accounting?

What could be wrong besides racism?

First is the resistance of school administrators to count a student as a “drop-out”. That would signify the public school system had failed that student. And, the Fort Worth ISD, as well as other school districts, would rather look the other way than concede failure, than admit that a student is lost.

The second problem is the confusing methodology used to calculate the drop-out rate. School administrations try to keep students on the books as long as possible. The school is funded on the basis of daily attendance per student. The high drop-out rate cuts into state funding allocations.

These are two possible incentives for underreporting the drop-out rate of African-American children.

If the Texas Education Agency cannot explain this “mysterious” mass disappearance, it becomes all the more apparent that community leaders must intervene and seize control of the institution. It is obvious that the public school system failed these students who disappear into thin air.

That’s our baby

The problem could be in the tracking system. I have been a long advocate of a clock-in/clock-out system, where the unit of measurement for the drop-out would correspond with loss of productivity time, i.e. percentage of hours lost in the classroom.

Not only does this system give real-time attendance accounting, but an overview of the percentage of time spent in the classroom. On the other hand, attendance does not necessarily translate into quality education time. The quality of classroom education should be measured by academic achievement, whether by an end-of-course assessment or the standardized TAKS test.

Quantity versus Quality in Education

A student with 50% class time would be considered a “drop-out” in anybody’s book. But if the student has 90% high academic rating, he or she is not considered a lost cause. Therefore, there has to be a combined assessment of quantity and quality.

There should be triggers when productivity or class participation time decreases. There should be benchmarks when academic achievement rises to either new heights or falls to a new low.

This model is simple, comprehensible, and efficient. But it seems, however, that the public school system continues to build upon an antiquated mass production model, with an ever-increasing and expanding bureaucracy. For example, when I look at the number of employees in the Austin accountability office, and compare it with this sad-looking data, it signifies, to me, that the overhead is not worth the results.

Are you satisfied with Linda Roska answer above? If not, contact:

The Texas Education Agency
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas, 78701
(512) 463-9734
Linda Roska, Accountability Research (512) 475-3523

uWINK INTRODUCES MENU LANGUAGE TRANSLATION

2008-08-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

uWink Menu Now Available in Multiple Languages with a Touch of a Button

LOS ANGELES – July 9, 2008 – uWink (OTCBB:UWKI), an entertainment and hospitality software company and operator of an interactive restaurant concept, announced today menu language translation. With the touch of button, uWink’s menu is translated into Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish. At uWink customers order their food and drinks via touch screen terminals located at their table.

To provide language translation of the menu, uWink designed the system with an easy to use interface that allows users to choose their language with the touch of a single button – their native flag. For example, hit France’s flag if you want to view the menu in French, or hit Japan’s flag if you want to view the menu in Japanese.

"Hollywood and Highland has a huge number of international tourists which make it the perfect location to showcase our menu language translation capabilities," said Brent Bushnell, chief technology officer at uWink. "We hope that by providing customers the ability to read our menu in their native language they will feel more at home while dining at uWink."

About uWink's technology:

uWink's interactive digital content operating/display system and real-time, multi-player game platform allows intuitive and easy access to and interaction with various forms of digital content and custom applications including menus, games, videos and music. The software also allows patrons to take control of many aspects of the dining experience, including check-in/checkout and food/drink ordering using uWink's tabletop touch interface.

About uWink:

uWink develops digital media entertainment and hospitality software and an interactive restaurant concept that allows customers to order food, drinks, games and other digital media at the table through proprietary touch screen terminals. uWink is led by entertainment and restaurant visionary Nolan Bushnell, founder and former CEO of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese (NYSE: CEC). For more information: www.uwink.com.

Alissa Tappan
VP Marketing
uWink Inc.
415.235.9532

ADDENDUM TO POSITION PAPER on Toward Solving the Math-Science Achievement Gap

2008-08-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin
Monday, August 04, 2008

I received a shout-out from SES: Science, Education, & Society, a site devoted to “commentaries on science and education and how these topics relate to soci-economic status (also referred to as SES) and other class issues among African-American communities”, for my position paper: “Toward Solving the Math-Science Achievement Gap”.

I especially like his links to Tutorials/Virtual Education Tools on various math and science subjects...
The Urban Scientist, SES: Science, Education & Society, http://www.sciedsociety.blogspot.com

I also received this email:

Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 9:38 AM

I recently read your post, "Toward Solving the math-Science Achievement Gap" and wanted to let you know about the LEAD Program for Engineering program, an innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) residency program that just launched at Georgia Tech and UC Berkeley. The program, facilitated by youth development innovator LEAD (Leadership Education and Development), has received over $1.3M in sponsorship from Google and DuPont and will tackle the crisis of low technical literacy among America's black and brown children. The CEO, Brother Ric Ramsey, is an alum of Hampton University.

A press release with program details and sponsor comments is here.

From: LiRon Anderson-Bell
President | Crisis Contingency Partners
"Helping You Take Responsibility for Your Visibility"
215.284.2964 | lkab@crisiscontingency.com
Twitter: lkab | AIM: Kenyatta4
www.crisiscontingency.com

Toward Solving the Math-Science Achievement Gap

Let me begin at the end, at the point of solution. Then demonstrate the proof that Math-Science teaching capabilities has reached a new high, making it easier for our children to learn. To achieve our objective, we examined the Texas Instruments TI-calculator series and the integrated math-science curricular and teaching format contained in it.

The technology signifies a new age in Math-Science Education.

In order for our kids to catch up in math and science, let them take a glimpse of the future. Check out the New tutorials and demo posting from the TI-series. The TI-INSPIRE series is an eye-opener on the future.

The students of today will find the TI handheld calculator features familiar to menu-given high tech devises like their mobile phones. Watch these videos. Pay particular attention to the New features.

DEMO OF TI-NSPIRE
http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/ti_nspire

DEMO DATA COLLECTION IN MATH & SCIENCE
http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/datacollection/movie.html

The Foundational Model

TI-10 http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/basics/ti10.html
TI-15 http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/basics/ti15.html

TUTORIAL FOR TI-10 & TI-15
http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/special/special.html

TUTORIALS FOR TI-30XS
http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/ti30xs

DEMO TUTORIALS FOR TI-34II
http://learningmedia.ti.com/public/media/ti34/index.html

DEMO TUTORIALS FOR BA II PROFESSIONAL
http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/ti_ba2

DEMO TUTORIALS FOR TI-73
http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/73explorer/TI-73%20Explorer%20Demo/TI-73%20Explorer%20Demo/TI-73_Explorer_content.html

DEMO TUTORIALS FOR TI-84
http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/ti_84

DEMO TUTORIAL TI-89 DOWNLOAD
http://www.watchmeware.com/ti89tutor.html

OVERVIEW

http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/overview

http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/overview/choosetech.html/righttech.html

http://education.ti.com/downloads/multimedia/1015/winlan/overview/profdev.html

CAST - Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (Texas)
Nov. 6 - Nov. 8, 2008

Start Date:
Thu, November 06, 2008
End Date:
Sat, November 08, 2008
Location:
Fort Worth Convention Center
Address:
1201 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Contact:
Karen Hewitt
Phone: (512) 451-STAT [7828]
Email: hewittkaren@yahoo.com

Towards Solving the Math-Science Achievement Gap

2008-07-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Team Member:

My attention is drawn to the Math-Science education deficiency in our public school system. There are too many resources and tools at our disposal for us to continue to flounder. But rather than focus on fault and blame, let us get straight to a proposed solution.

Where to Start

Every computer is equipped with an Accessory Calculator: Standard and Scientific. Some students use the Standard Calculator to perform elementary functions, such as add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Few students explore the uses of the Scientific Calculator and the meaning of its many interesting functions.

Here is a good starting point, using what we have, already preinstalled into the computer itself, yet underutilized and unexplored.

We need a math curriculum that matches the function keys of the Scientific Calculator. Students should become proficient with this free math tool.

Changing Times and Technology

Students can now use handheld calculators on SAT, ACT, AP testing. But by the time students learn of these tools, it’s too late to master. Therefore, most students learn only the elementary functions, and loose out on advanced challenges that puts them into the competitive global arena.

After a 10-year search for the best educational tools in the field of Math and Science, there is none better that the Texas Instrument Math-Science curriculum.

Elementary Mathematics

Middle Grades Mathematics

Algebra

Geometry

Calculus

Statistics

Data Collection

Science

Engineering

Finance

Other Virtual Education Tools

Thank you for taking time out to review this position paper and exercising the links herein. Please send your comments to evansavenue76104@yahoo.com or eddigriffin_basg@yahoo.com

Towards Solving the Math-Science Achievement Crisis in our Schools

2008-07-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Presented By Eddie Griffin

BACKGROUND

I have been advocating a New Math curriculum for the longest, employing the latest tools in technology and a more refined understanding of the Theory of Learning. For example, when I went to prison in 1972 and came out in 1984, it was like entering into a Time Capsule and being teleported into the future.

T-TIME PROGRESSION

Starting from Time T1 … T2… T3… T(x), there was a skip into time for me, especially in mapping the world on a day-to-day basis. I was so far behind the times when I was released that my first blunder was putting a can of beans in a microwave oven.

Technologically, I was behind. But I had read much about the computer while incarcerated. If I ever were going to make a comeback, it would surely come by gaining knowledge in new technology. In 1984, personal computers were still in their infancy.

I was accepted in a vocational training program for machinists and machine shop inspectors. One of my favorite tools was my programmable TI calculator. These calculators are now in their third or fourth generation.

NEW THEORY OF LEARNING

If we ever to make a comeback in global competition, it would surely come by gaining knowledge in new technology. Nationally, we are weak in Math and Science. Yet, we have companies like Texas Instruments living next door, producing all these wonderful math and science tools.

If you were to visit the TI website, you would see what I mean by the New Math curriculum. The site is so rich and chocked full of information and calculator exercises, it is, within, itself a Math and Science curriculum adapt to the modern mode of today’s learning styles.

While school systems are throwing money in their math and science curriculum, trying to close the achievement gap and raising overall academic achievement, we have never considered thinking outside the box, toward companies like Texas Instruments.

Students are not informed that they can use TI calculators on high stakes exams like SAT, ACT, and Advanced Placement course exams.

After examining the deep, deep contents of this link (http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/sectionHome/activitybooks.html),

We should begin to take an integrative approach to teaching math and science, using the TI calculator series from Pre-K to post-grad.

Fort Worth: Panther City:

2008-07-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Where the Panther Laid Down

In Loving Memory of Ms. Hazel Harvey Peace

The Legacy of “The Sleeping Panther”

The story of the sleeping panther - which inspired Fort Worth's nickname, Panther City - is inscribed on a granite plaque near the sculpture. In 1873, a nationwide depression was underway and many believed Fort Worth to be doomed economically. Robert E. Cowart, a former Fort Worth resident who practiced law in Dallas, wrote the Dallas Herald that he had "been to a meeting in Fort Worth the other day and things were so quiet I saw a panther asleep on Main Street, undisturbed by the rush of men or the hum of trade." B.B. Paddock, editor of the Fort Worth Democrat, took these comments as a challenge and had a new masthead engraved with a panther lying in front of the bluff and the motto "Where the Panther Laid Down."

The Panther Symbolism

A founding member of the Texas League in 1888, the Fort Worth Baseball team represented the rough and tumble times of the late 1800’s. The city had earned the nickname Panther City and the team adopted the name Panthers. The club won Texas League championships in 1895, 1905, and 1906, but it wasn’t until the management team of W.K. Stripling, Paul LaGrave, and their fiery manager Jake Atz that a truly special era of baseball was seen in Fort Worth.

From 1919 to 1925 the Fort Worth Panthers won the regular season title seven straight years. They lost the playoff of the 1919 season but for the next six years represented the Texas League in what became the Dixie Series… Amon Carter and other supporters would arrange special trains to transfer die-hard Panther fans to the contests. Five of the six Series Championships were won by Fort Worth, their only loss coming in 1922 to Mobile.

During the late teens and early twenties many major league teams trained in the south of Texas as well as Florida. As they broke camps and headed north the major league teams would play spring exhibitions in Fort Worth, Ty Cobb and the Detroit Tigers, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the New York Yankees, Rogers Hornsby and the St. Louis Cardinals all exhibited their skills in Fort Worth.

NOTE: The first two ballfields were located south of downtown near the T&P Rail station in an area called the Reservation and then Haynes Park. In 1911 J.Walter Morris built Panther Park north of downtown on the west side of Main St. Then, in 1926 W.K. Stripling and Paul LaGrave built a new Panther Park on the east side of Main St at seventh avenue and when Paul died in 1929 renamed it LaGrave Field.

The depression era saw a downtown turn in baseball attendance but Fort Worth continued their championship fortunes. Led by Frank Snyder in 1930, Homer Peel in 1937, and Bob Linton in 1939, Fort Worth again gained championship banners and continued their success in winning all three Dixie Series playoffs.

The I. M. Terrell Panthers

The Panther also was the mascot of I. M. Terrell High School, where Eddie Griffin attended school. The school’s chant:

QUESTION: I’ll be a Panther, who’ll be you?
REPLY: I’ll be a Panther too.

ISAIAH MILLIGAN [I. M.] TERRELL, (1859–1931). Isaiah Milligan Terrell, educator, was born on January 3, 1859, near the city of Anderson in Grimes County, Texas. Terrell was the son of Alexander, a blacksmith and Nancy (Oneil) Terrell. Terrell received a private education taught by two missionaries. He was a graduate of Straight University in New Orleans in 1881 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also received his Master of Arts degree at Straight University.

In 1890 Terrell was named Principal and Superintendent of Colored Schools. The East Ninth Street School was moved to the corner of East Twelfth and Stedman streets in a property trade with the Fort Worth and Denver railroad in 1906, and renamed North Side Colored High School No. 11. In 1909 a bond election provided funds for a new building, which opened in May 1910. I. M. Terrell was named principal and served until 1915. In honor of its former principal, the school was named I. M. Terrell High School in 1921.

Hazel Harvey Peace (1907-2008)

Ms. Hazel Harvey Peace, 100, died June 8, 2008 at her Fort Worth home.

During her nearly 50-year career with the Fort Worth school district, Ms. Peace taught English, coached debate, and was a counselor, dean of girls and vice principal at I.M. Terrell High School.

Born August 4, 1907 in Panther City when “Fort Worth was still nothing but dirt”, Hazel Harvey Peace’s first aspirations were to become a lawyer but changed her mind.
"There was only one Negro lawyer in Fort Worth, and he was riding a bicycle and I didn't want to ride a bicycle," she said in an oral history for UNT.

Ms. Peace graduated from Fort Worth Colored High School when she was 13 years old and received her bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1923. She then began teaching at her alma mater, which had been renamed I.M. Terrell High School.
She taught generations of students many things outside standard curriculum, from proper posture and conduct to access to public libraries.

As the Terrell High School debate coach, she realized that while her students could not use the reference materials in the Fort Worth central library, they could demand to see the federal documents housed at the Texas Christian University Library.
When she took her debaters to the TCU library and requested the federal documents, the librarian asked if they would like to use the periodical room.

"I said, 'I definitely would,'” she said decades later. “I took my children in there and we spent the day there using the documents."

She also enrolled in Columbia University in New York, where she took courses in drama and stage building. She earned a master's degree in four summers.

She later continued to study in the summers at Vassar College, Atlanta University and Hampton College.

Ms. Peace put considerable effort into giving the Terrell students things other Fort Worth students had, including college preparatory classes.
While working with drama students, she enlisted the help of the shop teacher to build the school's first stage set.

I. M. Terrell: Eddie Griffin, Student-Teacher, Math (1963)

As I reflect, Ms. Peace, then vice principal of I. M. Terrell High School invited me to present a demonstration of the New Math to the PTA. Nobody else knew the “new math”, not even our math teacher, Mrs. Mabel Smith. As it turned out, I tutored Mrs. Smith in the new math and taught our junior class.

I had skipped the regular math curriculum by 1958, while in the 6th grade. Mr. Parker at Carroll M. Peak allowed me to run in math. By the end of the school year, I had completed every problem in every math book from the 6th to the 9th grade.

When I reached James E. Guinn Middle School, I began receiving my math lessons in the mail. That was when I learned the binary system and the different number bases, and concept such as inequalities. This was the “new math” in preparation of the coming computer age.

WANTED ALIVE: Copper Thieves

2008-06-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

REWARD: $5,000 Bounty

The Fort Worth Independent School District is taking the unprecedented step of offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons who stole copper and aluminum from twenty-two rooftop air conditioning units and two condensing units at Polytechnic High School.

The thefts occurred over the weekend of June 13-16 and overnight June 16-17. The air conditioning units affected by the theft provide conditioned air to at least half of Poly High School. The anticipated repair costs for material alone amount to at least $132,000 according to Louis Alonzo, District Executive Director of Maintenance. Labor and installation will add to that total.

TAKS review classes had been scheduled for the affected section of the building. Principal Gary Braudaway has made arrangements for the TAKS review sessions to be held in other classrooms not affected by the theft of equipment.

“It’s hard to comprehend why people would steal from schools, impacting the learning environment of the children of this community,” said Superintendent Melody Johnson. “We will aggressively pursue the prosecution of anyone connected with this theft. This is a major loss at a time when the Fort Worth ISD can least afford it.”

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Fort Worth Police Department.

Mrs. Hazel Harvey Peace Passes at a Century

2008-06-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

The passing of Mrs. Hazel Harvey Peace, our revered matriarch of education, closes a 100-year chapter in African-American legacy. For better or worse, she helped shape and mold us into what we have become, as a generation. The shadow of her wings stretched over five generations of kids who grew up in the old I.M. Terrell high school tradition. Without repute, she was the greatest role model of our times.

Before the dams break and all the emotional waters of my reservoir come streaming out, let me relish in my reflections of Mrs. Peace, and what she made us feel ourselves to be.

“You can be anything you want to be,” she said defiantly. In the face of a segregated and prejudicial society, she made us believe what nobody else believed, that we had great potential. Mrs. Peace made us believe in ourselves.

When the City of Fort Worth celebrated her centennial birthday on August 4, 2007, it was the first time we realized her true age. Some of us had been guessing for years, and even she thought that she was four years older. It was one of her secret stories of how she disputed with her mother over her true age. And, it was only in her latter years that would she admit it.

Every child who gathered under her wings, from the 1920s to 2008, holds a special place as “one of her children”. To her, we were always “young men” and “young ladies”. She made us feel so grown up and responsible.

She was as feared in her heydays as vice principal as she was revered. All of us, no matter how big or how old, feared this little 98-pound maiden. Just the inflection of her voice caused terror in our hearts. But few students lay across the vice principle’s chair and got paddled by Mrs. Peace.

“I have never whipped a student in my life,” she said, as she directed me to lean over the chair. “But you are an exception.”

Some years later, I asked if she had ever whipped another student. She shouted back, “No! And if you ever tell anyone, I’ll disown you.”

There were other famous alumni who claimed a shellacking from Mrs. Peace. Just to have been chastened by her was considered an honor. And, sometimes her verbal lashing inside the secret chambers of the VP office was more of a beating than she could deliver with a strap. But Eddie Griffin got the real leather.

It was 1963, my best year ever in high school. I was Number One in my class and a student-teacher in our math class. That was the way Mrs. Peace should have remembered the math whiz kid, Eddie Griffin. But she would not have been utterly shocked at Eddie Griffin, the Black Panther bank.

Mrs. Peace should have forgotten Eddie Griffin after my 12 years of incarceration. But she remembered. Though her memory would fade over the next 24 years, she would remember the little math whiz kid.

On her 100th birthday, I took three of my grandchildren to the public library to celebrate the occasion and take pictures with her. I knelt before her rocky chair and presented her my grand babies. The newspaperman took their picture, if for no more than posterity sake.

The book of the times is now closed on this chapter. And Mrs. Hazel Harvey Peace is but a treasured memory. The thousands of children under the wing of her tutelage will sprout wings of their own and bring forth a new generation of educated children. And, in the memory bank of Eddie Griffin, I will remember that episode in 1963.

It was unheard of that an honor student would play hooky from school, just to hang out in the pool hall with dropouts. “Unheard of,” Mrs. Peace shouted as she lifted up off her small frame onto her tiptoes to slam my behind with a leather belt. Unheard of!

We were supposed to be the best that our race had to offer the world. We were the brightest of our generation. We were the generation to whom much was given and much was required. Unheard of, she repeated each time the leather slapped my butt: Unheard of to waste such potential.

Mass Media, Mass Psychology, and Brainwashing

2008-04-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

While I have been watching ABC News shenanigans with Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos mis-conducting the presidential debate, Brave New Films has been watch FOX systematic butcher job on Barack Obama on another channel. Such bias blatancy violates good conscious and public trust.

See for yourself

Brave New Films recently released the latest episode of the gameshow sensation sweeping the nation: THE FOX IS WRONG: OBAMA!

BLOGGER CONTACT
Nichole Wicks
Press Officer
BraVe New Films
10510 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
office: 310/204.0448
mobile: 310.279.8036
nichole@bravenewfoundation.org
www.bravenewfilms.org
AIM: wicksn71

Bob Blauner on Race & Racism

2008-04-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

A Study in Race Relations

“Talking Past Each Other: Black and White Languages of Race” by BOB BLAUNER

Born in Chicago to Jewish lower middle class parents, Bob Blauner studied at the University of Chicago and received his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has been a professor of sociology since 1963. His first major scholarly work was Alienation and Freedom: The Factory Worker and His Industry (1964). His later works, include Racial Oppression in America (1972) and Black Lives, White Lives: Three Decades of Race Relations in America (1989). In the following essay, Blauner reflects on some of the borders to be negotiated if black and white Americans are to achieve a permanent understanding.

For many African-Americans who came of age in the 1960s, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 was a defining moment in the development of their personal racial consciousness. For a slightly older group, the 1955 lynching of the fourteen-year-old Chicagoan Emmett Till in Mississippi had been a similar awakening. Now we have the protest and violence in Los Angeles and other cities in late April and early May of 1992, spurred by the jury acquittal of four policemen who beat motorist Rodney King.

The aftermath of the Rodney King verdict, unlike any other recent racial violence, will be seared into the memories of Americans of all colors, changing the way they see each other and their society. Spring 1992 marked the first time since the 1960s that incidents of racial injustice against an African-American—and by extension the black community—have seized the entire nation's imagination. Even highly publicized racial murders, such as those of African-American men in two New York City neighborhoods—Howard Beach (1986) and Bensonhurst (1989)—stirred the consciences of only a minority of whites. The response to the Rodney King verdict is thus a long-overdue reminder that whites still have the capacity to feel deeply about white racism—when they can see it in unambiguous terms.

The videotaped beating by four Los Angeles police officers provided this concreteness. To be sure, many whites focused their response on the subsequent black rioting, while the anger of blacks tended to remain fixed on the verdict itself. However, whites initially were almost as upset as blacks: An early poll reported that 86 percent of European-Americans disagreed with the jury's decision. The absence of any black from the jury and the trial's venue, Simi Valley, a lily-white suburban community, enabled mainstream whites to see the parallels with the Jim Crow justice of the old South. When we add to this mixture the widespread disaffection, especially of young people, with the nation's political and economic conditions, it is easier to explain the scale of white emotional involvement, unprecedented in a matter of racial protest since the 1960s.

In thirty years of teaching, I have never seen my students so overwrought, needing to talk, eager to do something. This response at the University of California at Berkeley cut across the usual fault lines of intergroup tension, as it did at high schools in Northern California. Assemblies, marches, and class discussions took place all over the nation in predominantly white as well as nonwhite and integrated high schools. Considering that there were also incidents where blacks assaulted white people, the scale of white involvement is even more impressive.

While many whites saw the precipitating events as expressions of racist conduct, they were much less likely than blacks to see them as part of some larger pattern of racism. Thus two separate polls found that only half as many whites as blacks believe that the legal system treats whites better than blacks. (In each poll, 43 percent of whites saw such a generalized double standard, in contrast to 84 percent of blacks in one survey, 89 percent in the other.)

This gap is not surprising. For twenty years European-Americans have tended to feel that systematic racial inequities marked an earlier era, not our own. Psychological denial and a kind of post-1960s exhaustion may both be factors in producing the sense among mainstream whites that civil rights laws and other changes resolved blacks' racial grievances, if not the economic basis of urban problems. But the gap in perceptions of racism also reflects a deeper difference. Whites and blacks see racial issues through different lenses and use different scales to weigh and assess injustice.

I am not saying that blacks and whites have totally disparate value systems and worldviews. I think we were more polarized in the late 1960s. It was then that I began a twenty-year interview study of racial consciousness published in 1989 as Black Lives, White Lives. By 1979 blacks and whites had come closer together on many issues than they had been in 1968. In the late 1970s and again in the mid-to-late 1980s, both groups were feeling quite pessimistic about the nation's direction. They agreed that America had become a more violent nation and that people were more individualistic and less bound by such traditional values as hard work, personal responsibility, and respect for age and authority. But with this and other convergences, there remained a striking gap in the way European-Americans and African-Americans evaluated racial change. Whites were impressed by the scale of integration, the size of the black middle class, and the extent of demonstrable progress. Blacks were disillusioned with integration, concerned about the people who had been left behind, and much more negative in their overall assessment of change.

In the 1990s this difference in general outlook led to different reactions to specific racial issues. That is what makes the shared revulsion over the Rodney King verdict a significant turning point, perhaps even an opportunity to begin bridging the gap between black and white definitions of the racial situation.

I want to advance the proposition that there are two languages of race in America. I am not talking about black English and standard English, which refer to different structures of grammar and dialect. "Language" here signifies a system of implicit understandings about social reality, and a racial language encompasses a worldview.
Blacks and whites differ on their interpretations of social change from the 1960s through the 1990s because their racial languages define the central terms, especially "racism," differently. Their racial languages incorporate different views of American society itself, especially the question of how central race and racism are to America's very existence, past and present. Blacks believe in this centrality, while most whites, except for the more race-conscious extremists, see race as a peripheral reality. Even successful, middle-class black professionals experience slights and humiliations—incidents when they are stopped by police, regarded suspiciously by clerks while shopping, or mistaken for messengers, drivers, or aides at work—that remind them they have not escaped racism's reach. For whites, race becomes central on exceptional occasions: collective, public moments such as the recent events, when the veil is lifted, and private ones, such as a family's decision to escape urban problems with a move to the suburbs. But most of the time European-Americans are able to view racial issues as aberrations in American life, much as Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates used the term "aberration" to explain his officers' beating of Rodney King in March 1991.

Because of these differences in language and worldview, blacks and whites often talk past one another, just as men and women sometimes do. I first noticed this in my classes, particularly during discussions of racism. Whites locate racism in color consciousness and its absence in color blindness. They regard it as a kind of racism when students of color insistently underscore their sense of difference, their affirmation of ethnic and racial membership, which minority students have increasingly asserted. Many black, and increasingly also Latino and Asian, students cannot understand this reaction. It seems to them misinformed, even ignorant. They in turn sense a kind of racism in the whites' assumption that minorities must assimilate to mainstream values and styles. Then African-Americans will posit an idea that many whites find preposterous: Black people, they argue, cannot be racist, because racism is a system of power, and black people as a group do not have power.

In this and many other arenas, a contest rages over the meaning of racism. Racism has become the central term in the language of race. From the 1940s through the 1980s new and multiple meanings of racism have been added to the social science lexicon and public discourse. The 1960s were especially critical for what the English sociologist Robert Miles has called the "inflation" of the term "racism." Blacks tended to embrace the enlarged definitions, whites to resist them. This conflict, in my view, has been at the very center of the racial struggle during the past decade.

The Widening Conception of Racism

The term "racism" was not commonly used in social science or American public life until the 1960s. "Racism" does not appear, for example, in the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal's classic 1944 study of American race relations, An American Dilemma. But even when the term was not directly used, it is still possible to determine the prevailing understandings of racial oppression.

In the 1940s racism referred to an ideology, an explicit system of beliefs 14 postulating the superiority of whites based on the inherent, biological inferiority of the colored races. Ideological racism was particularly associated with the belief systems of the Deep South and was originally devised as a rationale for slavery. Theories of white supremacy, particularly in their biological versions, lost much of their legitimacy after the Second World War due to their association with Nazism. In recent years cultural explanations of "inferiority" are heard more commonly than biological ones, which today are associated with such extremist "hate groups" as the Ku Klux Klan and the White Aryan Brotherhood.

By the 1950s and early 1960s, with ideological racism discredited, the focus shifted to a more discrete approach to racially invidious attitudes and behavior, expressed in the model of prejudice and discrimination. "Prejudice" referred (and still does) to hostile feelings and beliefs about racial minorities and the web of stereotypes justifying such negative attitudes. "Discrimination" referred to actions meant to harm the members of a racial minority group. The logic of this model was that racism implied a double standard, that is, treating a person of color differently—in mind or action—than one would a member of the majority group.

By the mid-1960s the terms "prejudice" and "discrimination" and the implicit model of racial causation implied by them were seen as too weak to explain the sweep of racial conflict and change, too limited in their analytical power, and for some critics too individualistic in their assumptions. Their original meanings tended to be absorbed by a new, more encompassing idea of racism. During the 1960s the referents of racial oppression moved from individual actions and beliefs to group and institutional processes, from subjective ideas to "objective" structures or results. Instead of intent, there was now an emphasis on process: those more objective social processes of exclusion, exploitation, and discrimination that led to a racially stratified society.

The most notable of these new definitions was "institutional racism." In their 1967 book Black Power, Stokely Carmichael and Charles Hamilton stressed how institutional racism was different and more fundamental than individual racism. Racism, in this view, was built into society and scarcely required prejudicial attitudes to maintain racial oppression.

This understanding of racism as pervasive and institutionalized spread from relatively narrow "movement" and academic circles to the larger public with the appearance in 1968 of the report of the commission on the urban riots appointed by President Lyndon Johnson and chaired by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. The Kerner Commission identified "white racism" as a prime reality of American society and the major underlying cause of ghetto unrest. America, in this view, was moving toward two societies, one white and one black (it is not clear where other racial minorities fit in). Although its recommendations were never acted upon politically, the report legitimated the term "white racism" among politicians and opinion leaders as a key to analyzing racial inequality in America.

Another definition of racism, which I would call "racism as atmosphere," also emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. This is the idea that an organization or an environment might be racist because its implicit, unconscious structures were devised for the use and comfort of white people, with the result that people of other races will not feel at home in such settings. Acting on this understanding of racism, many schools and universities, corporations, and other institutions have changed their teaching practices or work environments to encourage a greater diversity in their clientele, students, or work force.

Perhaps the most radical definition of all was the concept of "racism as result." In this sense, an institution or an occupation is racist simply because racial minorities are underrepresented in numbers or in positions of prestige and authority.

Seizing on different conceptions of racism, the blacks and whites I talked to in the late 1970s had come to different conclusions about how far America had moved toward racial justice. Whites tended to adhere to earlier, more limited notions of racism. Blacks for the most part saw the newer meanings as more basic. Thus African-Americans did not think racism had been put to rest by civil rights laws, even by the dramatic changes in the South. They felt that it still pervaded American life, indeed, had become more insidious because the subtle forms were harder to combat than old-fashioned exclusion and persecution.

Whites saw racism largely as a thing of the past. They defined it in terms of segregation and lynching, explicit white supremacist beliefs, or double standards in hiring, promotion, and admissions to colleges or other institutions. Except for affirmative action, which seemed the most blatant expression of such double standards, they were positively impressed by racial change. Many saw the relaxed and comfortable relations between whites and blacks as the heart of the matter. More crucial to blacks, on the other hand, were the underlying structures of power and position that continued to provide them with unequal portions of economic opportunity and other possibilities for the good life.

The newer, expanded definitions of racism just do not make much sense to most whites. I have experienced their frustrations directly when I try to explain the concept of institutional racism to white students and popular audiences. The idea of racism as an "impersonal force" loses all but the most theoretically inclined. Whites are more likely than blacks to view racism as a personal issue. Both sensitive to their own possible culpability (if only unconsciously) and angry at the use of the concept of racism by angry minorities, they do not differentiate well between the racism of social structures and the accusation that they as participants in that structure are personally racist.

The new meanings make sense to blacks, who live such experiences in their bones. But by 1979 many of the African-Americans in my study, particularly the older activists, were critical of the use of racism as a blanket explanation for all manifestations of racial inequality. Long before similar ideas were voiced by the black conservatives, many blacks sensed that too heavy an emphasis on racism led to the false conclusion that blacks could only progress through a conventional civil rights strategy of fighting prejudice and discrimination. (This strategy, while necessary, had proved very limited.) Overemphasizing racism, they feared, was interfering with the black community's ability to achieve greater self-determination through the politics of self-help. In addition, they told me that the prevailing rhetoric of the 1960s had affected many young blacks. Rather than taking responsibility for their own difficulties, they were now using racism as a "cop-out."

In public life today this analysis is seen as part of the conservative discourse on race. Yet I believe that this position originally was a progressive one, developed out of self-critical reflections on the relative failure of 1960s movements. But perhaps because it did not seem to be "politically correct," the left-liberal community, black as well as white, academic as well as political, has been afraid of embracing such a critique. As a result, the neoconservatives had a clear field to pick up this grass-roots sentiment and to use it to further their view that racism is no longer significant in American life. This is the last thing that my informants and other savvy African-Americans close to the pulse of their communities believe.

By the late 1970s the main usage of racism in the mind of the white public had undoubtedly become that of "reverse racism." The primacy of "reverse racism" as "the really important racism" suggests that the conservatives and the liberal-center have, in effect, won the battle over the meaning of racism.

Perhaps this was inevitable because of the long period of backlash against all the progressive movements of the 1960s. But part of the problem may have been the inflation of the idea of racism. While institutional racism exists, such a concept loses practical utility if every thing and every place is racist. In that case, there is effectively nothing to be done about it. And without conceptual tools to distinguish what is important from what is not, we are lost in the confusion of multiple meanings.

Back to Basics

While public discourse was discounting white racism as exaggerated or a thing of the past, the more traditional forms of bigotry, harassment, and violence were unfortunately making a comeback. (This upsurge actually began in the early 1980s but was not well noticed, due to some combination of media inattention and national mood.) What was striking about the Bernhard Goetz subway shootings in New York, the white-on-black racial violence in Howard Beach, the rise of organized hate groups, campus racism, and skinhead violence is that these are all examples of old-fashioned racism. They illustrate the power and persistence of racial prejudices and hate crimes in the tradition of classical lynchings. They are precisely the kind of phenomena that many social analysts expected to diminish, as I did.

If there was one positive effect of this upsurge, it was to alert many whites to the destructive power of racial hatred and division in American life. At the same time, these events also repolarized racial attitudes in America. They have contributed to the anger and alienation of the black middle class and the rapid rise of Afrocentrism, particularly among college students.

As the gap in understanding has widened, several social scientists have proposed restricting the concept of racism to its original, more narrow meaning. However, the efforts of African-Americans to enlarge the meaning of racism is part of that group's project to make its view of the world and of American society competitive with the dominant white perspective. In addition, the "inflated" meanings of racism are already too rooted in common speech to be overturned by the advice of experts. And certainly some way is needed to convey the pervasive and systematic character of racial oppression. No other term does this as well as racism.

The question then becomes what to do about these multiple and confusing meanings of racism and their extraordinary personal and political charge. I would begin by honoring both the black and white readings of the term. Such an attitude might help facilitate the interracial dialogue so badly needed and yet so rare today.

Communication can only start from the understandings that people have. While the black understanding of racism is, in some sense, the deeper one, the white views of racism (ideology, double standard) refer to more specific and recognizable beliefs and practices. Since there is also a crossracial consensus on the immorality of racist ideology and racial discrimination, it makes sense whenever possible to use such a concrete referent as discrimination, rather than the more global concept of racism. And reemphasizing discrimination may help remind the public that racial discrimination is not just a legacy of the past.

The intellectual power of the African-American understanding lies in its more critical and encompassing perspective. In the Rodney King events, we have an unparalleled opportunity to bridge the racial gap by pointing out that racism and racial division remain essential features of American life and that incidents such as police beatings of minority people and stacked juries are not aberrations but part of a larger pattern of racial abuse and harassment. Without resorting to the overheated rhetoric that proved counterproductive in the 1960s, it now may be possible to persuade white Americans that the most important patterns of discrimination and disadvantage are not to be found in the "reverse racism" of affirmative action but sadly still in the white racism of the dominant social system. And, when feasible, we need to try to bridge the gap by shifting from the language of race to that of ethnicity and class.

Race or Ethnicity?

In the American consciousness the imagery of race—especially along the black-white dimension—tends to be more powerful than that of class or ethnicity. As a result, legitimate ethnic affiliations are often misunderstood to be racial and illegitimate.

Race itself is a confusing concept because of the variance between scientific and common sense definitions of the term. Physical anthropologists who study the distribution of those characteristics we use to classify "races" teach us that race is a fiction because all peoples are mixed to various degrees. Sociologists counter that this biological fiction unfortunately remains a sociological reality. People define one anther racially, and thus divide society into racial groups. The "fiction" of race affects every aspect of people's lives, from living standards to landing in jail.

The consciousness of color differences, and the invidious distinctions based on them, have existed since antiquity and are not limited to any one corner of the world. And yet the peculiarly modern division of the world into a discrete number of hierarchically ranked races is a historic product of Western colonialism. In precolonial Africa the relevant group identities were national, tribal, or linguistic. There was no concept of an African or black people until this category was created by the combined effects of slavery, imperialism, and the anticolonial and Pan-African movements. The legal definitions of blackness and whiteness, which varied from one society to another in the Western hemisphere, were also crucial for the construction of modern-day races. Thus race is an essentially political construct, one that translates our tendency to see people in terms of their color or other physical attributes into structures that make it likely that people will act for or against them on such a basis.

The dynamic of ethnicity is different, even though the results at times may be similar. An ethnic group is a group that shares a belief in its common past. Members of an ethnic group hold a set of common memories that make them feel that their customs, culture, and outlook are distinctive. In short, they have a sense of peoplehood. Sharing critical experiences and sometimes a belief in their common fate, they feel an affinity for one another, a "comfort zone" that leads to congregating together, even when this is not forced by exclusionary barriers. Thus if race is associated with biology and nature, ethnicity is associated with culture. Like races, ethnic groups arise historically, transform themselves, and sometimes die out.

Much of the popular discourse about race in America today goes awry because ethnic realities get lost under the racial umbrella. The positive meanings and potential of ethnicity are overlooked, even overrun, by the more inflammatory meanings of race. Thus white students, disturbed when blacks associate with each other, justify their objections through their commitment to racial integration. They do not appreciate the ethnic affinities that bring this about, or see the parallels to Jewish students meeting at the campus Hillel Foundation or Italian-Americans eating lunch at the Italian house on the Berkeley campus.

When blacks are "being ethnic," whites see them as "being racial." Thus they view the identity politics of students who want to celebrate their blackness, their chicanoismo, their Asian heritages, and their American Indian roots as racially offensive. Part of this reaction comes from a sincere desire, almost a yearning, of white students for a color-blind society. But because the ethnicity of darker people so often gets lost in our overracialized perceptions, the white students misread the situation. When I point out to my class that whites are talking about race and its dynamics and the students of color are talking about ethnicity and its differing meaning, they can begin to appreciate each other's agendas.

Confounding race and ethnicity is not just limited to the young. The general public, including journalists and other opinion makers, does this regularly, with serious consequences for the clarity of public dialogue and sociological analysis. A clear example comes from the Chicago mayoral election of 1983. The establishment press, including leading liberal columnists, regularly chastised the black electorate for giving virtually all its votes to Harold Washington. Such racial voting was as "racist" as whites voting for the other candidate because they did not want a black mayor. Yet African-Americans were voting for ethnic representation just as Irish-Americans, Jews, and Italians have always done. Such ethnic politics is considered the American way. What is discriminatory is the double standard that does not confer the same rights on blacks, who were not voting primarily out of fear or hatred as were many whites.

Such confusions between race and ethnicity are exacerbated by the ambiguous sociological status of African-Americans. Black Americans are both a race and an ethnic group. Unfortunately, part of our heritage of racism has been to deny the ethnicity, the cultural heritage of black Americans. Liberal-minded whites have wanted to see blacks as essentially white people with black skins. Until the 1960s few believed that black culture was a real ethnic culture.

Because our racial language is so deep-seated, the terminology of black and white just seems more "natural" and commonsensical than more ethnic labels like African-American or European-American. But the shift to the term African-American has been a conscious attempt to move the discourse from a language of race to a language of ethnicity. "African-American," as Jesse Jackson and others have pointed out, connects the group to its history and culture in a way that the racial designation, black, does not. The new usage parallels terms for other ethnic groups. Many whites tend to dismiss this concern about language as mere sloganeering. But "African-American" fits better into the emerging multicultural view of American ethnic and racial arrangements, one more appropriate to our growing diversity. The old race relations model was essentially a view that generalized (often inappropriately) from black-white relations. It can no longer capture—if it ever could—the complexity of a multiracial and multicultural society.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that African-Americans are not a homogeneous group. They comprise a variety of distinct ethnicities. There are the West Indians with their long histories in the U.S., the darker Puerto Ricans (some of whom identify themselves as black), the more recently arrived Dominicans, Haitians, and immigrants from various African countries, as well as the native-born African-Americans, among whom regional distinctions can also take on a quasi-ethnic flavor.

Blacks from the Caribbean are especially likely to identify with their homeland rather than taking on a generic black or even African-American identity. While they may resist the dynamic of "racialization" and even feel superior to native blacks, the dynamic is relentless. Their children are likely to see themselves as part of the larger African-American population. And yet many native-born Americans of African descent also resist the term "African-American," feeling very little connection to the original homeland. Given the diversity in origin and outlook of America's largest minority, it is inevitable that no single concept can capture its full complexity or satisfy all who fall within its bounds.

For white Americans, race does not overwhelm ethnicity. Whites see the ethnicity of other whites; it is their own whiteness they tend to overlook. But even when race is recognized, it is not conflated with ethnicity. Jews, for example, clearly distinguish their Jewishness from their whiteness. Yet the long-term dynamic still favors the development of a dominant white racial identity. Except for recent immigrants, the various European ethnic identities have been rapidly weakening. Vital ethnic communities persist in some cities, particularly on the East Coast. But many whites, especially the young, have such diverse ethnic heritages that they have no meaningful ethnic affiliation. In my classes only the Jews among European-Americans retain a strong sense of communal origin.

Instead of dampening the ethnic enthusiasms of the racial minorities, perhaps it would be better to encourage the revitalization of whites' European heritages. But a problem with this approach is that the relationship between race and ethnicity is more ambiguous for whites than for people of color. Although for many white groups ethnicity has been a stigma, it also has been used to gain advantages that have marginalized blacks and other racial minorities. Particularly for working-class whites today, ethnic community loyalties are often the prism through which they view their whiteness, their superiority.

Thus the line between ethnocentrism and racism is a thin one, easily crossed—as it was by Irish-Americans who resisted the integration of South Boston's schools in the 1970s and by many of the Jews and Italians that sociologist Jonathan Rieder describes in his 1985 book Canarsie.

White students today complain of a double standard. Many feel that their college administrations sanction organization and identification for people of color, but not for them. If there can be an Asian business organization and a black student union, why can't there be a white business club or a white student alliance? I'd like to explain to them that students of color are organized ethnically, not racially, that whites have Hillel and the Italian theme house. But this makes little practical sense when such loyalties are just not that salient for the vast majority.

Out of this vacuum the emerging identity of "European-American" has come into vogue. I interpret the European-American idea as part of a yearning for a usable past. Europe is associated with history and culture. "America" and "American" can no longer be used to connote white people. "White" itself is a racial term and thereby inevitably associated with our nation's legacy of social injustice.

At various California colleges and high schools, European-American clubs have begun to form, provoking debate about whether it is inherently racist for whites to organize as whites—or as European-Americans. Opponents invoke the racial analogy and see such organizations as akin to exclusive white supremacist groups. Their defenders argue from an ethnic model, saying that they are simply looking for a place where they can feel at home and discuss their distinctive personal and career problems. The jury is still out on this new and, I suspect, burgeoning phenomenon. It will take time to discover its actual social impact.

If the European-Americans forming their clubs are truly organizing on an ethnic or panethnic rather than a racial model, I would have to support these efforts. Despite all the ambiguities, it seems to me a gain in social awareness when a specific group comes to be seen in ethnic rather than racial terms. During the period of the mass immigration of the late nineteenth century and continuing through the 1920s, Jews, Italians, and other white ethnics were viewed racially. We no longer hear of the "Hebrew race," and it is rare for Jewish distinctiveness to be attributed to biological rather than cultural roots. Of course, the shift from racial to ethnic thinking did not put an end to anti-Semitism in the United States-or to genocide in Germany, where racial imagery was obviously intensified.

It is unrealistic to expect that the racial groupings of American society can be totally "deconstructed," as a number of scholars now are advocating. After all, African-Americans and native Americans, who were not immigrants, can never be exactly like other ethnic groups. Yet a shift in this direction would begin to move our society from a divisive biracialism to a more inclusive multiculturalism.

To return to the events of spring 1992, I ask what was different about these civil disturbances. Considering the malign neglect of twelve Reagan-Bush years, the almost two decades of economic stagnation, and the retreat of the public from issues of race and poverty, the violent intensity should hardly be astonishing.

More striking was the multiracial character of the response. In the San Francisco Bay area, rioters were as likely to be white as nonwhite. In Los Angeles, Latinos were prominent among both the protesters and the victims. South Central Los Angeles is now more Hispanic than black, and this group suffered perhaps 60 percent of the property damage. The media have focused on the specific grievances of African-Americans toward Koreans. But I would guess that those who trashed Korean stores were protesting something larger than even the murder of a fifteen-year-old black girl. Koreans, along with other immigrants, continue to enter the country and in a relatively short time surpass the economic and social position of the black poor. The immigrant advantage is real and deeply resented by African-Americans, who see that the two most downtrodden minorities are those that did not enter the country voluntarily.

During the 1960s the police were able to contain riots within the African-American community. This time Los Angeles police were unable to do so. Even though the South Central district suffered most, there was also much destruction in other areas including Hollywood, downtown, and the San Fernando Valley, In the San Francisco Bay area the violence occurred primarily in the white business sections, not the black neighborhoods of Oakland, San Francisco, or Berkeley. The violence that has spilled out of the inner city is a distillation of all the human misery that a white middle-class society has been trying to contain-albeit unsuccessfully (consider the homeless). As in the case of an untreated infection, the toxic substances finally break out, threatening to contaminate the entire organism.

Will this widened conflict finally lead Americans toward a recognition of our common stake in the health of the inner cities and their citizens, or toward increased fear and division? The Emmett Till lynching in 1955 set the stage for the first mass mobilization of the civil rights movement, the Montgomery bus boycott later that year. Martin Luther King's assassination provided the impetus for the institution of affirmative action and other social programs. The Rodney King verdict and its aftermath must also become not just a psychologically defining moment but an impetus to a new mobilization of political resolve.

Working with the Text

1. Blauner states that in his experience, most whites find it difficult to make sense of the concept of institutional racism, in part because they "do not differentiate well between the racism of social structures and the accusation that they as participants in that structure are personally racist." The concept makes sense to blacks, however, because they "live such experiences in their bones." How do you respond to this conclusion?

2. Blauner's white students often regard the desire of blacks or Hispanics or Asian-Americans to create racially exclusive groups as "reverse racism." In what ways does Blauner feel that considering such groups in the context of ethnicity can help his white students get beyond this view? Do you agree?

3. Blauner advocates the term African-American and also sometimes uses the term European-American instead of white? Why? Do you agree with his reasoning?

4. In discussing the disadvantages of encouraging "the revitalization of whites' European heritages" Blauner suggests that "the line between ethnocentricism and racism is a thin one." Why, then, does Blauner tentatively support the emergence of European-American clubs on college campuses?

5. Blauner suggests that the "shared revulsion over the Rodney King verdict" in 1992 was a "significant turning point, perhaps even an opportunity to begin bridging the gap between black and white definitions of the racial situation." Considering black and white attitudes about the "racial situation" today, what do you think of Blauner's prediction?

6. Choose an event more recent than the Rodney King verdict that changed black and white definitions of the racial situation. Working collaboratively with a group of your classmates, research the event by reading old periodical accounts. (If you have not yet done so, this would be a good time to learn how to find and read newspapers on microfilm.) Make a brief presentation of your research to the class, dividing the task among the researchers so that each is responsible for a segment related to—but not reiterating—the others.

The Dog, The Cat, and The Rat

2008-03-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

NOW SHOWING: The Dog, The Cat, and The Rat

An interesting and beautiful thought

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them.

MoveOn Offers $20,000 in Equipment for Best Obama ad

2008-03-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

MoveOn.org has a message for all filmmakers, writers, directors, actors, editors, composers, graphic artists, and animators: Whether you're a total amateur or a total pro, now is the time to use your creativity to help Barack Obama win. We're launching an ad contest: "Obama in 30 Seconds."

Powered by grassroots enthusiasm, Obama has won the most states and the most delegates. But the race isn't over, and we've got to pull out all the stops to help him across the finish line.

We're counting on you to make amazing ads in the next three weeks. Then, MoveOn members and the public will rate the ads, and a panel of top artists, netroots heroes, and filmmaking professionals will pick the winner from among top ads. We'll air the winning ad nationally, and the winner will receive a gift certificate for $20,000 in video equipment.

Whether you're definitely interested or need time to think about it, sign up today (in the upper-right corner of the screen) for updates—so we can keep you in the loop. Then, check out the guidelines and tips on making a great ad, gather up your friends or find collaborators here, and get started!

Black Boy Series

2008-03-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Black Boy: Part 1

Black Boy: Part 2

Black Boy: Part 3

Eddie Griffin Commentary

2008-03-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Eddie Griffin could care less about what happens to this big green basketball called Earth. His mind is on heavenly visions. So, don’t get me started, Today, Friday, March 07, 2008.

One Flew Over the Coo-Coo Nest: Part 1

I put all of my eggs into one basket, all of my earthly possessions and money goes to my grandchildren. I have barely less to live on a Disabled Veteran check. Like most black grandparents, I financially support my grandchildren because my son cannot make it himself working for minimum wage, and trying to support two stepchildren. Grandpa has to step up to his calling to see that the “forsaken” grandchildren are not neglected.

So what if my former daughter-in-law is white and my grandchildren mixed, I am still grandpa.

I can understand why the rest of my family does not support my white daughter-in-law. My 81-year old mother still has bad memories of white people. She grew up on a sharecropper plantation in East Texas, during the time of the great lynching. The pain never went away.

I come from an old traditional black family that distances their relatives by birthright. I am the stepson with a stepson, with grandkids by mixed marriage. Call it my own white burden, after my daughter-in-law divorced by son while he was in prison. I have gone through hell defending my former daughter-in-law because I give her hundreds of dollars each month.

The rest of my family will not do it. But I am still grandpa.

One Flew Over the Coo-Coo Nest

2008-03-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

One flew East
One flew West
One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Is this your future?

From John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama

2008-03-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

By Eddie Griffin

Monday, March 03, 2008

Not many people remember when the yellow lights first silhouetted the downtown skyscrapers in Fort Worth. It was November 21, 1963 the night John F. Kennedy had come to town. The city wanted to make an impression. We wanted the president to see our little town from the air as he flew into Mecham Field on Air Force One.

I was a 17-year old high school honor student at the time, excited at the prospect of seeing my first U.S. President. It was the age of Camelot, when hope reigned in a neglected and downtrodden black community. Kennedy had brought hope to a nation divided by the color line. But we had no hint of the imminent tragedy that lay ahead.

As the presidential motorcade rolled up to the Texas Hotel, I joined the crowd across the street, on an empty lot along Ninth and Commerce. Most of us colored folk watched from a respectable distance from afar, lest we should infringe upon the white right of passage to get as close to the president.

The yellow lights never went out and continue to burn in downtown Fort Worth even today, some 45 years later. In fact, the city was all aglow when the Obama Express came through Fort Worth like the Santa Fe on the night of February 28, 2008.

On that empty lot at Ninth and Commerce, across the street from the old Texas Hotel, they built the Convention Center where the Obama Rally was staged. And, from where Barack was standing to deliver his speech was the same spot where we congregated on the fateful night in November, 1963. (Am I the only one still alive to remember?)

I have lost count of the many U.S. Presidents in my time, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. They came and they went, and only a few even scratch my memory, and none like JFK.

I remember wearing an “I Like Ike” campaign button when I was in elementary school around 1952. And, I will never forget the so-called Revolution we fought against Richard M. Nixon. Besides also, I owe a debt of gratitude to Jimmy Carter for releasing me from federal prison, along with other political prisoners. Since then, I took a vow of peace, to be content with whoever occupied the Whitehouse- as long as the channels of communication were opened to the government.

I hate and avoided politics. Like most people in my community, I usually voted for the “lesser of two evils” and hoped for the best. But on Thursday night, when Barack Obama came to town, I had reason for a renewed hope, but not the wistfulness of a 17-year old kid whose hopes were dashed on November 22, 1963 and again on April 4, 1968. But through the gleaming eyes of another 17-year old youth.

Paul David is a highly educated streetwise kid, always in trouble. He has the local reputation of a gang banger, but with the mannerisms of a gentleman. He cannot stay in school, is constantly being expelled, and is now become too physical for his poor single mom to handle.

He was a hopeless case when I became his mentor several years ago. For two years, I provided his home-schooling. Finally, his mother sent him off to California to live with his uncle. And, with the change in environment, he became an honor student.

But now Paul David was back in Fort Worth, once again in and out of trouble as before, attending an alternative school. When I saw him, I gave him a tip: Go to work as a volunteer on the Obama campaign. That he did, and since then there has been a marked change in his behavior. He is so energized and productive that the campaign office calls him “a working machine”.

Here is a kid accustomed to working the streets in the ‘hood. And, he is working it, as if he has a vested interest the future, though he is still too young to vote.

Something else I noticed, his pants don’t sag quite as low. All I can say about that is there is a new role model come to town- a colored man in a suit who is not a preacher. Barack Obama has given street fashion a different look and a different outlook.

These kids are as wild about Obama as Hannah Montana. Only the other day, some 8-year old wide-eyed wonder went on an Obama tear at school, screaming out the candidate’s name up and down the hall. Parents are even more fired up. It’s like March Madness and Texas is about to explode.

Geez! I wish March 4 was over with, so everybody in Texas can calm back down. It’s enough to give a nostalgic old man a stroke.

UNKNOWN TEXAS BLACK HISTORY

2008-02-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

BLACK TEXAS LEGISLATORS OF THE 1800s
Source: THE HANDBOOK OF TEXAS ONLINE
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/browse/wo.html

(Edited by Eddie Griffin, Crossroads Research)

BLACK SENATORS OF TEXAS (Before 1900)

RUBY, GEORGE THOMPSON (1841-1882). George Thompson Ruby, politician, was born in New York in 1841, the son of Ebenezer and Jemima Ruby. He was a free-born black, probably a mulatto. His family moved to Portland , Maine , while he was very young. After acquiring a sound liberal arts education there, he journeyed to Haiti, where he worked as a correspondent for the Pine and Palm, a New England newspaper edited by James Redpath. Ruby's job was to send information about Haiti to the United States for black Americans seeking freedom from slavery and racial strife.

[Editor’s Note: Many free blacks in the Northeast were disgruntled by discrimination. Haiti, being a free and independent black nation, appealed to skilled African-Americans to migrate and settle there. George Ruby never knew slavery. He grew up free and literate. He migrated to Haiti and worked as a newspaper reporter until the winding down of the Civil War. By 1864, Louisiana was mostly under Union control.]

He returned to the United States and settled in 1864 in Louisiana, where he was later employed as a schoolteacher. He left Louisiana in September 1866 after being beaten by a white mob while trying to establish a common school at Jacksboro. He joined the Freedmen's Bureau at Galveston, began administering the bureau's schools, served as a correspondent for the New Orleans Tribune, and taught school at the Methodist Episcopal Church of Galveston at a salary of $100 a month. He later began publication of the short-lived Galveston Standard. Upon leaving Galveston he became a traveling agent for the bureau, a position in which he visited Washington , Austin , Bastrop , Fort Bend , and other counties, with the purpose of establishing chapters of the Union League, as well as temperance societies.

[Editor’s Note: The Union League, also known as the Loyal Union League, Union Loyal League, and Loyal League, was a secret organization formed in the North in 1863 to bolster northern morale and support the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. Texas Unionists in exile formed a chapter at New Orleans before the end of the Civil War…

The Union League, also known as the Loyal Union League, Union Loyal League, and Loyal League, was a secret organization formed in the North in 1863 to bolster northern morale and support the policies of President Abraham Lincoln. Texas Unionists in exile formed a chapter at New Orleans before the end of the Civil War… Returning exiles brought the league to Texas with them in the summer of 1865. They joined with local Unionists to form local league councils. The first known council was the Loyal Union Association of Galveston , headed by Colbert Caldwell of Navasota . The association's purpose was political, and its members pledged to vote for no one who had freely supported the Confederacy and to support only Union men for public office. In the election of 1866 the Union League supported gubernatorial candidate Elisha M. Pease against the Democratic candidate, James W. Throckmorton.

In 1867 the newly established Republican Party of Texas used the league to organize and mobilize black voters enfranchised under the provisions of congressional Reconstruction. … After Gen. Philip H. Sheridan removed Throckmorton from the office of governor on July 30, 1867, and replaced him with Pease, local league councils also became clearinghouses for identifying men for appointments to political office by the military. During the Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 rival factions of white Republicans within the convention struggled for control of the league. The league controlled black votes, and control over the league ensured power in the state… Union League convention at Austin on June 25, 1868, the followers of Davis and Morgan Hamilton gained control of the league when they elected a black man from Galveston , George T. Ruby, as its first state president. Ruby, an educated northern black, pushed for immediate steps to end racial violence in the state and opposed the enfranchisement of former Confederates. As the leading black spokesman in Texas , he remained influential in Republican Party politics throughout Reconstruction because of his power within the league, and lent important political strength to Edmund J. Davis.

The league's most important political action took place in 1869, when its leaders influenced the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant to throw his support to Davis in his race against A. J. Hamilton for governor.]

Ruby served in the capacity of a traveling agent until October 1867. In 1869 he was appointed deputy collector of customs at Galveston , a position in which he was an important patronage broker…. Even though he relinquished his position with the Freedmen's Bureau, he still was affiliated with the Union League and became president of that organization in 1868. It was the league more than anything else that enabled Ruby to rise within the ranks of the Republican Party, for through this organization he influenced the large black constituency of the party. Consequently, Ruby was elected delegate to the national Republican convention in 1868; he was the only black in the Texas delegation. In that same year, he also was elected a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention of 1868-69.

In the election of 1869, when many whites decided not to go to the polls, Ruby was elected to the state Senate from the predominantly white Twelfth District. As senator, he became one of the most influential men of the Twelfth and Thirteenth legislatures. The committees to which he was appointed-judiciary, militia, education, and state affairs-performed 75 percent of the work of the Senate during the Twelfth Legislature. In the Senate, Ruby introduced successful bills to incorporate the Galveston and El Paso , the Galveston , Harrisburg and San Antonio , and the Galveston , Houston and Tyler railroads, the Harbor Trust Company, and a number of insurance companies, and to provide for the geological and agricultural survey of the state. He also worked with organized labor. Before the Civil War, whites had dominated work on the docks of Galveston , but after 1870 the situation changed, partly because of Ruby's organizing the first Labor Union of Colored Men at Galveston.

Ruby chose not to seek reelection in 1873 because the Democrats had achieved a majority in the Senate. He saw the power of the Radical Republicans declining and moved back to Louisiana , where he considered the situation more hopeful. In New Orleans he became clerk of the surveyor for the Port of New Orleans and worked with the internal revenue department. In the late 1870s he strongly supported the Exoduster movement, a popular, unorganized migration of more than 20,000 blacks from Tennessee , Mississippi , Louisiana , and Texas to the Kansas frontier, a move encouraged by heightened racial violence in the South. From 1877 to 1882 Ruby edited a newspaper for blacks, the New Orleans Observer.

When he first came to Texas , he was known as a militant black carpetbagger. However, his personal qualities of tact and diplomacy, as well as his education, softened the reactions of his political opponents. On the other hand, he made many whites uncomfortable when he married a mulatto, named Lucy, whom many mistook for white. One historian judges Ruby "the most important black politician in Texas during Reconstruction in terms of power and ability." Ruby died of malaria in New Orleans on October 31, 1882.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Carl H. Moneyhon, "George T. Ruby and the Politics of Expediency in Texas ," in Southern Black Leaders in the Reconstruction Era, ed. Howard N. Rabinowitz (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1982). James Smallwood, "G. T. Ruby: Galveston 's Black Carpetbagger in Reconstruction Texas ," Houston Review 5 (1983). Randall B. Woods, "George T. Ruby: A Black Militant in the White Business Community," Red River Valley Historical Review 1 (1974).

GAINES, MATTHEW (1840-1900). Matthew Gaines, black senator and Baptist preacher, was born on August 4, 1840, to a slave mother on the plantation of Martin G. Despallier in Pineville, near Alexandria , Louisiana. He learned to read by candlelight from books smuggled to him by a white boy who lived on the same plantation. Gaines escaped to freedom twice but each time was caught and returned to slavery. His first escape came after 1850, when he was sold to a man from Louisiana and was subsequently hired out as a laborer on a steamboat. Using a false pass, he escaped to Camden , Arkansas . He left Arkansas six months afterwards and made his way to New Orleans , where he was caught and brought back to his master. Later, Gaines was sold to a Texas planter from Robertson County , and in 1863 he made another escape attempt. His destination was Mexico , but he made it only as far as Fort McKavett in Menard County before being caught by the Texas Rangers. He was taken back to Fredericksburg and remained in that area until the end of the Civil War. During his tenure as a slave in Fredericksburg , Gaines worked as a blacksmith and a sheepherder. After Emancipation Gaines settled in Burton , Washington County, where he soon established himself as a leader of the black community, both as a minister and a politician. During Reconstruction he was elected as a senator to represent the Sixteenth District in the Texas legislature.

Gaines was a vigilant guardian of the rights and interests of African Americans. Among the many issues he addressed were education, prison reform, the protection of blacks at the polls, the election of blacks to public office, and tenant-farming reform. To encourage educational and religious groups to work toward educational improvement in their communities, Gaines sponsored a bill that called for exempting such organizations from taxation. Buildings and equipment used for charitable or literary associations were also exempted; the bill became law on June 12, 1871. Gaines was also responsible for the passage of a bill authorizing his district to levy a special tax for construction of a new jail. His concern for prison reform stemmed from his concern for the protection of blacks from mob violence. In keeping with this belief, Gaines waged an unrelenting war in the Senate for the passage of the Militia Bill. It was Gaines's feeling that if blacks were protected (via the Militia Bill) in the exercising of the Fifteenth Amendment, they could make a difference at the polls. Hence, after the successful passage of the Militia Bill, Gaines made a concerted, but unsuccessful, effort to drum up support to elect a black Texan to the United States House of Representatives. Gaines was very sympathetic to the plight of the black masses. He was one of the few blacks who served in the legislature from 1870 to 1900 to voice an opinion in opposition to the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1872. As such, he proposed a law (which failed) to give the tenant the first lien on the crop.

Gaines was elected to a six-year term to the Senate, but served only four years because his seat was challenged when he was convicted on the charge of bigamy in 1873, and he subsequently relinquished his post. The charge was overturned on appeal, and he was reelected, but the Democratic and white majority seated his opponent. Gaines continued to be active in politics and made his political views known in conventions, public gatherings, and from his pulpit. He died in Giddings , Texas , on June 11, 1900.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr and Robert A. Calvert, eds., Black Leaders: Texans for Their Times (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1981).

BLACK REPRESENTATIVES OF TEXAS (Before 1900)

ALLEN, RICHARD (1830-1909). Richard Allen, political and civic leader, was born a slave in Richmond , Virginia , on June 10, 1830. He was brought to Texas in 1837 and ultimately to Harris County , where he was owned by J. J. Cain until emancipation in 1865. While a slave he earned a reputation as a skilled carpenter; he is credited with designing and building the mansion of Houston mayor Joseph R. Morris. After emancipation Allen became a contractor and bridge builder and at times a commission agent and saloon owner. The first bridge built across Buffalo Bayou is his work. Although he was without a formal education, he became literate by 1870. Allen entered politics as a federal voter registrar in 1867. In 1868 he served as an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau and as the supervisor of voter registration for the Fourteenth District of Texas. He also participated in the organization of the Republican Party in Harris County . After assuming an active role in the Radical Republican meeting that nominated Edmund J. Davis for governor in 1869, Allen was elected to the Twelfth Legislature that November and became one of the first and most active black legislators. As a representative of the Fourteenth District, which included Harris and Montgomery counties, he advocated general measures for education, law enforcement, and civil rights. In 1870 he unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for United States Congress. In 1871 the Union League, which supported the Republican Party, made him one of its vice presidents. Allen apparently was reelected to the legislature in 1873, but the House seated his Democratic opponent, who contested the election. Allen remained a leader of the Republican Party in Houston , at state conventions, and as a delegate to national conventions through 1896. He was elected street commissioner in Houston as an independent candidate in January 1878 and served for one term. Later that year the conservative wing of the Republican Party nominated him for lieutenant governor, thereby making him the first black to seek statewide office in Texas . Allen served as quartermaster for the black regiment of Texas militia in 1881-82, and from 1882 to 1885 he acted as storekeeper and then inspector and deputy collector of United States customs at Houston .

As a political leader Allen occasionally took unpopular positions. In 1879 he broke with most other black leaders in Texas and became a spokesman for the short-lived Exodus Movement, which told blacks that they would never enjoy educational or economic opportunity in Texas and therefore should move to Kansas . As customs collector Allen became involved in the labor dispute that occurred at the port of Houston in 1890. He defied white labor leaders but urged black workers to remain peaceful during the protests. In 1872 and 1879 he served as a delegate to the National Colored Men's Convention. He acted as a vice president in 1873 and as chairman in 1879 of black state conventions that voiced African Americans concerns about civil rights, education, and economic issues. When the Prince Hall Masons organized in Texas , Allen presided over the meeting at Brenham in 1875. Two years later he became the state's grand master. In Houston he led emancipation celebrations, promoted a park, and served as the superintendent of the Sunday school at Antioch Baptist Church . He also sat on the board of directors of Gregory Institute, Houston 's first black secondary school. He married a woman named Nancy soon after emancipation. They had one son and four daughters. Allen died on May 16, 1909, in Houston and was buried in the city cemetery.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

BURLEY, D. W. (ca. 1844-?). D. W. Burley, who represented Robertson , Leon , and Freestone counties in the Twelfth Texas Legislature, was born in Virginia around 1844. He was a free black before the end of slavery and in 1864 was a captain in a battalion of black soldiers that defended St. Louis from Confederate raiders. He arrived in Texas in 1865 and later organized a debating society for blacks. He won election to the Texas House of Representatives in 1870 and was one of twelve black legislators to serve in that body. Burley was a Radical Republican, but he displeased some other radicals when he supported an effort to subsidize the Southern Pacific Railroad. He served only one term.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986).

COTTON, GILES (ca. 1814-?). Giles (Jiles) Cotton, former slave and member of the Texas legislature, was born around 1814 in South Carolina . He may have been the son of a white plantation overseer and a slave mother. He arrived in Texas around 1852 and became a favored slave of Logan Stroud of Limestone County. He worked as a teamster transporting goods from the port of Galveston to the Limestone area. Sometime after emancipation he moved to the area of Calvert in Robertson County , where he worked as a farmer. Voters from Robertson , Leon , and Freestone counties elected him to the Texas House of Representatives in 1870. Although he reportedly missed many sessions of the Twelfth Legislature, he served on the Agriculture and Stock Raising Committee and supported legislation that made Calvert the Robertson County seat. The United States census for 1870 reported that Cotton and his wife, Rachel, could neither read nor write and lived with their seven children. Cotton apparently died before 1880.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Walter F. Cotton, History of Negroes of Limestone County from 1860 to 1939 (Mexia, Texas: Chatman and Merriwether, 1939). Doris Hollis Pemberton, Juneteenth at Comanche Crossing (Austin: Eakin Press, 1983). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

DUPREE, J. GOLDSTEEN (?-1873). J. Goldsteen Dupree, who represented Montgomery and Harris counties in the Twelfth Legislature in 1870, was probably born in Texas between 1822 and 1846. He was residing in Montgomery County when voters from the Fourteenth District elected him to the House of Representatives. He served on the State Affairs and the Public Buildings and Grounds committees and was one of twelve blacks in the House. Dupree, who only served a single term, became involved in a controversy over voter fraud after his term expired. He appeared before a legislative investigating committee and helped unseat two black legislators, Richard Allen and E. H. Anderson, by testifying that nonresidents of Harris and Montgomery counties had voted in the election of 1872. His critics charged that he had received money to testify against the two contested legislators. Dupree allegedly died at the hands of white vigilantes who opposed his campaigning for Governor Edmund J. Davis's reelection in 1873.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986).

HAMILTON, JEREMIAH J. (1838-1905?). Jeremiah Hamilton, a black political and civic leader, was born in July 1838 in Tennessee . He arrived in Texas as a slave in 1847. After emancipation he married a woman named Ellen in 1867, and they had seven children, of whom five survived. Hamilton lived in Bastrop County and became a spokesman for black workers as early as 1866. He acquired land in the county and served as a land trustee for blacks. He had become literate even as a slave and established an early school for African Americans after the Civil War. In 1866 he served as a secretary for the Texas State Central Committee of Colored Men, which opposed white paternalism and worked with the Freedmen's Bureau. He was selected for the board that registered voters in Bastrop County during 1867. Thereafter he ran successfully in 1869 for the Texas House of Representatives in the Twelfth Legislature as a Republican. As a legislator he generally favored bills to advance law enforcement, education, and civil rights.

After his legislative term Hamilton remained in Austin , where he worked primarily as a carpenter. His greatest achievement as a craftsman came with the construction of an unusual triangular house, which still stands in Symphony Square. In part because of health problems, he turned to the newspaper business; he was owner and editor of the Austin Citizen in the mid-1880s and the National Union in the early 1890s, and in 1903 was an agent for the Austin Watchman. All three papers circulated primarily in the black community.

Hamilton also remained active as a leader in political and civic affairs. He served as one of the vice presidents at the state Republican convention in 1876 and as one of the secretaries for the party convention in 1878. When the first Colored Men's State Convention met in 1873, he was a member of the committees on credentials and address. He became a delegate to black state and national conventions in 1883. At a similar state meeting in 1884 he served on several committees and gave the opening address. He appeared for the last time in a leadership role as a member of two committees during the black state convention of 1891. Hamilton apparently died early in the twentieth century, for his name disappeared from the Austin city directories after 1905.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Virginia Erickson and Sue Brandt McBee, Austin: The Past Still Present (Austin Heritage Society, 1975). Washington , D.C. , New Era, June 16, 1870. E. W. Winkler, Platforms of Political Parties in Texas (Austin: University of Texas, 1916).

KENDALL, MITCHELL (ca. 1822-ca. 1885). Mitchell Kendall (Kendal), political leader in Marshall , Texas , was born a slave around 1822 in Georgia . He served as a voter registrar in 1867 and 1868 in Harrison County , where the population was predominantly black. He was a blacksmith and owned property valued at $2,400 when he won election as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1868-69. At the convention, as a member of the Public Lands Committee, he voted to divide Texas into three states and signed the constitution produced by the convention. After Kendall's nomination by the Union League in Harrison County, he won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, where he was one of fourteen blacks who helped give the Republican Party a working majority in the Twelfth Legislature. He served on the Counties and County Boundaries Committee and was a member of the Radical Republican Association, organized to sustain vetoes by Governor Edmund J. Davis. He broke with the association when he supported railroad developmental laws despite opposition from Davis. The 1880 federal census reported that Kendall lived with his wife, Adeline, and his five children. He died before June 20, 1885, and was buried in the Old Powder Mill Cemetery in Marshall .

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986). J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Randolph B. Campbell, A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County , Texas , 1850-1880 (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1983). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 ( Austin : Eakin, 1985

MEDLOCK, DAVID (ca. 1824-?). David Medlock, who represented Limestone, Falls, and McLennan counties in the Twelfth Texas Legislature, was born in Georgia around 1824 and moved to Texas about 1846. A slave preacher and farmer, Medlock was owned by Limestone County plantation operator Logan Stroud until the end of slavery. During Reconstruction Medlock won election to the Texas House of Representatives for the Twelfth Legislature, which met in 1870, and served on the Federal Relations Committee. He sponsored a bill that incorporated his hometown, Springfield , and sought the return of taxes to Limestone County for the building of a jail. He also joined the Radical Republican Association, organized to support Governor Edmund J. Davis's vetoes of railroad development bills. According to the 1870 federal census, Medlock was married to a woman named Eloy and was the father of eight children. He was classified as a laborer and owned property valued at about $280.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986). Doris Hollis Pemberton, Juneteenth at Comanche Crossing (Austin: Eakin Press, 1983). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

MITCHELL, JOHN (1837-1921). John Mitchell, politician from Burleson County , was born a slave in April 1837 in Tennessee . He arrived in Texas in 1846. He was a farmer, and his property holdings, valued at $3,750, made him the wealthiest black member of the Twelfth Legislature, which met in 1870. Mitchell represented Burleson, Brazos , and Milam counties in the Texas House of Representatives and sat on the Public Land Committee. He joined the Radical Republican Association, organized to uphold Governor Edmund J. Davis's vetoes of railroad-development bills during the Twelfth Legislature. Mitchell represented Burleson and Washington counties in the Fourteenth Legislature in 1873, when he was a member of the Penitentiary Committee. He was one of five black delegates elected to the Constitutional Convention of 1875. He ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Greenback Party in 1878 but was defeated. Mitchell and his wife, Viney, had five children who survived to adulthood. Mitchell died on April 10, 1921, at his Burleson County farm.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986). J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

MOORE, HENRY (ca. 1810-?). Henry Moore, politician, was born a slave in Alabama around 1810. He may have purchased his freedom before he arrived in Texas about 1842. He was a farmer when he was elected to the Twelfth and Thirteenth legislatures in predominantly black Harrison County. During the Twelfth Legislature (1870) Moore served on the Militia Committee in the House of Representatives and displayed an interest in public school legislation. In the Thirteenth Legislature (1873) he sat on the Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Committee and supported legislation to establish the Hallsville Masonic Institute of Harrison County. Moore lost an election for the state Senate in 1880. He had a wife named Harriet and three daughters in 1870. The 1880 federal census reported Moore 's occupation as gardener. He does not appear on census reports for Harrison County after 1880.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986). J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Randolph B. Campbell, A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County , Texas , 1850-1880 (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1983). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

MULLENS, SHEPHERD (ca. 1828-1871). Shepherd (Shepart, Sheppard) Mullens, black political leader, was born a slave in Lawrence County , Alabama , in 1828 or 1829. He arrived in Texas , still a bondsman, during 1854. Between 1865 and 1870 he acquired several lots in Waco and other pieces of land in McLennan County . On December 29, 1866, he married Sallie Downs. In 1867, when Congress passed the Reconstruction acts that divided most of the Confederacy into military districts, Maj. Gen. Charles Griffin, the commander of the Fifth Military District, appointed Mullens to serve on the board that registered voters in McLennan County . A few months later Mullins served on the platform committee of the first Republican Party convention in Texas. In 1868, after the death of a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1868-69, he ran successfully for election to fill the seat. In the convention he became a member of the committees on public lands, commerce, and manufactures. Generally the radical wing of the Republican Party received his support in convention votes. In 1869 Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds, then the state military commander, selected Mullens to serve a four-year term as a McLennan county commissioner.

In the factional struggles of the Republican Party before the state election of 1869, Mullens became a vice president of the convention organized by radical leader Morgan C. Hamilton. When the Twelfth Legislature was elected in 1869, Mullens campaigned for and won a place in the House of Representatives. He strongly supported Republican efforts to protect the interests of black people. Thus he favored the establishment of the Texas State Police and a militia to control violence. He also voted for a state system of education available to all citizens and joined other black legislators in unsuccessful opposition to school segregation. Republican efforts to provide frontier defense received his approval. Mullens represented his local constituents by introducing a bill to extend the city limits of Waco . Along with most other Republicans in the house, he generally supported vetoes by Governor Edmund J. Davis of costly railroad bills. Mullens died on August 7, 1871, and was buried in Waco .

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Washington , D.C. , New Era, June 16, 1870.

WILLIAMS, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1819-?). Benjamin Franklin Williams, legislator and clergyman, was born a slave in Brunswick County , Virginia , in 1819. He was taken to South Carolina , then to Tennessee in 1830, before being brought to Colorado County , Texas , in 1859. Exactly when Williams married Caroline Williams is not certain, but they had one son, Thomas. After emancipation Williams became a traveling Methodist minister. He was the officiating minister at the Wesley Methodist Chapel in Austin when it was established in 1865; this church, according to the Galveston Daily News, forbade blacks from attending if they were not members of the Republican Party. Combining religion with politics, Williams became a militant spokesman for his race. As early as 1868 he was vice president of the Loyal Union League, and as such kept white Unionists abreast of what was happening in the black-belt area. Williams's involvement in politics won him a seat at the Constitutional Convention of 1868-69 during Reconstruction. As a delegate, Williams played an important role in this convention. He served on the Executive Committee and introduced a resolution that would require prospective doctors to be certified by a medical board. He also proposed that the constitution contain a provision banning racial segregation in all public places, and that this provision be enforced by the licensing powers of the state, the counties, and the municipalities. Despite the important role that Williams played at this convention, however, he refused to sign the constitution. He actually withdrew from the convention before it adjourned because of its failure to place a more rigid suffrage clause in the constitution. Williams was subsequently elected by Lavaca and Colorado counties to the Twelfth Legislature (1871), where he was nominated for Speaker and came in third; by Waller, Fort Bend , and Wharton counties to the Sixteenth Legislature (1879); and by Waller and Fort Bend counties to the Nineteenth Legislature (1885). Williams was one of the few black legislators who expressed an open concern for laborers, both agricultural and skilled. In the Twelfth Legislature he introduced a bill for the protection of agricultural labor, but it was tabled. After leaving public office, Williams continued in his role as an evangelist but also became a land speculator. Williams, along with other blacks, was instrumental in the settlement and development of Kendleton , Texas. The date and place of his death are not known.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Austin Statesman, January 20, 1883. J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Daily State Journal, August 17, October 13, 1870. Journal of the Reconstruction Convention (Austin: Tracy, Siemering, 1870). James P. Newcomb Papers, Barker Texas History Center , University of Texas at Austin . Clarence Wharton, Wharton's History of Fort Bend County (San Antonio: Naylor, 1939).

WILLIAMS, RICHARD (ca. 1822-?). Richard Williams, a slave who later served in the Texas legislature, was born around 1822 in South Carolina . Williams arrived in Texas in 1856 and lived in Huntsville as a slave. He was a mechanic and minister. He was elected to the Twelfth Legislature, which met in 1870, and won a disputed election to the Texas House of Representatives for the Thirteenth Legislature in 1872. A clerical error by election officials apparently caused a delay in determining the election's outcome, and Williams did not take his seat in the Thirteenth Legislature until February 1873. He represented Walker, Grimes, and Madison counties and served on the Public Lands and Land Office Committee. He also sat on the Private Land Claims Committee in the Twelfth Legislature and joined the Radical Republican Association, organized to sustain vetoes of railroad spending bills by Governor Edmund J. Davis. In the Thirteenth Legislature Williams unsuccessfully introduced a bill to establish a normal school at Harmony in Walker County , expressed opposition to the convict lease system, and successfully sponsored a measure that authorized Walker County to levy a tax to repair the jail and courthouse. The legislature also passed Williams's bill that incorporated the Texas Wells and Irrigation Company. Williams was married and owned property valued at $1,000 in 1870.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alwyn Barr, "Black Legislators of Reconstruction Texas ," Civil War History 32 (December 1986). J. Mason Brewer, Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants (Dallas: Mathis, 1935; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1970). Merline Pitre, Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares: The Black Leadership of Texas , 1868-1900 (Austin: Eakin, 1985).

The Civil War Archive
Union Regimental Histories
Source: http://www.civilwararchive.com/unioncol.htm
United States Colored Troops Cavalry

1st Regiment Cavalry
Organized at Camp Hamilton , Va. , December 22, 1863. Attached to Fort Monroe , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to April, 1864. Unattached Williamsburg , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to August, 1864. Defenses of Portsmouth Va. , District of Eastern Virginia , to May, 1865. Cavalry Brigade, 25th Corps, Dept. of Virginia and Dept. of Texas, to February, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Fort Monroe and Williamsburg , Va. , until May, 1864. Reconnaissance in Kings and Queens county February, 1864. Butler 's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28. Capture of Bermuda Hundred and City Point May 5. Swift Creek May 8-10. Operations against Fort Darling May 12-16. Actions at Drury's Bluff May 10-14-15 and 16. In trenches at Bermuda Hundred until June 18. Bayler's Farm June 15. Assaults on Petersburg June 16-19. Siege of Petersburg until August. Action at Deep Bottom July 27-28. Ordered to Fort Monroe August 3. Duty at Newport News and at Portsmouth and in District of Eastern Virginia until May, 1865. Cos. "E" and "I" Detached at Fort Powhatan and Harrison 's Landing August, 1864, to May, 1865. Moved to City Point , Va. , thence sailed for Texas June 10. Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas until February, 1866. Mustered out February 4, 1866.

2nd Regiment Cavalry
Organized at Fort Monroe , Va. , December 22, 1863. Attached to Fort Monroe , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to April, 1864. Unattached Williamsburg , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to August, 1864. Unattached 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to December, 1864. Unattached 25th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to May, 1865. Cavalry Brigade, 25th Corps, Dept. of Virginia and Dept. of Texas, to February, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Fort Monroe , Portsmouth and Williamsburg , Va. , until May, 1864. Demonstration on Portsmouth March 4-5. Action near Suffolk March 10. Reconnaissance from Portsmouth to the Blackwater April 13-15. Butler 's operations on the south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-28. Capture of Bermuda Hundred and City Point May 5. Swift Creek May 8-10. Operations against Fort Darling May 10-16. Actions at Drury's Bluff May 10-13-14-15 and 16. Near Drury's Bluff May 20. Duty in trenches at Bermuda Hundred until June 13. Point of Rocks June 10. Richmond Campaign June 13-July 31. Baylor's Farm June 15. Assaults on Petersburg June 16-19. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to February 18, 1865. Duty before Petersburg until July, 1864. Moved to Deep Bottom July 25. Action at Deep Bottom July 27-28. Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom, August 14-18. Actions at Deep Bottom September 2 and 6. Chaffin's Farm September 29-30. Darbytown Road October 7. Battle of Fair Oaks , Darbytown Road October 27-28. Near Richmond October 28-29. Duty in trenches north of James River until February, 1865. Ordered to Norfolk February 18. Duty in District of Eastern Virginia at Norfolk , Suffolk , etc., until May. Ordered to City Point , Va. ; thence sailed for Texas June 10. Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas until February, 1866. Mustered out February 12, 1866.

United States Colored Troops Artillery

2nd Regiment Light Artillery
Battery "B", 2nd Regiment Light Artillery
Organized at Fort Monroe , Va. , January 8, 1864. Attached to Fort Monroe , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to April, 1864. Artillery, Hincks' Colored Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to May, 1864. Rand 's Provisional Brigade, 18th Corps, to June, 1864. Artillery Brigade, 18th Corps, June, 1864. Unattached Artillery, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to July, 1864. Defenses of Norfolk and Portsmouth , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to May, 1865. Artillery 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas to March, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Fort Monroe , Va. , until April, 1864. Butler 's operations south of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond , Va. , May 4 to June 15, 1864. Action at Wilson 's Wharf May 24. Petersburg , Va. , June 9. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond until July 7. Ordered to Portsmouth , Va. , July 7, and duty there until May, 1865. Ordered to Texas May, 1865, and duty on the Rio Grande until March, 1866. Mustered out March 17, 1866.

United States Colored Troops Infantry

7th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Baltimore , Md. , September 26 to November 12, 1863. Duty at Camp Benedict , Md. , until March, 1864. Ordered to Portsmouth , Va. , March 4, thence to Hilton Head, S.C., March 7-10, and to Jacksonville , Fla. , March 14-15. Attached to Post of Jacksonville , Fla. , District of Florida, Dept. of the South, to July, 1864. District of Hilton Head , S.C. , Dept. of the South, July, 1864. Jacksonville , Fla. , District of Florida, Dept. of the South, to August, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1866. Dept. of Texas to October, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Jacksonville , Fla. , until June, 1864. Cedar Creek April 2. Near Jacksonville May 6. Near Camp Finnegan May 25. Near Jacksonville May 28. Expedition to Camp Milton May 31-June 3. Camp Milton June 2. Moved to Hilton Head, S.C., June 27. Expedition to North Edisto River and Johns and James Islands July 2-10. Near Winter's Point July 3. King's Creek July 3. Skirmishes on James Island July 5 and 7. Burden's Causeway, Johns Island , July 9. Moved to Jacksonville July 15. Expedition to Florida & Gulf Railroad July 22-August 5. Moved to Bermuda Hundred, Va. , August 6-11. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond August, 1864, to April, 1865. Demonstration north of James River August 16-20. Russell's Mills August 16. Strawberry Plains August 16-18. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 28-30. Darbytown Road October 13. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Near Richmond October 28. In trenches before Richmond until March 27, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 27-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Petersburg April 11, and duty there until May 24. Moved to Indianola , Texas , May 24-June 23. Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in the Dept. of Texas , until October, 1866. Moved to Baltimore , Md. , October 14-November 4. Mustered out October 13, 1866, and discharged at Baltimore , Md. , November 15, 1866.

8th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp William Penn, Philadelphia , Pa. , September 22 to December 4, 1863. Left Philadelphia for Hilton Head, S.C., January 16, 1864. Attached to Howell's Brigade, District of Hilton Head, S. C,, Dept. of the South, to February, 1864. Hawley's Brigade, Seymour 's Division, District of Florida, Dept. of the South, to April, 1864. District of Florida, Dept. of the South, to August, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, to April, 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Expedition from Hilton Head, S.C., to Jacksonville , Fla. , February 5-6, 1864. Occupation of Jacksonville February 7. Advance into Florida February 8-20. Camp Finnegan February 8. Battle of Olustee February 20. Retreat to Jacksonville and duty there until April. Moved to St. John's Bluff April 17. and duty there until August. Raid on Baldwin July 23-28. Moved to Deep Bottom, Va. , August 4-12. Action at Deep Bottom August 12. Duty at Deep Bottom and in trenches before Petersburg until September 27. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 28-30. Fort Harrison September 29. Darbytown Road October 13. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. In trenches before Richmond until March 27, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Petersburg April 11, and duty there until May 24. Sailed from City Point for Texas May 24. Duty at Ringgold Barracks and on the Rio Grande , Texas , until November, 1865. Mustered out November 10, 1865. Moved to Philadelphia , Pa. , November 10-December 3. Discharged December 12, 1865.

9th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Stanton , Md. , November 11-30, 1863. Duty at Benedict , Md. , until March, 1864. Moved to Port Royal , S.C. , March 3-7. Attached to District of Hilton Head , S.C. , Dept. of the South, to April, 1864. District of Beaufort , S.C. , Dept. of the South, to August, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1866. Dept. of Texas to November, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Hilton Head, S.C., until April, 1864, and at Port Royal Island , S.C. , until June. Ashepoo Expedition May 24-27. Expedition to Johns and James Islands June 30-July 10. Engaged July 7 and 9. Duty at Beaufort , S.C. , until August. Moved to Bermuda Hundred, Va. , August 4-8. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond August, 1864, to April, 1865. Demonstration on north side of James River August 13-18. Skirmishes at Deep Bottom August 14-15. Russell's Mills August 16. Moved to Bermuda Hundred front August 18, thence to Petersburg August 24, and duty in trenches until September 26. Demonstration on north side of James September 26-30. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 28-30. Fort Gilmer September 29. Darbytown Road October 13. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. In trenches before Richmond until April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Duty at Richmond , Petersburg and City Point until June. Moved to Brazos Santiago , Texas , June 7-July 1, thence to Brownsville , Duty at Brownsville and on the Rio Grande , Texas , until October, 1866. Ordered to New Orleans , La. , October 2. Mustered out November 20, 1866.

10th Regiment Infantry
Organized in Virginia November 18, 1863. Attached to Drummondstown , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , December, 1863, to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, Hincks' Colored Division, 18th Corps, Army James, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to July, 1864. Unattached, 18th Corps, to August, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, January, 1865. Attached Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to June, 1865. Dept. of Texas to May, 1866.

SERVICE.--Camp near Crany Island until January 12, 1864. Moved to Drummondstown, eastern shore of Virginia , and duty there until April. At Yorktown , Va. , until May. Butler 's operations on south side of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4 to June 15. Capture of Fort Powhatan May 5. Wilson 's Wharf May 24 (Detachment). At Fort Powhatan until July 6. On Bermuda front in operations against Petersburg and Richmond until August 27. At City Point , Va. , until April 2, 1865. Moved to Bermuda Hundred, thence to Richmond April 2-3. Return to City Point April 6, and duty there until June 1. Moved to Texas , and duty at various points on the Rio Grande until May, 1866. Mustered out May 17, 1866. (A detachment at Plymouth, N. C., November 26, 1863, to April 20, 1864, participated in the siege of Plymouth April 17-20, 1864, and surrender April 20, 1864.)

19th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Stanton , Md. , December 25, 1863, to January 16, 1864. Duty at Camp Stanton , Benedict , Md. , until March, 1864, and at Camp Birney until April. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , April to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1866. Dept. of Texas, to January, 1867.

SERVICE.--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va. , May and June, 1864. Guard trains through the Wilderness. Before Petersburg , Va. , June 15.18. siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond , Va. , June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Fort Sedgwick September 28. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30. Hatcher's Run October 27-28. Actions on the Bermuda Hundred front November 17-18. Duty at Bermuda Hundred until March, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Assault and capture of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until June. Moved to Texas June 13-July 3. Duty at Brownsville and on the Rio Grande , Texas , until January, 1867. Mustered out January 15, 1867.

20th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Riker's Island , New York Harbor, February 9, 1864. Attached to Dept. of the East to March, 1864. Defenses of New Orleans , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. District of West Florida and Southern Alabama , Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1865. Defenses of New Orleans to June, 1865, District of La-Fourche. Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1865.

SERVICE.--Ordered to the Dept. of the Gulf March, 1864, arriving at New Orleans March 20. Moved to Port Hudson , La. , March 21 and to Pass Cavallo , Texas , April 21. In District of Carrollton , La. , June. At Plaquemine July. At Camp Parapet and Chalmette August. 1866. At Camp Parapet and in District of Carrollton until December. Ordered to West Pascagoula , Fla. , December 26. Return to New Orleans February, 1865, and duty there until June. At Nashville , Tenn. , August. Mustered out October 7, 1865.

22nd Regiment Infantry
Organized at Philadelphia , Pa. , January 10-29, 1864. Ordered to Yorktown , Va. , January, 1864. Attached to U.S. Forces, Yorktown , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, Hincks' Division (Colored), 18th Corps, Army of the James, to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to August, 1864, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, August, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to October, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty near Yorktown , Va. , until May, 1864. Expedition to King and Queen County March 9-12. Butler 's operations south of James River and against Petersburg and Richmond May 4-June 15. Duty at Wilson 's Wharf, James River, protecting supply transports, then constructing works near Fort Powhatan until June. Attack on Fort Powhatan May 21. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Deep Bottom August 24. Dutch Gap August 24. Demonstration north of the James River September 28-30. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 29-30. Fort Harrison September 29. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Chaffin's Farm November 4. In trenches before Richmond until April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Moved to Washington , D.C. , and participated in the obsequies of President Lincoln, and afterwards to eastern shore of Maryland and along lower Potomac in pursuit of the assassins. Rejoined Corps May, 1865. Moved to Texas May 24-June 6. Duty along the Rio Grande until October, 1865. Mustered out October 16, 1865.

23rd Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Casey , Va. , November 23, 1863, to June 30, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , April to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, December, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va. , May and June, 1864. Guarding wagon trains Army of the Potomac through the Wilderness. Before Petersburg June 15-18. Siege of Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Fort Sedgwick September 28. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30. Boydton Plank Road , Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. Bermuda Hundred December 13. Duty on the Bermuda Hundred front until March, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty in Dept. of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May-June. Duty at Brownsville and along the Rio Grande , Texas , until November. Mustered out November 30, 1865.

28th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Indianapolis , Ind. , December 24, 1863, to March 31, 1864. Left Indianapolis, Ind., for Washington, D.C., April 24, thence moved to Alexandria, Va, Attached to Defenses of Washington, D.C., 22nd Corps, April to June, 1864. White House, Va. , Abercrombie's Command, to July, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , to September, 1864, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, to April, 1865. Attached Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, to April, 1865. District of St. Mary's, 22nd Corps, to May, 1865. Dept. of Texas to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Duty at Alexandria , Va. , until June, 1864. Moved to White House, Va. , June 2. Engaged June 21. Accompanied Gen. Sheridan's Cavalry through Chickahominy Swamps to Prince George Court House, with several skirmishes. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond July, 1864, to April, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30 and October 1. Boydton Plank Road , Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. On Bermuda front and before Richmond until April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3, At City Point, Va., and St. Mary's, Md., in charge of prisoners April 6-May 12. Moved to City Point , Va. , thence to Texas June 10-July 1. Duty at Brazos Santiago and Corpus Christi , Texas , until November. Mustered out November 8, 1865.

29th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Quincy , Ill. , April 24, 1864. Ordered to Annapolis, Md., May 27, 1864, thence to Alexandria, Va. Attached to Defenses of Washington, D.C., 22nd Corps, to June, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to November, 1865.
SERVICE.--Duty at Alexandria , Va. , until June 15, 1864. Moved to White House, Va., thence to Petersburg, Va. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 19, 1864, to April 3, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30, and October 1. Boydton Plank Road , Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. On the Bermuda Hundred front and before Richmond until April, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May and June, and duty on the Rio Grande until November. Mustered out November 6, 1865.

31st Regiment Infantry
Organized at Hart's Island , N.Y. , April 29, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va. , May-June, 1864. Guard trains of the Army of the Potomac through the Wilderness. Battles about Cold Harbor June 2-12. Before Petersburg June 15-19. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Fort Sedgwick September 28. Hatcher's Run October 27-28. On the Bermuda front until March, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 26-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May-June, and duty on the Rio Grande until November. Mustered out November 7, 1865.

36th Regiment Infantry
Organized February 8, 1864, from 2nd North Carolina Colored Infantry. Attached to U.S. Forces, Norfolk and Portsmouth , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to April, 1864. District of St. Marys, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina to June, 1864. Unattached, Army of the James, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to October, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Norfolk and Portsmouth , Va. , until April, 1864. At Point Lookout, Md. , District of St. Marys, guarding prisoners until July, 1864. Expedition from Point Lookout to Westmoreland County April 12-14. Expedition from Point Lookout to Rappahannock River May 11-14, and to Pope's Creek June 11-21. Moved from Point Lookout to Bermuda Hundred, Va. , July 1-3. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond , Va. ,July 3, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 29-30. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Dutch Gap November 17. Indiantown, Sandy Creek , N. C., December 18 (Detachment). Duty north of James River before Richmond until March 27, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 27-April 9. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Duty in Dept. of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May 24-June 6. Duty along the Rio Grande , Texas , and at various points in Texas until October, 1866. Mustered out October 28, 1866.
38th Regiment Infantry
Organized in Virginia January 23, 1864. Attached to U.S. Forces, Norfolk and Portsmouth , Va. , Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to June, 1864. Unattached, Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina , to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to January, 1867.

SERVICE.--Duty at Norfolk and Portsmouth , Va. , until June, 1864. Operations against Petersburg , and Richmond June, 1864, to April, 1865. Battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 29-30. Deep Bottom October 1. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Duty in trenches north of James River before Richmond until April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3, 1865. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until May. Moved to Texas May 24-June 6. Duty at Brownsville and at various points On the Rio Grande and at Brazos Santiago , Indianola and Galveston , Texas , until January, 1867. Mustered out January 25, 1867.

41st Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp William Penn, Philadelphia , Pa. , September 30 to December 7, 1864. Ordered to join Army of the James, in Virginia , October 18,, 1864. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to December, 1865.

SERVICE.--Guard duty at Deep Bottom, Va. , until October 20, 1864. Moved to Fort Burnham on line north of James River, before Richmond , October 27. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. In trenches before Richmond , and picket duty on Chaffin's Farm, until January 1, 1865. Near Fort Burnham until March 27. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Moved to Petersburg April 11, and duty there until May 25. Embarked for Texas May 25, arriving at Brazos Santiago June 3. Moved to Edenburg and guard and provost duty there until November. Consolidated to a Battalion of four Companies September 30. Mustered out at Brownsville , Texas , November 10, 1865. Disbanded at Philadelphia , Pa. , December 14, 1865.

43rd Regiment Infantry
Organized at Philadelphia , Pa. , March 12 to June 3, 1864. Moved to Annapolis , Md. , April 18. Attached to 1st Brigade, 4th Division, 9th Corps, Army of the Potomac , to September, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps, to December, 1864. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, 25th Corps, to January, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to October, 1865.

SERVICE.--Campaign from the Rapidan to the James River, Va. , May-June, 1864. Guard trains of the Army of the Potomac through the Wilderness and to Petersburg . Before Petersburg June 15-19. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond June 16, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Mine Explosion, Petersburg , July 30, 1864. Weldon Railroad August 18-21. Poplar Grove Church September 29-30 and October 1. Boydton Plank Road , Hatcher's Run, October 27-28. On the Bermuda Hundred front and before Richmond until March, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until May 30. Moved to Texas May 30-June 10. Duty on the Rio Grande opposite Mattamoras , Mexico , until October. Mustered out October 20, 1865, and discharged at Philadelphia , Pa. , November 30, 1865.

45th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Philadelphia , Pa. , June 13 to August 19, 1864. Moved to Washington , D.C. (4 Cos.), July, 1864. Attached to Provisional Brigade, Casey's Division, 22nd Corps, and garrison duty at Arlington Heights, Va. , until March, 1865. Rejoined Regiment at Chaffin's Farm, Va. , March 14, 1865. Six Companies moved to City Point , Va. , September 20, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, and Dept. of Texas, to November, 1865.

SERVICE.--Demonstration on north side of the James River and battle of Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 28-30, 1864. Fort Harrison September 29. Darbytown Road October 18. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. In trenches before Richmond until March, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until May. Moved to Texas May and June. Duty at Edinburg on Mexican Frontier until September 8, and at Brownsville , Texas , until November. Mustered out November 4, 1865.

46th Regiment Infantry
Organized from 1st Arkansas Infantry, African Descent, May 11, 1864. Attached to Post of Milliken's Bend , La. , District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division. U.S. Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg, Miss.. until January, 1865. 2nd Brigade, Post and Defenses of Memphis , Tenn. , District West Tennessee , to February, 1865. New Orleans , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to May, 1865. Dept. of Texas, to January, 1866.

SERVICE.--Post and garrison duty at Milliken's Bend , La. , and at Haines' Bluff, Miss. , until January, 1865. Actions at Mound Plantation . Miss. , June 24 and 29, 1864. Ordered to Memphis , Tenn. , January, 1865, and garrison duty there until February, 1865. Ordered to New Orleans , La. , February 23, and duty there until May 4. Ordered to Brazos Santiago , Texas , May 4. Duty at Clarksville and Brownsville on the Rio Grande , Texas , until January, 1866. Mustered out January 30, 1866.

47th Regiment Infantry
Organized March 11, 1864, from 8th Louisiana Infantry, African Descent. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, U.S. Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to October, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 4th Division, 16th Corps, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, U. S. Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, U.S. Colored Troops, Military Division West Mississippi , to June, 1865. Dept. of the Gulf to January, 1866.
SERVICE.--Post and garrison duty at Vicksburg , Miss. , until October, 1864. Expedition from Haines Bluff up Yazoo River April 19-23. Near Mechanicsburg April 20. Lake Providence May 27. Moved to mouth of White River , Ark. , October 15. Duty there and at Vicksburg , Miss. , until February, 1865. Ordered to Algiers , La. , February 26, thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola . Fla. , to Blakely, Ala. , March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Return to Mobile and duty there until June. Moved to New Orleans , La. , thence to Texas , and duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas , until January, 1866. Mustered out January 5, 1866.

48th Regiment Infantry
Organized March 11, 1864, from 10th Louisiana Infantry (African Descent). Attached to 1st Colored Brigade, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to April, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, Military Division West Mississippi , to May, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, to June, 1865. Dept. of the Gulf to January, 1866.

SERVICE.--Garrison duty at Vicksburg , Miss. , until February, 1865. Expedition from Vicksburg to Rodney and Fayette September 29-October 3, 1864. Ordered to Algiers . La., February 26, 1865; thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola, Fla., to Blakely, Ala.,March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty there and at Mobile until June. Moved to New Orleans , La. , thence to Texas . Duty at various points on the Rio Grande until January, 1866. Mustered out January 4, 1866.

51st Regiment Infantry
Organized March 11, 1864, from 1st Mississippi Infantry (African Descent). Attached to Post of Goodrich Landing, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of Vicksburg , Miss. , to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Steele's Command, Military District of West Mississippi, to June, 1865. Dept. of the Gulf to June, 1866.

SERVICE.--At Lake Providence until May, 1864. Post and garrison duty at Goodrich Landing, La. , until December, 1864. Action at Langley 's Plantation , Issaqueena County , March 22, 1864. Flod , La. , July 2. Waterford August 16-17. Duty at Vicksburg , Miss. , until February, 1865. Moved to Algiers , La. , February 26; thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola , Fla. , to Blakely, Ala. , March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty there and at Mobile until June. Ordered to New Orleans , thence to Texas . Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas until June, 1866. Mustered out June 16, 1866.

62nd Regiment Infantry
Organized March 11, 1864, from 1st Missouri Colored Infantry. Attached to District of St. Louis, Dept. of Missouri, to March, 1864. District of Baton Rouge , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. Provisional Brigade, District of Morganza, Dept. of the Gulf, to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of Morganza, Dept. of the Gulf, to September, 1864. Port Hudson , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to September, 1864. Brazos Santiago , Texas , to October, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, United States Colored Troops, Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. Brazos Santiago , Texas , to June, 1865. Dept. of Texas to March, 1866.

SERVICE.--Ordered to Baton Rouge , La. , March 23, 1864, and duty there until June. Ordered to Morganza , La. , and duty there until September. Expedition from Morganza to Bayou Sara September 6-7. Ordered to Brazos Santiago , Texas , September, and duty there until May, 1865. Expedition from Brazos Santiago May 11-14. Action at Palmetto Ranch May 12-13, 1865. White's Ranch May 13. Last action of the war. Duty at various points in Texas until March, 1866. Ordered to St. Louis via New Orleans , La. Mustered out March 31, 1866.

68th Regiment Infantry
Organized March 11, 1864, from 4th. Missouri Colored Infantry. Attached to District of Memphis , Tenn. , 16th Corps, Dept. of the Tennessee , to June, 1864. 1st Colored Brigade, Memphis , Tenn. , District of West Tennessee , to December, 1864. Fort Pickering , Defenses of Memphis , Tenn. , District of West Tennessee , to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, Military Division West Mississippi , to May, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, to June, 1865. Dept. of Texas to February, 1866.

SERVICE.--At St. Louis , Mo. , until April 27, 1864. Ordered to Memphis , Tenn. , and duty in the Defenses of that city until February, 1865. Smith's Expedition to Tupelo , Miss. , July 5-21, 1864. Camargo's Cross Roads, near Harrisburg, July 13. Tupelo July 14-15. Old Town Creek July 15. At Fort Pickering , Defenses of Memphis , Tenn. , until February, 1865. Ordered to New Orleans, La., thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola, Fla., to Blakely, Ala., March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty there and at Mobile until June. Moved to New Orleans , La. , thence to Texas . Duty on the Rio Grande and at various points in Texas until February, 1866. Mustered out February 5, 1866.

76th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 4th Corps de Afrique Infantry. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Corps de Afrique, Dept. of the Gulf, to July, 1864. Post of Port Hudson , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, United States Colored Troops, Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida, to May, 1865. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of West Florida , Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1865. Dept. of the Gulf to December, 1865.
SERVICE.--Garrison duty at Port Hudson , La. , until February, 1865. Ordered to Algiers , La. , February 21; thence to Barrancas, Fla. March from Pensacola , Fla. , to Blakely, Ala. , March 20-April 1. Siege of Fort Blakely April 1-9. Assault and capture of Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. March to Montgomery April 13-25. Duty there and at various points in Alabama to June, 1865. Ordered to New Orleans , La. , thence to Texas , and duty on the Rio Grande until December. Mustered out December 31, 1865.

80th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 8th Corps de Afrique Infantry. Attached to garrison at Port Hudson , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to April, 1864. District of Bonnet Carre , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to July, 1864. Transferred to 79th United States Colored Troops (New) July 6, 1864. Reorganized July, 1864, by consolidation of 90th, 96th and 98th United States Colored Troops. Attached to District of Bonnet Carte, Engineer Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to September, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, United States Colored Troops, Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1865. District of Bonnet Carre , La. , Dept. of the Gulf, to April, 1865. Defenses of New Orleans to June, 1865. Northern District of Louisiana until January, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Port Hudson , La. , until April 17, 1864, and in District of Bonnet Carre until April, 1865. Scout from Bayou Goula to Grand River January 29-February 7, 1865. At Carrollton , Camp Parapet and New Orleans until June 16. At Shreveport and Alexandria , La. , until January 1, 1866. Moved to Texas and garrison duty at various points in that State until March, 1867. Mustered out March 1, 1867.

85th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 13th Corps de Afrique Infantry. Attached to a Provisional Brigade, 13th Corps, Texas , Dept. of the Gulf, to May, 1864.

SERVICE.--Duty at Brownsville , Texas , and other points in Texas until May, 1864. Mustered out by consolidation with 77th United States Colored Troops May 24, 1864.

87th Regiment Infantry (Old)
Organized April 4, 1864, from 16th Corps de Afrique Infantry. Attached to 2nd Division, 13th Corps, to June, 1864. Colored Brigade , United States Forces, Texas, to July, 1864.

SERVICE.--Duty at Brazos Santiago , Point Isabel and Brownsville , Texas , until July, 1864. Consolidated with 95th United States Colored Troops July 6, 1864, to form new 81st United States Colored Troops. Redesignated 87th (New) December 10, 1864.

87th Regiment Infantry (New)
Organized November 26, 1864, by consolidation of 87th (Old) and 96th United States Colored Troops, Attached to United States Forces, Texas, Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1865. Duty at Brazos Santiago and other points in Texas until August, 1865. Consolidated with 84th United States Colored Troops August 14, 1865.

95th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 1st Corps de Afrique Engineers. Attached to Engineers Brigade, 13th Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. Colored Brigade , United States Forces, Texas, Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1864.

SERVICE.--Duty at Brazos Santiago, Point Isabel, Brownsville, Arkansas Pass and other points in Texas until November, 1864. Consolidated with 87th United States Colored Troops November 26, 1864.

96th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 2nd Corps de Afrique Engineers. Attached to a Provisional Brigade, 13th Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. Engineer Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1864. United States Forces, Mobile Bay , Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, United States Colored Troops, Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1864. United States Forces, Mobile Bay , Dept. of the Gulf, to December, 1864. District of Southern Alabama, Dept. of the Gulf, to March, 1865. Engineer Brigade, 13th Corps, Military Division West Mississippi , to June, 1865. Unassigned, Dept. of the Gulf, to January, 1866.

SERVICE.--Garrison at Fort Esperanza and engineer duty on Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, until May, 1864. Ordered to New Orleans , La. , May 27; thence to Port Hudson , La. , and duty there until July 27. Moved to New Orleans , thence to Mobile Bay , Ala. Siege operations against Fort Gaines and Morgan August 2-23. Duty at Mobile Point until November. At East Pascagoula until February, 1865. Campaign against Mobile and its Defenses February to April. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 17-April 9. Duty on the Fortifications at Mobile and at various points in the Dept. of the Gulf until January, 1866. Mustered out January 29, 1866.

97th Regiment Infantry
Organized April 4, 1864, from 3rd Corps de Afrique Engineers. Attached to Provisional Brigade, 13th Corps, Texas, Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1864. Engineer Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1864. United States Forces, Mobile Bay , Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1st Brigade, District of West Florida , to February, 1865. 3rd Brigade, District of West Florida , to March, 1865. Engineer Brigade, Military Division West Mississippi , to June, 1865. Unattached, Dept. of the Gulf, to April, 1866.

SERVICE.-- Red River Campaign to May 22, 1864. Built bridge over Red River at Grand Ecore April 12. Constructed rifle pits and Abatis about Grand Ecore April 13-19. Repair road from Grand Ecore to Cane River , and crossing over Cane River April 19-20. Lower Crossing of Cane River April 22. At Alexandria constructing works and dam April 25-May 13. Retreat to Morganza May 13-22. Marksville May 16. Operations about Yellow Bayou May 17-20. Fatigue duty at Morganza until June 20. Ordered to New Orleans , La. , June 20. Duty in District of Carrollton until August. Moved to Mobile Bay , Ala. , August 20. Duty at Mobile Point and Dauphin Island until February, 1865. In District of Florida until March, 1865. Campaign against Mobile and its Defenses March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 9. Duty in the Fortifications of Mobile and at various points in the Dept. of the Gulf until April, 1866. Mustered out April 6, 1866.

109th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Louisville , Ky. , July 5, 1864. Attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, District of Kentucky, 5th Division, 23rd Corps, Dept. of the Ohio , to October, 1864. Martindale's Provisional Brigade, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to March, 1866.

SERVICE.--Duty at Louisville and Louisa , Ky. , until October, 1864. Ordered to Join Army of the Potomac before Petersburg and Richmond, Va. Duty at Deep Bottom and in trenches before Richmond north of the James River until March, 1865. Actions at Fort Harrison December 10, 1864, and January 23, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Boydton Road , Hatcher's Run, March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until May. Embarked for Texas May 25, arriving at Indianola , Texas , June 25. Duty there and on the Rio Grande , Texas , until March, 1866. Mustered out March 21, 1866.

114th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Nelson , Ky. , July 4, 1864. Attached to Military District of Kentucky , Dept. of the Ohio , to January. 1865. 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to April, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to April, 1867.

SERVICE.--Duty at Camp Nelson and Louisa , Ky :, until January, 1865. Ordered to Dept. of Virginia January 3, 1865. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond on the Bermuda Hundred Front until March, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until June. Moved to Texas June and July. Duty at Brownsville and other points on the Rio Grande , Texas , until April, 1867. Mustered out April 2, 1867.

115th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Bowling Green , Ky. , July 15 to October 21, 1864. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Kentucky, 5th Division, 23rd Corps, Dept. of the Ohio , to January, 1865. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, Dept. of Virginia, to March, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to February, 1866.

SERVICE.--Garrison duty at Lexington , Ky. , until December, 1864. Ordered to Virginia . Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond January to April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until May. Sailed for Texas May 20. Duty in District of the Rio Grande until February, 1866. Mustered out February 10, 1866.

116th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp Nelson , Ky. , June 6 to July 12, 1864. Attached to Military District of Kentucky , Dept. of the Ohio , to September, 1864. Unattached, 10th Corps, Army of the James, to November, 1864. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps, to April, 1865. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to September, 1866. Dept. of the Gulf to January, 1867.

SERVICE.--Duty at Camp Nelson until September, 1864. Defense of Camp Nelson and Hickman's Bridge against Forest 's attack. Ordered to join Army of the James in Virginia , reporting to General Butler September 27. Duty at City Point , Va. , until October. Moved to Deep Bottom October 23. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond October 23, 1864, to April 2, 1865. Operations on north side of the James River before Richmond October 27-28, 1864. Fatigue duty at Deep Bottom, Dutch Gap and in trenches before Richmond until March, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Boydton Road , Hatcher's Run, March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg until May 25. Embarked at City Point , Va. , for Texas May 25, arriving at Brazos Santiago June 22. March to White's Ranch June 24. Duty at Rome , Texas , until February, 1866. In Sub-District, Lower Rio Grande , until September, 1866, and at New Orleans , La. , until January, 1867. Mustered out at Louisville , Ky. , January 17, 1867.

117th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Covington , Ky. , July 18 to September 27, 1864. Attached to Military District of Kentucky , Dept. of the Ohio , to October, 1864. Provisional Brigade, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to August, 1867.

SERVICE.--Duty at Camp Nelson , Ky. , until October, 1864. Ordered to Baltimore , Md. , thence to City Point , Va. , October 21. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond until March, 1865. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until June. Moved to Brazos Santiago , Texas , June and July. Duty at Brownsville and on the Rio Grande , Texas , until August, 1867. Mustered out August 10, 1867.

118th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Baltimore , Md. , October 19, 1864. Moved to City Point , Va. , October 26, 1864. Attached to Provisional Brigade, 3rd Division, 18th Corps, Army of the James, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to February, 1866.
SERVICE.--Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond November, 1864, to April, 1865. Occupation of Richmond April 3, 1865. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until June. Moved to Brazos Santiago , Texas , June and July. Duty at Brownsville and at various points on the Rio Grande until February, 1866. Mustered out February 6, 1866.

122nd Regiment Infantry
Organized at Louisville , Ky. , December 31, 1864. Ordered to Virginia January 12, 1865. Attached to 25th Corps, Army of the James, Unassigned, to April, 1865. Dept. of Texas to February, 1866.
SERVICE.--Duty in the Defenses of Portsmouth , Va. , until February, 1865. Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond , Va. , February to April, 1865. Fall of Petersburg and Richmond April 2-3. Duty in the Dept. of Virginia until June, 1865. Moved to Brazos Santiago , Texas , June and July. Duty at Brownsville and at various points on the Rio Grande until February, 1866. Mustered out February 8, 1866.

127th Regiment Infantry
Organized at Camp William Penn, Philadelphia , Pa. , August 23 to September 10, 1864. Ordered to City Point , Va. , September, 1864. Attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, Army of the James, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 10th Corps, to December, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 25th Corps and Dept. of Texas, to October, 1865.

SERVICE.--Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond , Va. , September, 1864, to April, 1865. Chaffin's Farm, New Market Heights , September 29-30. Fort Harrison September 29. Darbytown Road October 13. Battle of Fair Oaks October 27-28. Duty in trenches north of the James River before Richmond until March, 1865. Moved to Hatcher's Run March 27-28. Appomattox Campaign March 28-April 9. Hatcher's Run March 29-31. Fall of Petersburg April 2. Pursuit of Lee April 3-9. Appomattox Court House April 9. Surrender of Lee and his army. Duty at Petersburg and City Point until June. Moved to Brazos Santiago , Texas , June and July. Duty at various points on the Rio Grande until October. Mustered out October 20, 1865.

Beyond Super

2008-02-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

Part 2

By Eddie Griffin

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Lest I forget, I had a super time speaking to the youth at UTA on yesterday and met some super kids. If I can pass along the torch to young people, then my living is not in vain.

One of the best teaching methodologies is to “Provoke and Intimidate”. In other words, provoke student reaction and overwhelm.

I told the UTA kids that I taught Speed Reading and Total Recall in prison. It never fails that this provokes a “dingbat” look on my student’s face… that “How does that work?” look on their face.

So learn I, so I teach: To go beyond the limit… to go from good to super.

Prince Among Slaves

2008-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

PBS Documentary: Prince Among Slaves

Monday, February 4, 10:00 pm
Dallas-Fort Worth CHANNEL 13(KERA)

PRINCE AMONG SLAVES, the inspiring true story of an African prince who survived 40 years of enslavement in America before finally regaining his freedom. The documentary, part of PBS' tribute to Black History Month, is a presentation of the National Black Programming Consortium.

Winner of the Best Documentary at the 2007 American Black Film Festival, PRINCE AMONG SLAVES tells the compelling story of Abdul Rahman, an African Muslim prince, through feature-film styled re-enactments directed by Andrea Kalin and Emmy-Award-winner Bill Duke; contemporary artworks, archival letters and diaries; and on-camera interviews with distinguished scholars and experts. Narrated by actor and hip-hop artist Mos Def, PRINCE AMONG SLAVES is based on Dr. Terry Alford's biography of the same name.

Abdul Rahman was captured in 1788 and sold into slavery in the American South. He endured the horrific Middle Passage and ended up the "property" of a poor and nearly illiterate planter from Natchez, Mississippi, named Thomas Foster. Rahman remained enslaved for 40 years before finally regaining his freedom under dramatic circumstances, becoming one of the most famous men of his day. He returned to Africa, his royal status acknowledged. PRINCE AMONG SLAVES ends with a family reunion of Rahman's African and American descendents in Natchez, Mississippi.

"I was immediately attracted to this story because of its powerful message," re-enactment director and supervisory producer Bill Duke says. "Too many people continue to be enslaved by poverty, drugs and bad decisions. But like Abdul Rahman, they can come out of it and regain their dignity and respect."

Underwriter: National Endowment for the Humanities

Fort Worth Church Unveils First Faith-Based GO Center in Texas

2008-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

A new GO Center, aimed at helping Fort Worth ISD high school students and their families prepare for college, debuted on Wednesday, January 23rd. The center is located in the Stop Six Church of Christ on East Berry Street.

GO Centers are part of the College for Texans initiative, which endeavors to increase the overall Texas higher education participation rate. It is also a key component in the FWISD high school completion strategy. The Stop Six GO Center is the first of its kind in the state to be located in a church. The Center provides computer access to scholarship and financial aid information, mock SAT tests, career exploration, and application assistance to high school students and their parents.

On hand to launch the program were a host of church, community, and business leaders, as Pastor Joe D. Gibbs proudly unveiled the new computer resource facility.

Scholarship Information for Our Kids

2008-01-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

The following Internet Scholarship information is posted to give our students some targets to shoot for in their aspirations to achieve their post-secondary education.

Source:
Anita Perry, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator, Academic Advisement
Guidance and Counseling
anita.perry@fwisd.org
100 N. University, NW248
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Phone: 817.871.2800
Fax: 817.871.2807

College For Texans

College Board

Embark

College is Possible

Texas Mentor

College Net

Fastweb

Free Scholarship Search

USA Funds

Wired Scholar

Scholarship Search

Free College Scholarships and Financial Aid Information

Accounting Scholarship

Ambassadorial

American Geological Institute Geoscience Scholarship

American Institute of Architects

American Psychological Association

American Society for Microbiology

Americorps

Association Graduate Funding

Brand Essay Competition

College Fund

Discover Card Tribute Award

Elks National Foundation

Federal Scholarship & Aid Gateway

FinAid

Gateway to 10 Free Scholarships

Gateways to US Government Grants

Holocaust Remembrance

Imagine

International Students Scholarships and Aid Help

International Students

Lucent Technology

NACME Scholarship Program

National Alliance for Excellence

Presidential Freedom
(Same site as Americorps)

Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Sallie Mae’s Free Online

Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies

Siemens Westinghouse Competition

Student Inventors

Target Scholarship

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship

Tylenol Scholarships

United States Institute of Peace

William Randolph Hearst Endowed

Scholarships for women: AAUW

Zonta International

Scholarships for minorities: Gates Millennium Scholarship

GE and LuLac

Hispanic College Fund

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Hispanic Scholarship Guide

Jackie Robinson Foundation

Minority Health Program

Ron Brown Scholarship

Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund

United Negro College Fund

Center for Student Opportunity

Scholarship for children of military personnel: AFCEA International

Air Force Aid Society

Army Emergency Relief

Fisherhouse

Marine Corps Scholarships

Military Page

Navy Marine Corps Relief

ROTC Scholarship

America has lost a generation of Black boys

2007-12-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

There is no longer a need for dire predictions, hand-wringing, or apprehension about losing a generation of Black boys. It is too late. In education, employment, economics, incarceration, health, housing, and parenting, we have lost a generation of young Black men. The question that remains is will we lose the next two or three generations, or possibly every generation of Black boys hereafter to the streets, negative media, gangs, drugs, poor education, unemployment, father absence, crime, violence and death.

Most young Black men in the United States don't graduate from high school. Only 35% of Black male students graduated from high school in Chicago and only 26% in New York City, according to a 2006 report by the Schott Foundation for Public Education. Only a few black boys who finish high school actually attend college, and those few Black boys who enter college, nationally, only 22% of them finish college.

Young Black male students have the worst grades, the lowest test scores, and the highest dropout rates of all students in the country. When these young Black men don't succeed in school, they are much more likely to succeed in the nation's criminal justice and penitentiary system. And it was discovered recently that even when a young Black man graduates from a U.S. college, there is a good chance that he is from Africa, the Caribbean or Europe, and not the United States.

Black men in prison in America have become as American as apple pie. There are more Black men in prisons and jails in the United States (about 1.1 million) than there are Black men incarcerated in the rest of the world combined. This criminalization process now starts in elementary schools with Black male children as young as six and seven years old being arrested in staggering numbers according to a 2005 report, Education on Lockdown by the Advancement Project.

The rest of the world is watching and following the lead of America. Other countries including England, Canada, Jamaica, Brazil and South Africa are adopting American social policies that encourage the incarceration and destruction of young Black men. This is leading to a world-wide catastrophe. But still, there is no adequate response from the American or global black community.

Worst of all is the passivity, neglect and disengagement of the Black community concerning the future of our Black boys. We do little while the future lives of Black boys are being destroyed in record numbers. The schools that Black boys attend prepare them with skills that will make them obsolete before, and if, they graduate. In a strange and perverse way, the Black community, itself, has started to wage a kind of war against young Black men and has become part of this destructive process.

Who are young Black women going to marry? Who is going to build and maintain the economics of Black communities? Who is going to anchor strong families in the Black community? Who will young Black Boys emulate as they grow into men? Where is the outrage of the Black community at the destruction of its Black boys? Where are the plans and the supportive actions to change this? Is this the beginning of the end of the Black people in America?

The list of those who have failed young Black men includes our government, our foundations, our schools, our media, our Black churches, our Black leaders, and even our parents. Ironically, experts say that the solutions to the problems of young Black men are simple and inexpensive, but they are not easy or popular. It is not that we lack solutions as much as it is that we lack the will to implement these solutions to save Black boys. It seems that government is willing to pay billions of dollars to lock up young Black men, rather than the millions it would take to prepare them to become viable contributors and valued members of our society.

Please consider these simple goals that can lead to solutions for fixing the problems of young Black men:

Short term
1) Teach all Black boys to read at grade level by the third grade and to embrace education.
2) Provide positive role models for Black boys.
3) Create a stable home environment for Black boys that includes contact with their fathers.
4) Ensure that Black boys have a strong spiritual base.
5) Control the negative media influences on Black boys.
6) Teach Black boys to respect all girls and women.

Long term
1) Invest as much money in educating Black boys as in locking up Black men.
2) Help connect Black boys to a positive vision of themselves in the future.
3) Create high expectations and help Black boys live into those high expectations.
4) Build a positive peer culture for Black boys.
5) Teach Black boys self-discipline, culture and history.
6) Teach Black boys and the communities in which they live to embrace education and life-long learning.

What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?

2007-12-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

I ask all of my students, upon meeting them, “What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?”

You should see the wheels start turning inside their heads.

I cannot remember who first posed this question to me. But it sounds like something I would have learned in prison. In real life, there is no “irresistible force” and no “immovable object”. The question is meant as merely a mental exercise. But it accomplishes two ends. First, it provokes critical thinking. Second, it develops a strong mental attitude.

Suppose you are an irresistible force headed toward an objective. Nothing can stop you (unless maybe it’s an immovable object). Now imagine that you are an immovable object, able to stand your ground against any force (except maybe an irresistible force).

If you are going to come at me, Tiger, you better bring everything you have, because I’m not budging. But if I coming at you, there is nothing that you can put before me to stop me- not even money.

NOW SHOWING: GANGLAND

2007-11-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

NOW SHOWING: AT Eddie Griffin (BASG): GANGLAND

Without commercial interruption or commentary, I proudly present the masterpiece of the truth behind “American Gangster”, done by none other than Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes themselves in collaboration.

The documentary opens with the statement: They (Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes) killed in the name of commerce… They shot a man at point-blank range and the man’s short caught afire.

It reminded of Fort Worth outlaw Luke Short, owner of the White Elephant saloon, friend of another top-hat wearing outlaw named Bat Masterson. They both wore top hats and carried .45 caliper derringers up their sleeves. It was with one of these concealed handguns that Short shot a man and his shirt caught fire.

In 1883 Short settled in Dodge City, Kansas, where he purchased a half interest in the now famous Long Branch Saloon. This put him at odds with the mayor of Dodge and his allies, who made attempts to run him out of town as an "undesirable". In what became known as the Dodge City War, Luke's friends rallied a formidable force of gunfighters to support him, including Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Charlie Bassett. Faced with the threat of force, Short's opponents allowed him to return without a shot being fired. Later that year he sold his interest and moved to Fort Worth, Texas.

In Fort Worth, Short was involved in another of the most famous historical gunfights. Short had developed an invested interest in the White Elephant Saloon. "Longhair" Jim Courtright, who was then Marshal of Fort Worth, reportedly had a protection rackett, in which he offered his "protection" to saloon and gambling house owners. Short turned him down, telling him he could protect his own place. This irritated Courtright, and many now believe that Courtright felt it was necessary for his other protection interests to make an example of Short as to what could happen if his services were declined.

On a cold February 8th night, in 1887, Courtright called Short out of the White Elephant saloon. Courtright reportedly had been drinking, some words were passed, and the two men walked down the street about one block. There, facing one another, Courtright said something in reference to Short's gun, apparently to give the impression that the inevitable gunfight was in the line of duty. Short stated he was not armed, although he was. Short then indicated that Courtright could check for himself, and walking toward Courtright, he opened his vest. When he did so, Courtright said loudly "Don't you pull a gun on me.", and quickly drew his pistol.

However, Courtright's pistol hung on his watch-chain for a brief second, at which time Short pulled his pistol and fired one shot. The bullet tore off Courtright's right thumb, rendering him incapable of firing his single-action revolver. As he tried to switch the pistol to his left hand, Short fired at least four more times, killing him. wiki

This story was told to the Fort Worth newspaper, but later in life Bat Masterson would tell a different story. That the saloon had already been sold to the Ward Drugs boys. As Short walked Courtright around the side of the White Elephant with his arm around his shoulder, in the moonlight under the window of Bat Masterson, Luke shot the marshal at point-blank range with a derringer's bullet to the heart. The evidence was staged as a shootout.

So goes the story of a Fort Worth outlaw named Eddie Griffin, who grew up in a city Where the West Began and where he saw the Old Wild West come to An End.

All not well in education, former U.S. secretary says

2007-11-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

by Nacole Battee, Reporter
Tarrant County College Collegian

FORT WORTH, TEXAS The future will be a testament of today’s education system, a former U.S. secretary of education told more than 500 grade school and college students Oct. 30 on South Campus.

Dr. Rod Paige, the seventh education secretary, served during President George W. Bush’s first term.

“All is not well with the public education system,” he said. The political bickering and status quo politics have overshadowed the public’s real concerns, Paige said. Too many have been protecting the system, and now society needs to protect the children.

Paige said the public education system is not a structure but rather a concept of ideas that need to be narrowed. He said being crystal clear on standards, obtaining an accountability system, having visibility to see the system and giving students the choice of which schools to attend will help the education system.

Having the lowest high school graduation rates and knowing that 2/3 of young people do not achieve academic standards is a civil rights issue, Paige said. “Will society survive when the achievement gap has only closed 5 points in the last 15 years and at this rate will take over 55 years to close?” he asked.

The public education system will be successful when they become free to do what they want to do, Paige said. However, he said, testing is necessary to measure the success of the educational system.

“It is time now for talking about a lost generation,” he said. “If they are lost, it is we the adults who have lost them.”

Paige said the public education system should be here to serve the children. A question-and-answer session with the elementary students followed the speech. “There is nothing wrong with your DNA,” he told the group. Paige used Terrell Owens from the Cowboys to illustrate that even when trying their best, people sometimes drop the ball. Never giving up is the key to being successful, he said. To concerned parents, Paige said a change in the public education system should be able to produce quality students who will be on a global competitive level. He said in order to change the system, people should be more aware of who is on their school boards. The officials, he said, should have the students’ best interest at the forefront and be held accountable.

South Campus was one stop on Paige’s Texas Hope Tour (Help Our People Excel), sponsored by the Ministers for the Education of America. The tour spotlights issues discussed in his book, The War Against Hope: How Teachers’ Unions Hurt Children, Hinder Teachers, and Endanger Public Education.

In his book, Paige says the greatest obstacle to public school reform is “the enormous, self-aggrandizing power wielded by the teachers’ unions.” The book is an analysis of America ’s crisis in the classroom. It traces the history of the National Education Association from its beginnings as an advocate of educational excellence to what he says is “the early radicalization by left wing ideology.”

The South Campus African American Male Enrichment Network hosted the event.

AfroSpear Bloggers Call for a Freedom Technology Christmas

2007-10-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AfroSpear bloggers are encouraging Blacks to give "the gift of technology" to their children, parents and others, to empower them to communicate in the Internet Age, with recommended gifts of computers, digicams, broadband and open source software.

This Christmas, the same AfroSpear Black bloggers who organized the March on Jena are spear-heading the "AfroSpear Freedom Technology Christmas" (FTC) campaign.

Sixty-thousand Blacks Responded to the AfroSpear's Call.

One hundred AfroSpear bloggers in forty US states and five countries are mobilizing their readers to give Christmas presents that increase citizen journalism within the Black community.

The AfroSpear's Field Negro, courtesy LA Times.

"When you have a blog, what happens to you in a small town can become international news, said Field Negro, who won a Black Weblog Award this year. He cited the case of Shaquanda Cotton, a 14 year-old who was unfairly sentenced to 7 years in prison for pushing a high school hall monitor, but who was released when her Freedom Blog caught national attention.

The AfroSpear's Eddie G. Griffin (BASG) believes word will spread.

"We're going to teach our children to communicate with the world and give them the tools to do it," said Eddie G. Griffin (BASG), an ex-Black Panther who helps lead the group's outreach to Blacks in the criminal justice system.

Shawn Williams, AfroSpear's Dallas South Blog

Shawn Williams, of the AfroSpear's Dallas South blog, featured on MSNBC and in the Chicago Tribune for his Jena Six advocacy, says the success of the March on Jena has convinced Black bloggers that "Freedom Technology" is essential to their movement. He said, "This Christmas, our children and families need modern communication tools, like 24-hour broadband connections and digital cameras. These tools can be used to document injustices like the Jena nooses, while at the same time help to narrow the technology divide that continues to widen."

"The gift of communication technology like computers and webcams is the best gift that you can give your children and family, because it empowers them to educate and advocate for the Black community and for themselves," said the African American Political Pundit. "Black blogging encourages writing skills and critical thinking, which are precisely the skills our children need," said the African American Political Pundit.

“Black children are going to jail at a rate 6 times higher than that of white children in America”, said Eddie G. Griffin (BASG), a leader of the AfroSpear's Black Accused Support Groups movement.

The AfroSpear's Atty. Francis L. Holland

"We are expanding the national Black media that focuses on the needs of black people in the context of America and the world. And AfroSpear bloggers will announce the ways in which Freedom Technology Christmas presents have dramatically improved communication among AfroSpear bloggers in five countries and four continents," said Atty. Holland.

Freedom Technology Christmas recommended gifts are laptop or home computers, headphones with microphones and webcams (for computer- to-computer conversations), digital cameras and camera "memory sticks," "pen drives" for saving documents, photographs and music, foreign language software, music production software and writing skills software.

Many excellent Christmas computer software presents are available for free. Open Source alternatives are abundant. For example, the cost of Microsoft Vista Home Premium at Amazon: $219.99, Cost of Ubuntu Linux: $0; Cost of Adobe Photoshop CS3 at Amazon: $619.99, Cost of Gimp: $0; Cost of Microsoft Office Standard 2007 at Amazon: $324.99, Cost of Open Office: $0, and Cost of Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 at Amazon: 398.99, Cost of Nvu: $0.

Many communication programs are available for free download and include Skype (free computer telephone), ooVoo (free televideo communication) Yahoo and MSN (e-mail and instant messages), all available at Download.Com.
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Contact: Francis L. Holland francisholland@yahoo.com
AfroSpear Freedom Technology Blog http://afrospear-ftc.blogspot.com
AfroSpear Bloggers in the News http://afrospear-news.blogspot.com
AfroSpear Think Tank Blog http://afrospear.wordpress.com

Addressing Criticisms & Shortcomings in School Bond Package

2007-10-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Eddie Griffin

Monday, October 29, 2007

The needs of our Fort Worth school children are ABSOLUTE, not RELATIVE. Any time our children turn on their Windows 95 based computers and the lights in the schoolhouse go out, we know it is be time for a major overhaul of our infrastructure. It is evident that the FWISD curricula delivery system is so antiquated that our schools are not able to utilize the latest multimedia teaching and learning tools.

Therefore, our first priority must be to get our children as much educational resources as possible- and do it ASAP.

Even with a price tag of $587 million, we recognize there will still be needs unmet. As I noted in my article supporting the November 6 bond package, this is not a panacea for all the deficiencies in our assets of educational resources. The learning gap between different school districts directly correlates with the disparity in resources. The bond package attempts to bridge that ever-widening gap, in a thoughtful, foresighted way- with built-in contingencies for the life of the bond cycle.

Of course, I am disappointed that we will not have students coming out of school, with machine shop technology skills, knowing how to set up machining operations and how to read measuring instruments, and using scientific calculators. Also, someone else has pointed out that there is no budget for upgrading alternative schools to put them on par with regular schools. These are terrible, terrible shortcomings for the critical needs of our students and local job market.

But shortcomings cannot be the basis of rejecting the bond package, when the overriding needs of our children are so high. If we reject the bond package this time around, we will only come back with a much larger bond package proposal next year, or the year after. In the meantime, another year or two is lost for the students. It would be better to take part now and part later. Therefore, I agree with Black Chamber Dee Jennings. Approve this bond package and come back with another one in the near future. In the meantime, we would hope that our local industries make financial investments and commitments to supplement the education of our future workforce in the local FWISD.

We realize that, historically, minority schools receive the short end of the stick, in terms of educational resources and quality teachers. But Superintendent Melody Johnson promised “parity” in distributing resources coming out of the bond package. And, the budget itself is transparent.

The question can only be: If everything is done according to the bond’s proposal, will the ISD achieve “parity”? Maybe not as we hope, but it provides a measuring rod to determine which schools are better equipped. Therefore, we must insist that, at a very minimum, inner city school children get every dollar allocated to them by the state. It is up to the school district to repair the breach created by previous disparities.

Secondly, there is the question of leadership- at the institutional and board level. Now I can criticize leadership from here to Washington, but in the final run we must dance with the one that “brung” us. Always get as much money as possible for the kids first. Then, if leadership is lacking, at least we have the money. We can replace the leadership, if necessary, without ever disturbing the pot.

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum writes: I am dazed and confused by your support of the over half billion dollar school bond.

As I said above, it is not necessary for the bond package to be perfect in order to support it.

Tatum further writes: How can you ask us to boycott and call for a "Sliver War" on November 2Th and then turn around and ask us to vote for the "largest" tax bonds increase in the history of Fort Worth ISD on November 6Th... Double standard and message

This is not a ‘double standard” nor a mixed message, unless there is a misconception between “Silver War” and “Civil War” (spelled with an S). The objective of a civil war by economic boycott relates specifically to issues of injustice carried out by the state against our youth and the hate crimes that have followed. The presupposed tax increase from the bond package is a different issue, altogether.

According to the graphic rendition, actual property tax rate is supposed to go down over the next few years as a result of a previous legislative measure. To compensation for loss revenue from reducing property taxes, the state raised cigarette sales taxes- an unwise tax swap, seeing the number of cigarette smokers are declining. Nevertheless, we were very conscientious of how the state robs Peter to pay Paul- in this case, by inflating property values. If memory serves me correctly, we put a cap on how much property values can be appraised from year to year. Of course, this means we have to stay vigilant.

Again Tatum says: We are tired of not receiving our "fair share" and equal justice for our children... You are asking people to give FWISD more money to "refinance" debt from the last bond which you and I both know was grossly mismanaged.

For sure, we can do nothing about past mismanagement other than send the crooks to jail (which we did). A portion of the new bond package will liquidate the balance of the previous bond, which is the normal course for any new bond package. Does that say we condone the previous schemes and scams? With the old bond package balance from the Toco administration out of the way, Dr. Melody Johnson can start with a clean slate. There would be no vestige of the past affecting her administration’s performance. After all, Dr. Johnson has been stuck with “old baggage” from the day of her arrival.

Low performing and unsafe schools are NOT ABSOLUTES either. They are as RELATIVE as the politics involved in school administration and oversight. Things can and do change. I agree: We need more education for our money rather than more money for our education. But wherever there are largest sums of money being spent, there will be sales people “selling the Brooklyn Bridge”. I believe that we are already paying too much for the new accounting system and that we underestimate the learning curve for assimilating new hardware and software.

But then again, if we were looking for perfection, we would just put God in control and let the system run on its own. Otherwise, we have to made do with partial solutions and imperfect people.

Former Sec. of Ed. Rod Paige to Lecture at Texas Schools

2007-10-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact person: Rev. Kyev Tatum at 817-829-5455

TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS—Rod Paige, the former Secretary of Education (2001-2005) under President George W. Bush, will speak at Everman High School, Tarrant County College South Campus, and The University of Texas at Arlington on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007. Dr. Paige's lectures are entitled "Help Our People Excel" in which he will encourage local educators, parents and students to continue to pursue excellence in education.

On January 21, 2001, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Rod Paige as the 7th U.S. Secretary of Education. For Paige, the son of a principal and a school librarian, that day was the crowning achievement of a long career in education. Born in 1933 in segregated Mississippi, Paige's accomplishments speak of his commitment to education. He earned a bachelor's degree from Jackson State University and both a master's and a doctoral degree from Indiana University.

Paige is the first school superintendent ever to serve as Secretary of Education. His experience as a practitioner—from the blackboard to the boardroom—paid off during the long hours of work needed to pass President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The driving force behind his work as Secretary was his belief that education is a civil right, just like the right to vote or to be treated equally.

Paige's visit to the area is part of his Texas Hope Tour, sponsored by the Ministers for Education of America. "We are honored and humbled to host an American Hero in our community," said, the Rev. Kyev Tatum Sr., President of Ministers for Education of America. "Dr. Paige will go down in history as a leader who helped to change the course of history in education for years to come," Rev. Tatum said.

All lectures are free and open to the public. Dr. Paige tour will begin at Joe C. Bean Everman High School at 1000 S. Race Street in Everman, Texas at 9:00 a.m. and at Tarrant County College-South Campus at 5301 South Campus Drive in Fort Worth at 1:00 p.m.

The UTA event will be from 7 to 8 p.m. in the sixth floor parlor of the Central Library, 702 Planetarium Place.

For media opportunities, contact Rev. Kyev Tatum at 817-829-5455.

9:00 A.M.
JOE C. BEAN
EVERMAN HIGH SCHOOL
1000 S. Race Street
Everman, Texas 76140
Mr. Cutis Amos
817-568-3552

1:00 P.M.
TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE-ROTUNDA
5301 S. Campus Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76134
Mr. Zeb Strong
817-515-4206

7:00 P.M.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
AT ARLINGTON LIBRARY
701 Nedderman Drive
Arlington, Texas 76019
Mr. Daniel Woodward
817-272-2101