It Takes a Village

An old African proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child; the author writes that Black teachers are caring and feel that they too must care for children in order for those children to feel good about themselves and grow into healthy and competent adults. I completely agree with this. Going through elementary, middle, and high school I did not have any Black teachers. I did have a few teachers that did really care about me, my life and my future. I found that I did better when I had a teacher who took the time to ask me how I was doing. I don’t mean just the average “how is your day going”, no my teacher would ask me how my work is going, how my friendships are going and more. During my time in her class I did considerably better than I had done in other classes.
According to ChaCha.com from Kindergarten to 12th grade a child spends about 74% of their life in school. That is way more than half, teachers and classmates must have a great influence on a child. I remember my teacher Mrs. Garcia, since I was in the Montessori Magnet program I had Mrs. Garcia for both for and fifth grade. Mrs. Garcia always made sure that I was Ok when she saw that I was having difficulty in a certain subject she would call my mother and ask if it was OK that I stayed after so she could work with me on whatever I was having trouble with. Mrs. Garcia did not take this much time with all of her students. She always told me that she was very proud of me and knew that I was going to do great things and accomplish many things in my life. I attribute my academic success to not only my parents but also to teachers like Mrs. Garcia.
-Mary J. Williams

Welfare Exploiter Now and Then

For me Star Parker still exploited the welfare system after she stop "living of the county." In the seventies and eighties she directly exploited the system by living wild all the while having California tax payers to pay to support her. Once she ended those rants she used the welfare system to create a name for herself. By speaking out against it and making it a major component in her book she indirectly exploited the government system of welfare. I do not think she has the right to talk down on others who directly exploit the system when she too once directly exploited the government and now she indirectly exploit the system. She is a hypocrite.

-Jasmine E. Williams

Well and Fair

Trapped in a revolving door. Can you see her? Her face full of distress and anguish. She is shackled by a system that will not allow her to stand on her own; but does she want to? Is she willing to sacrifice the lifestyle of dependency, and risk the foundation that barely allows her to stand? Or will she attempt success, relinquishing all the comforts that she believes is vital to her living. As we discuss Sandra Golden's piece in class, this is the image that replays in my mind. She's stuck. I realized that it is not just the physical aspect of depending on government assistance, but it is the mental state that it leaves single-parent women. She feels inadequate. "I felt dehumanized and humiliated. My self-esteem had been reduced because of the caseworker's discriminatory attitude. I also felt mentally abused by the caseworker's insensitivity." Is this the purpose of Welfare? The definition of welfare is: financial aid and other benefits for people who are unemployed, below a specific income level, or otherwise requiring assistance, especially when provided by a government agency or program. Nowhere in that definition are words like DEHUMANIZED and HUMILIATED. Assistance. Assisting or blaming. Blaming black women for being, "...unmotivated, unskilled, uneducated, and responsible for bringing fatherless children into the world." There have always been doubts about whether Welfare was helping or hurting our black women, but after reading the first page of this piece, the whole idea of Welfare is far more questionable.