Category: Educate to Liberate

Educate to Liberate

How Black Genius is Misdiagnosed as Disability

Nefertari Nkenge

Full disclosure: I am an educator who has long fought against the tendency for Black students to be disproportionately diagnosed w/ disabilities, especially considering the huge error of margin in rushing to judgment in an institutionally racist system which regards our children as an “other” and given the common thread of behaviors which intersect an ADHD diagnosis and that of giftedness/exceptionalism. As an avid believer in the oft-neglected, innate genius of Black children (in particular), and one in awe of the indomitable spirit of our people as a collective, I am convinced that Black genius has routinely been misdiagnosed as a disability in K-12 schools in America. I argue that it’s time for the entire pedagogical profession to shift our myopic views of what constitutes a developmental disability and consider how our bias too often informs the disproportionate labeling of Black youth as special needs. If scholarly research determines the validity of an existing pattern of prevalent pedagogical practice, findings would likely augment the veracity of modern testing protocols and inform the measurement of youth of all other ethnicities as well. Academic testing – How Academic Testing is Racist – in any form is racist, as such disproportionate disability diagnoses can scarcely be deemed viable, when rendered in a system which is firmly rooted upon antiquated systems of oppression and when performed at the hands of educators suffering from the scourge of the perpetual mis-education of Black students.

Honestly, has it ever occurred to a large percentage of the reigning resident experts, i.e. “holier-than-thou” educational policy makers that the students most prone to “acting out” during daily instruction and/or those least engaged with the didactic (and predictable asf) teaching style, are merely bored beyond belief and grossly underestimated in terms of their scholarship and ability? Surely, we must shift the blame from Black students’ and other students of color supposed inabilities, given the unrealistic expectation to conform to a flawed, Eurocentric model of education which neither places their experience nor their uniquely cultural (and multiple intelligences inclusive) learning styles at the forefront of the learning experience. For example, if indeed restlessness, inattention, impulsivity, high activity levels, and creativity infused day-dreaming are regarded as evidence of superior intellect in African centered or AP (advanced placement) classroom settings, then such behaviors are also representative of the trademark virtues commonly associated w/ being gifted. Yet, these behavioral indicators are often only afforded a positive connotation in specialized, small, private or otherwise affluent schools, overwhelmingly comprised of White students. Unbeknownst to many non-educators, in the average public/charter schools, the exact 👏🏾same 👏🏾descriptors 👏🏾are used to disenfranchise Black students and to otherwise limit, or completely obliterate a universal belief in the natural genius of our Black youth. This practice typically manifests as a large percentage of Black students in integrated school settings (and especially those in large, urban, underfunded school districts), as belonging to a special needs population, encumbered with academically underperforming tendencies or severely developmentally disabled labels and treatment.

There is widespread knowledge among pedagogical circles that the behavior profiles of gifted students closely mirrors that of troubled and/or non traditional students. Therefore, the only discernible difference in opportunity, resources, service delivery and corresponding student performance data is how a student has been officially labeled while on the K-12 trajectory. In affluent districts, student’s who are not traditionally served by general education classroom settings are almost immediately assumed to be gifted and prescribed to being set apart as bright, talented, creative, or as markedly gifted children who would benefit from advanced academic placement and smaller class sizes (among other interventions). The corresponding academic and social expectations are subsequently raised, the requisite resources and teacher quality soars and students officially begin the lifelong trajectory of designation as “gifted”. On the contrary, in urban schools across the nation, our most gifted population of Black students show traditional signs of non-conformity and are immediately regarded as academically, socially and behaviorally disadvantaged and after enduring the referral process, they languish in poorly staffed, scarcely resourced and sparsely funded Special Education departments. In this model SPED students are otherwise relegated to a bleak future wherein academic, social dysfunction is expected and deemed as the norm. Sure, they are placed in small class environments too – only these spaces are not labeled as advanced placement classes, but resource rooms. The bulk of these students almost exclusively mirror the self-fulfilling prophecies of lowered expectations, poor academic performance, social stigmatization and exclusion from the lifelong learning opportunities afforded to their equally gifted peers (born to a different culture and socioeconomic class). Ultimately, the inherent bias, labeling, and level of services offered by educational institutions is predicated upon the slightest nuance in special needs classifications and despite the apparent and often overwhelming intersections between giftedness and diagnosis as “an other”, there’s a literal world of difference between the two categories. Sigh . . .

Until now, little attention has been devoted to the similarities and differences between the two groups, particularly from the viable perspective of race and class inequalities as manifested in educational settings, thus raising the potential for misidentification in both areas — giftedness and disabled. Overwhelmingly, White students are referred to psychologists or pediatric physicians for their non-conformist, ADHD behaviors while Black students are routinely referred to behavior interventionists, deans and even external law enforcement facilities and detention centers at an equal (or accelerated), rate. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that Black students comprising the disabled ranks in segregated, underfunded inner city schools, possess levels of, as yet undiagnosed genius and have been failed by a system intent on their mis-education. Instead, Black students are increasingly diagnosed with ADHD, ASD and/or as distinguishable only in the form of academically, socially or behaviorally significant statistics.

As a general rule in academic practice, when White students’ even begin to exhibit behaviors in alignment with boredom, misbehavior or not working up to his/her apparent ability, they reap the corresponding benefits of attending well funded, resourced educational environments in which their parents’ favorable property values, all but guarantee that the best available social workers, psychologists, counselors and highly compensated administrators and staff will service their every need. In such idyllic environments, every educational and familial stakeholder is well versed in engaging an all-encompassing protocol replete with early intervention allowances to ensure the academic and social success of the individual student’s. When afforded a timely opportunity to be assessed on their academic strengths and weaknesses, the student is then, more often than not, determined to be “gifted and talented” in one, or more, distinct academic disciplines or social emotional capacities. As a veteran educator and scholar, I am not the least bit critical of this high expectation infused protocol of educational service delivery. On the contrary, I merely interrogate the absence of the same tried and true procedural precision in widespread application in the urban schools where I have taught/served as an administrator and in environments in which Black student scholars predominate.

Perhaps as evidence of the grave disparity in being diagnosed as gifted, in a recent Twitter thread, one middle-aged woman courageously, unwittingly exposed the frequency of White, affluent students being diagnosed as “twice-exceptional” in adulthood for harboring a virtually undetectable disability as adults, after having already been labeled as exceptional/gifted during their K-12 years. The thread quickly went viral and it rather innocently exposed the wealth of people who admitted to having benefited from being gifted early in life, while exhaustively detailing the corresponding frustration at struggling academically (or socially-emotionally), later in life when their learning disability was finally diagnosed. For many people, the academic and social differences only frustratingly emerged while enrolled in Ivy League Colleges or whilst working in corporate America, so clearly their White privilege anesthetized them from the special needs shame uniquely experienced by Black students. This only increasingly underscores the reality that the traits of giftedness and disability seamlessly intersect w/ race and class being the only discernible distinction in classification. Common admissions on the twice-exceptional thread included statements in line with this one: “Identified as gifted in grade school. I “never paid attention” in class, always turned in homework late, but did great on tests. I was only later diagnosed with ADHD at 19…”.

Educators must consider that if a student doesn’t finish his/her assignments, or hastily answers questions without showing their work; if their handwriting and spelling or organizational skills are poor; or if the student persistently fidgets in class, talks to others, refuses to keep a seat and often disrupts class by interrupting others they might well be aptly deemed as requiring intervention. The pivotal question is whether the student is gifted or developmentally disabled, and furthermore who is in the best possible position to render such a profound diagnosis? When students’ prematurely shout out the answers to teachers’ questions it’s admittedly annoying (despite the fact that they are usually right). Likewise, when a particularly bright light of a student daydreams during whole group instruction or seems far too easily distracted – these tendencies are typical precursors to being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, because of the inescapable reality of institutionalized racism, in similar case studies involving Black students we rarely if ever, pause to consider whether he/she is gifted, developmentally disabled or some semblance of both? More often than not, Black students are overwhelmingly diagnosed as falling within the confines of the latter Special Education population. While this should not constitute a prescription for academic disenfranchisement, it usually manifests as just that. Therein lies the dilemma of mis-education.

Since in current practice, educational professionals reach the consensus of an ADHD diagnosis by initially listening to parent or teacher referrals (detailing the child’s academic/behavioral profile), w/ only the insufficient contribution of a few brief classroom and social observations of the child, we must make allowances for human error and bias. Even in other cases, when brief screening questionnaires or assessments are used, these measures typically supplement the parents’ or teachers’ subjective descriptions of the original behaviors. Admittedly, only students who are fortunate enough to have thorough physical evaluations, which include screening for allergies and other metabolic disorders, and those afforded extensive psychological evaluations – including assessments of intelligence, achievement, and emotional status – have an equal footing at being accurately diagnosed as either gifted or disabled. It is clear that any student, Black or White, affluent or impoverished, may well be gifted and/or have ADHD or ASD. The truth is that without a thorough professional evaluation, exclusive of the assumptions common in a codified system of oppression, it is difficult to tell. Determining whether a child has ADHD can be particularly difficult when that child is also gifted. The use of many instruments, including intelligence tests administered by qualified professionals, achievement and personality tests, as well as parent/teacher rating scales, can substantively contribute to discerning the the subtle differences between ADHD and giftedness. All evaluations must also be followed by appropriate curricular and instructional modifications that account for cultural competencies and nuances, advanced knowledge, diverse learning styles, and various types of intelligence.

In the end, thoughtful consideration and appropriate professional evaluation is warranted before concluding that bright, creative, intensely gifted and talented Black students have developmental disabilities – or not. We must collectively consider all of the characteristics of the gifted/talented child’s culture, class and background (as well as that of the resident experts) before rushing to judgment. Parents: Do not hesitate to raise the possibility of giftedness with any professional who is evaluating your child for ADHD or ASD, as it is your right to interrogate this possibility. It is vitally important for all educators to make the correct diagnosis, and for parents and teachers to be similarly obliged to educate ourselves, since giftedness is often neglected in our collective professional development training. Together, in mindful consideration of the prevalence of mis-education, we can curb the incidence of Black genius being misdiagnosed as a disability. Otherwise we are all guilty of a grave disservice to all of humanity.

#EducateToLiberate

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Diversity Training, Educate to Liberate

White Female Teachers + Black Students = Mis-Education

Nefertari Nkenge

An entire qualitative study is warranted on the inescapable, yet subtle ways that mis-education is propagated at the hands of seemingly benevolent White, female teachers whose disdain for Black students is glaringly apparent in microaggressions. Black students, the world over, have long been subjected to pedagogical racism in the various forms of: lowered expectations, assignment as pet projects/mascots, target practice for linguistic “speak standard English only” oppressive zones, poster children for the disproportionately tested, used as behavior referral and prison pipeline guinea pigs and as unethical study subjects in Tuskegee experiment styled, Common Core curriculum infused trials. Black students bemoan the recurrent disservice of being forced to act as ‘unofficial’ spokespersons #ForTheCulture and being shamelessly misused as fodder for slavery re-enactment displays (reeking of racism, yet poorly disguised as hands-on “history” lessons). For Black students, the K-12 years are akin to a torturous  journey of re-enslavement in which abject tokenism, tyranny and exploitation informs nearly every interaction with the vast majority of their White, female teachers. Too strong a statement? No. An over exaggerated assessment of Black students’ reality? I think not. But of course, this ideology is entirely dependent upon one’s perspective.  Consider that it is White Women who overwhelmingly elected Trump and that this is the same demographic who aggressively persists in reporting an incredulous litany of  non-crimes of law-abiding Black people to police on an almost weekly basis across the country. Clearly this troubling behavior exposes a pattern of behavior which does not lie dormant during the course of a typical school year. Informed analysis reveals that the same racism, classism and oppressive power dynamics which are manifest in society have disastrous implications upon all students of color and particularly on the psyche of Black students. Essentially, Black students are merely surviving the K-12 trajectory, but are not thriving and this is merely a testament to our well-honed survival skills in preparation for suffering a dreaded lifetime of institutionalized oppression. Acknowledge that any post secondary pursuit of academic excellence beyond the initial baptism by fire of the first 12 years of school, comprises the sum total of Black people’s remarkable ability to withstand hostility filled classroom environments, in which White women wield the only degree of power this patriarchal society allows them to exercise.

In terms of recognizing the telltale signs of modern-day mis-education in the covert form of microaggressions, the insidious hatred takes on many forms. From the common scenario in which a Black student (insert any student of color), innocently requests to go to the restroom with the question “Can I go to the bathroom, please?”, to which the White, female teacher (insert any holier than thou, privileged person in authority) snarkily replies “I don’t know? Can you go to the restroom?!”, in an apparent reference to the improper use of grammar. For the mortified student, they have just been publicly maligned and sarcastically corrected by a respected person of authority who casually assumes the role of the grammar police, thereby rendering the classroom as not a place of learning where everyone is welcome – and grammar lessons are delivered at appropriate times – but as a protected, White space in which no student of color dare exercise agency or free expression. Of course, the indignant power dynamic of centering whiteness as the norm is not new, on the contrary, racists publicly correct the language use of all people of color and regard all spaces as their personal domain to police as they deem fit – please reference pertinent examples.  Clearly, for the unsuspecting student in the aforementioned scenario, there are no valued lessons learned. They will retain only the harmful memory of having been embarrassed for innocently expressing a legitimate need, and become adept at internalizing oppression and ceasing to be themselves in a hostile environment. Whereas, the clueless teacher (even if confronted by a parent), fails to see the harm in utilizing what they deem to be a #TeachableMoment and ponders, in vain, as to how to better infuse music, slang and/or any host of other manipulative stereotypes as a means to effectively reach their Black students who don’t seem receptive to their loving, standards-based and welcoming classroom. Ha! Therein lies the rub, indeed a problem for the ages. The disproportionate diversity demographics of 80% predominantly White, female teachers to an almost equal number of students of color is an indictment upon an American educational system which has its historic foundation upon institutionalized racism and separate, unequal practices which essentially informs the ever-widening achievement gap. How will authentic education ever be accomplished in the midst of such divergent perspectives? It is my contention that no real learning can take place at all given this oppressive model (sigh), only gross mis-education.

As shared in my own qualitative, narrative dissertation of the prevalent (yet oft-ignored), phenomena of mis-education, the study concluded that the narrative voice of Black educators must be afforded a prominent platform as a pertinent means for ‘resident experts’ to willingly share of their own degree of mis-education and to similarly propose the best, evidence-based practices to successfully counter the debilitating effects of suffering a daily onslaught of microaggressions within the classroom setting. Among the all too common themes which frequently emerge in the empirical data of Black students suffering mis-education, there are incidents of being told that “You speak/read/learn/ compute very well” as if African genius is an anomaly or that “You are a credit to your race” as a supposed compliment by an authority figure who actually believes that they have their innate bias in check. Despite record levels of creative innovation and educational advancements, Black people are still being acknowledged as “the firsts” in so many diverse arenas and in the presence of equally (or even lesser) educated peers. We are generally regarded as “the help” or as having earned a position through affirmative action, while being unfairly compensated for performing the same professional capacities. In fact, among the academic community and in society in general, White women and men so often leverage their Whiteness to game the system, that it limits  their capacity to ascribe natural genius to Black people at all. There’s such a wealth of insidious, persistent stereotypes governing  educational policy in the key areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment and scholarly research that it is fairly common to still be the only person of color to be published in elite journals, sought as featured presenters, or to occupy the seats on policy boards which empower us to wield significant power in schools to effect the change needed to turn the tide of mis-education. Until Black scholars (and all people of conscience who support our revolutionary efforts to decolonize education) collaborate in exposing these issues throughout districts and via targeted government appointments – students of color will continue to comprise the ranks of the oppressed. Far too many Black, Asian, Latinx and Indigenous students have been undervalued for their (or their family’s) immigrant status and asked to clarify where they are born, or to say words in their native language on command. In terms of the microaggression of color blindness – in what alternate reality has it ever been appropriate to foolishly proclaim that you “Don’t even see color” or that “I have Black friends”?  Please be crystal clear in recognizing that all claims of color-blindness are as offensive as the day is long, yet such statements are repeatedly uttered by folks who would rather pretend that they don’t acknowledge another’s ethnicity as preferable to being mindfully conscious of and ultimately working everyday not to weaponize their normative whiteness and privilege through self-education and concerted effort. 

It is clear that for White, female teachers and Black students . . . nearly all interactions are problematic, particularly given the power dynamics of an outdated, yet all-too-common classroom construct, whereby the teacher is the sole authority figure and students’ are regarded as merely empty vessels waiting to be filled. For White, privileged education policy makers, there is no apparent urgency to increase the diversity of America’s teaching force or to level the playing field of potential success for Black students because the intentional design of the system holds that some students will inevitably fail.  There is no authentic crisis in the myopic view of policy makers, as long as the student failures reside squarely within the demographic of Black students, and other students of color.  An analysis of multiple studies devoted to the Black-White student achievement gap conclude that systemic discrimination and generational poverty are at fault for the massive disparity in student achievement and this is indeed a sound conclusion, supported by data. However, little attention is paid to the direct correlation between the overwhelmingly White teaching force and the increasingly diverse student populace, as a primary contributing factor to the ever-present achievement gap. From a purely statistical perspective, it is absolutely unacceptable for there to be such a dearth of quality, educators of color (in general) and Black educators (in particular), to teach our increasingly Black and Brown student majority.  Honestly, how can you teach me, if you don’t know me, respect my worldview (often antithetical to your own), or love me? It’s arguably impossible to learn, think critically or prosper when subjected to the same level of purse clutching fear and abject hostility in play elsewhere. Although studies have shown that there is no effect upon White students when they have Black teachers, the exact opposite is true for Black students who are irreparably damaged and otherwise mis-educated from a lifetime of exposure to the White, female homogeneity of the schools. Still, there’s been little to no national recruitment efforts sponsored by educational policy makers to significantly and permanently increase teacher diversity, at a rate which honors, values and is commensurate with the overwhelming ranks of students of color. Even the New York Times cited diversity and bias training as only a temporary remedy to addressing an age-old problem. Yet, many schools fail to even undertake this preventative measure, thus ushering in an entire era of tone deaf, misguided, out of touch White teachers who could care less that their repeated, failed attempts to “teach” students of color, only reinforces their innate bias, privilege and normalizing the tendency to project a superiority complex over our children. Sigh . . . and so a vicious cycle proliferates.

Undoubtedly, there are countless exceptions to the rule, in the form of admirable, White women educators who are staunch professionals, conscious of their White privilege and who are instrumental in sounding the alarm re: the need for change. However for others, the sincere message is this – listen up clueless colonizers: no más, no more, no ma’am! Keep your ‘Angelina Jolie wanting to adopt us’ energy; coupled with your ‘Sandra Bullock I’m only married to racists and star in Hollywood savior films for fun’ energy; and especially your ‘Alyssa Milano #FakeWoke, wannabe anti-racist, Twitter fingers-activist screaming “I see you, I feel you, I AM YOU” toxic, empath energy back to the ‘unsolicited, denounce Min. Farrakhan or else soapbox, which you hastily handcrafted to showcase your poorly disguised allegiance, while inadvertently outing your own unchecked superiority complex’. By all means, keep your ‘detached suburban living, my own children attend private school and my conservative political preferences are private’ energy waaayyy over there. Because trust me, Black students/parents and the community in general are already accustomed to carrying the heaviest load in terms of our own freedom from oppression, so you are either helping or harming the cause – there is no middle ground. It helps tremendously to be mindful of never engaging in widespread posturing, placating or complete ignorance to the power imbalance that the average classroom environment cultivates and governing yourselves accordingly.  As a viable starting point towards a solution for what ails the system of mis-education engendered by White, female teachers and Black students is to engage:

  • Nationwide Recruitment/Retention of Black Teachers – It is pivotal to honor and attune the entire education community to the empowered voices and opinions of Black educators who are as commonly tokenized and disrespected as valued professionals as are Black students in the classroom. Black educators have long been vocal about the need for increased support in both entering and sustaining a viable future in the education profession. Thus, nationwide recruitment and retention strategies are key.
  • Diversity & Inclusion Training – Racism, elitism and White privilege are so firmly rooted in education as to render diversity training one of many mandated curriculum strands required for the well-rounded, rigorous and relevant professional development offerings of all educators and pedagogical leaders. Every school needs rigorous, relevant and competent diversity training, ideally at the hands of an experienced Black scholar educator well-versed in institutionalized oppression in schools, in order for each institution to attempt to rid itself of its own unique form of the universal scourge of racism.
  • Scholarly Research (both Qualitative and Quantitative) – Without question, the demographic impact of the prominent number of White women in leadership of diverse classrooms and schools must be thoroughly researched and analyzed in terms of their reinforcement of the ‘survival of the fittest’ culture, which supports the status quo and sustains institutionalized oppression. Any and all attempts to contribute to the virtually non-existent, 21st Century knowledge base of mis-education in the field of educational policy are welcomed.
  • Policy Change & Legislative Action – It’s not enough to support ongoing mass opposition to DeVos’ racist policies, targeted commercialization and the widespread privatization of schools. Teachers nationwide engaged in protesting and fighting for better pay and legislative change while opposing future cuts to education must similarly advocate for increased federal/state investment in anti-racist teacher education and all other complementary efforts to decolonize pedagogy through anti-racist curriculum, instructional and disciplinary protocols rooted in equity and justice. Educators have a collective obligation to actively work towards leveling the playing field in the areas of: recruitment, hiring and teacher retention strategies while simultaneously tackling the increasing incidents of racism and xenophobia in all of our K-12 schools and college campuses across the country. 

Educational institutions and teachers which continue to operate in a vacuum, business as usual, despite the presence of the significant injustices buoyed by the overwhelming number of White, female teachers and Black students will only serve to exacerbate the problem of  mis-education. 

Educate to Liberate

March is Reading Month

Nefertari Nkenge

Model and Celebrate the Joys of Reading

The month of March is known for the advent of Spring and Spring Break; Division I Men’s Basketball Tournaments, themed “March Madness”; Women’s History Month and (drumroll please…) reading. As educators, parents and those wishing to benefit from the merits of lifelong learning, we should promote universal literacy as a way to spread the love, joys and wonder of reading. Because you are reading this blog post, it’s safe to assume that you are a willing convert to the many benefits of being an avid reader. So attempting to convince an active blog reader of the need to celebrate this glorious pastime, would be like preaching to the choir. While clearly you already enjoy the intellectual stimulation of an informative article, well written thought piece or a good book – sadly, we must acknowledge that literacy is an elusive concept to many. It should be affirming to know that the literacy rate increases worldwide with each new generation however, according to the National Institute for Literacy (2017), more than 200,000 adults (or 47% of city of Detroit residents) are still functionally illiterate. Given these heartbreaking statistics, it is more than timely that a celebration of reading be a feasible reality to predominate all of the events traditionally associated with the month of March. Let’s each vow to do our unique part to positively influence the dynamic of #WorldLiteracy by infusing the love of reading (and spirited mass communication in general), into others’ lives by adopting just a few habits, which we can implement this month and incorporate throughout the year.

Visit your local library – Libraries are an essential and universally accessible “gem” for any literate society, but because we far too often take our own literacy for granted – we fail to visit, support and appropriately utilize this convenient treasure trove as a readily accessible resource. Google has become the preferred go-to-source for all information and as a result, we often risk falling prey to mis-information or subjective, sponsored content without valuing research as worthy of our serious investment. As a visible indictment upon our disregard for the sacred value of literacy, our libraries are now grossly underfunded, sorely underutilized and otherwise at risk of permanent closure. Increasingly, because of the abject laziness which has become synonymous with this technological age, libraries are deemed relics of the past or unnecessary luxuries while scores of people suffer from a lack of knowledge. Admittedly, literacy rates fluctuate from country to country and even in areas renowned for their sound educational systems, those who live in the most impoverished conditions, still suffer higher rates of illiteracy. The best way to remedy this aberration is to carve out your own semblance of a #SpringBreak to sponsor local library field trips (for educators and families) or use the month of March to enjoy a solo venture to the library in order to renew your membership and check out a book. Each of us has an obligation to ensure that literacy is not only our unique inheritance, but also our ‘gift’ to those we love and others less fortunate.

Volunteer to read – What if we borrowed from the #MarchMadness frenzy traditionally reserved for college basketball to apply just a portion of that infectious energy to a worthy, volunteer effort? Schools, senior homes and even church Sunday School or Vacation Bible School classes would greatly benefit from volunteers of all ages and persuasions simply volunteering to read aloud. Reading books aloud is a vital part of literary instruction in virtually every nursery, daycare and primary school atmosphere because this contributes to vocabulary and comprehension skill enhancement in early childhood development. From an academic standpoint, there should never be an assumption that our students were blessed with a level-playing field of having come from literate households that modeled an exemplary regard for reading and writing. Thus, teachers of students from kindergarten to grade 3 (and beyond), must seamlessly fuse read-aloud opportunities on each day of instruction in order to appropriately model the think-aloud, questioning and demonstrate the contextual nuances of vocabulary development which accompany the art of reading for understanding. At the alternate end of the spectrum, reading to elders (in either your family or in medical/residential facilities), reminds them of the joys of a medium they may have once relished, but which age and illness may limit or altogether prohibit. As a teacher, I frequently walked my homeroom class to the local library for research, sponsored a fast food lunch and then the class would spend the rest of the afternoon inspired by the new knowledge we had gained. As a school district administrator, I proposed, budgeted and rarely, if ever missed an opportunity to accompany our students and teachers to a local nursing home so that children (of all ages) could partake in the sheer joys of showing off their own read-aloud, comprehension and public speaking abilities while simultaneously driving home the benefit of giving back c/o a viable, inter-generational platform.

Purchase or donate lightly used books as gifts – For many of us, gift-giving often ‘breaks the bank’ or encourages spending to excess for material things which are only temporal and/or symbolize shallow expressions of love in the final analysis. The gift of a book is meaningful and priceless . . . because the value has lasting implications far beyond the intended holiday or occasion. Reading is a much more enriching and beneficial activity than so many other indulgences in life. The novel concept of books as a perfect gift also refers to giving away used books as well, because their value does not depreciate over time. A novel you (or your children), once enjoyed but have finally grown out of may now be treasured by the next generation and your charitable gift is key. My daughter was at first hesitant to part with her used children’s books when I introduced the concept of passing them down to her younger cousins many years ago, (lol). As an only child she was always somewhat possessive and it never occurred to her that her books could be appreciated by others. It helped that each round of giveaway’s meant a shopping trip to replenish her library – but more importantly, it was pivotal for her to learn that knowledge is not for our individual consumption, on order to be blessed in life, we must willingly share and give the gift of knowledge. In my own life, I learned the joy of giving gifts of the heart because of our family’s annual observance of Kwanzaa. An African-American holiday founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, #Kwanzaa literally means first fruits and offers a truly meaningful and rich celebration of the new year and of our African heritage than that which is traditionally associated with the extreme commercialization of Christmas. In our home, as in the homes of many peers, we celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa and rather than merely enjoying the festive joy of one holiday, we observe and celebrate each of the seven days of Kwanzaa immediately following Christmas, from the 26th of December – January 1st, thus reaping the best of all spiritual, cultural and meaningful gift-giving connotations imaginable. As children during Kwanzaa time, we were bound by giving gifts of the heart including: doing one another’s chores, offering unsolicited compliments or making handmade, keepsakes. Of the few Kwanzaa gifts (zawadi), which could be purchased, were books because of their vastly tangible return on such a nominal, yet worthy investment. Perhaps we could all begin to donate or purchase the gift of books among our family and friends thereby establishing a meaningful tradition.

Collectively, we can commemorate #MarchIsReadingMonth by expanding literacy beyond the comfort of our own familiar routines to introducing the joys and wonder of reading to those around us. There is little else which has the capacity to ignite the light of our imagination and spark inner creativity than reading, so literacy is a gift we must give away through modeling best practices ourselves. The small, yet meaningful acts of: visiting a local library, reading aloud to others and buying or donating books as gifts are priceless.

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” –Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai

Educate to Liberate

Wishes For My Daughter

Nefertari Nkenge

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since your birth, seems like it was just yesterday . . . eagerly awaiting your arrival on February 23rd, but I was pleasantly surprised when your long anticipated grand entrance was on the 26th instead. I know now that this was merely divine confirmation that you would always do everything in your own time – and that is precisely what you have always done (smile).

In life, there is no shame in operating in accordance with divine order, in fact this is a powerful testament to being in perfect alignment with the Creator’s will for your life. So, as I affirm your always silent, observant and innate light-filled persona, I salute the official end of your teenage years with all of the meaningful, sentimental value that your formal welcome to adulthood deserves. And in the tradition of honoring each revolution around the sun as an opportunity to thoughtfully reflect on the past, revel in the present and to positively project upon the glorious future; please allow me to engage the symbolism of our sacred African inheritance and annual Rites of Passage tribute tradition, by offering this public post. Jendayi – to you for whom I eternally “give thanks” please accept these heartfelt mother to daughter, well-intentioned wishes as you usher in the 20s, with just 3 of the major things, I wish I had known in my 20s:

1. My first wish is that you find God in yourself and love her fiercely – You are the divine essence of all creation and a pure reflection of God. As a Black woman, all life springs from your loins and because you are the progenitor of the earth, there’s nothing new under the sun. Indeed, you/we/us have always been here and shall now and forever BE. Both your sun-kissed melanin and your natural crown provide an external affirmation of your beauty and an infinite connection to the divine. Beautiful, powerful, resilient, dipped in honey, emblazoned in bronze and intricately laced in gold. Goddess woman: she, me, you, we, us have an inner knowing which guides us through life. Trust your intuition, quiet voice, spirit of discernment and spiritual foresight because each of these virtuous gifts will come naturally to you and they will serve as both divine guidance and a pertinent reminder that the power of God resides in (and is always accessible), to you.

2. Secondly, my wish is that you don’t sweat the small stuff (and it’s all small stuff) – The world will unfairly label you as an Angry. Black. Woman. for your resistance to internalized oppression. Resist and fight to end oppression wherever it exists and by any/all means necessary, anyway. You will be regarded as too Black and too strong for your fierce defiance in the face of injustice in many forms, not the least of which is institutionalized racism. BE proud, unapologetically Black and strong anyway.

Your confidence will be misconstrued as conceit and your timeless, effortless, impervious-to-aging, Black woman beauty and creativity will be regarded as marketable commodities in a world which objectifies Black women as only sexual, creative beings to be widely appropriated and exploited. Don’t acquiesce to the norm of being valued in terms of your proximity to a false, European standard of beauty. Know that the unique components of your African beauty ARE the standard by which all other cultures seek to glean inspiration. Recognize that true beauty is cultivated within and must be maintained through positive self-talk, healthy living, a balanced/wholistic and active lifestyle and a non-negotiable regimen of self-care. BE fully prepared to exhaustively counter the world’s objectivity, by maintaining your unique voice, agency and power as distinct and protected from all external, commercial interests (often obfuscated from your view). And BE confident, beautiful and wildly creative anyway.

As a Black woman you are the quintessential paradox of normative Whiteness, as such, your very being is the direct antithesis to the age-old construct upon which oppressive power is wielded. So, as a means to force your identity into the stereotypical role of subservience which maintains the status quo and makes other people less threatened by your divine light – They will expect you to dance to the rhythmless beat of their off-color jokes and tunes, to scratch where there’s no itch, or to laugh when ain’t a damn thing funny. I implore you to exercise your intellect, power and outspoken nature to purposefully shine your light while resisting the familiar practice of shrinking as a means to placate their need to feign superiority. Ensure that your presence adds value in every context, and always shift the very atmosphere in order to give 👏🏾 them 👏🏾 life 👏🏾. Because ultimately it is you, as the Black woman, who has truly given life to all of humanity and honestly, why should we mess with our powerful legacy? They will suggest you are a troublemaker when you deign to rock the boat in privileged, White spaces and when you repeatedly albeit successfully challenge the status quo. BE scholarly, resolute and outspoken anyway.

Your intellect, unmitigated strength and outspoken nature – especially in academia, the workplace, the world of politics and the larger social environment – which all too often reward mediocrity – will undoubtedly be deemed as arrogance. In these arenas, openly regarded as White spaces, they will accuse you of being toxic for merely existing and for successfully navigating the treacherous terrain of their familiar domains. I admonish you to continue speaking truth to power and to courageously engage in truth telling directly to the faces of persons who need to be enlightened by your unique contributions to the world. I encourage you to BE your authentic self in these spaces, and to highlight your intellect, unmitigated strength and outspoken wisdom nonetheless. They will condition you to literally hate yourself. They will expect you to subscribe to their flawed, myopic definition of who (and whose), you are as a Black woman. Seemingly all of society will work tirelessly to convince you of your second class citizenship. They will try to convince you of your own lack of self-worth and suggest that there’s not much to love about you. Yeah right . . . Love yourself fiercely, without limits or restriction and then extend that love externally to the rest of the world anyway.

There will be studies and popular opinions to suggest that there are no legitimate prospects with which to fall in love and whom to ultimately marry as your preferred ideal mate: a Black man. Humph! Find and fall deeply in love with a powerful Black man anyway.  Black men are our natural, regal counterparts – and God’s generous gift to humanity – in the majestic form. Why would we succumb to demonizing them along with the rest of humanity. Don’t fall prey to this insidious trap. They will try to convince you of your perpetual and inescapable destiny as a single, Black mother struggling alone with your children against insurmountable odds. When in actuality, the Black Power inherent in our vibranium strong, Black family structure is perhaps the greatest threat to the perpetuation of White supremacy and world domination by the 1%. So, against the odds of a powerfully convincing, preconceived agenda and national narrative against the aesthetically beautiful and genetically indestructible family unit of: a Black man, woman and child – Work hard and succeed at maintaining a solid Black family unit anyway. I look forward to the opportunity for you and your loving Black husband to welcome the next generation of gifted and immensely talented Black children, and to similarly love and nurture them into their historic greatness by rearing them in a happy, economically prosperous and spiritually stable, African-centered household armed with the love and rigorous knowledge of self that wisely secures their future(s).

3. Finally, my wish is that you use the wisdom and mortal sacrifice of your ancestors along with the blessings of: a close relationship with God, loving relationships, your college education, life experiences, voracious reading and limitless travel to be a lifelong learner, grow in grace and wisdom, appreciate your many blessings, expand your worldview and to showcase the God within you to the rest of the universe. I pray that you be empowered in all things and continue setting goals for yourself. Know that heartbreak and unforeseen obstacles are inevitable sureties in life. Despite this, you have the power and unmistakable obligation to unlearn your own mis-education, to reach, teach, glow and grow so that you might fulfill your divine purpose in the world. There is no rush, for you walk in the mighty footsteps of your royal ancestry. And it bears restating that there’s no shame in operating in accordance with divine order and being in perfect alignment with God’s will.

Never doubt that you can change the world my love. For Black women have always, will continue and shall forever change the narrative by virtue of simply being ourselves. Happy Birthday Jendayi! Welcome to the ranks of powerful Black womanhood, we collectively #Salute you on the exciting journey ahead.

Educate to Liberate

Yes to Me, No to Being Busy

Nefertari Nkenge

Back when I was a new wife, new mother, teacher, community activist and graduate student (all at the same time), I grew so accustomed to juggling multiple demanding roles with ease that I mastered the art of busyness. Having been so driven, while still in my twenties, required me to balance the demands of equally fulfilling roles and made me a literal magnet for an unending number of people and causes in need of nurturing. I used to: teach the children all school year, volunteer to spearhead extra-curricular clubs and student service initiatives, unofficially “adopt” the children most in need of nurturing and contribute to raising them by taking them home, feeding and clothing them, before I even had a child of my own. As if that weren’t enough, I also maintained an active community presence as an educator-activist, church presence as an officer, family presence as an elder child/grandchild and I regularly volunteered to organize and teach in Vacation Bible School (each summer). Then I would exhaustively wash, rinse and repeat this cycle of charitable giving and service each year until I literally had nothing else to offer. I was a self-avowed Superwoman. A loving, nurturing and other-centered “people pleaser” who derived genuine satisfaction from knowing that I had somehow been a blessing to others. In retrospect, it was a meaningful period of selflessness, to be sure, but what a dangerous pattern I adopted for always putting myself last – from a personal and spiritual development perspective. It’s easy now in middle age, to see the many pitfalls of an other-centered vocation and existence, and this is perhaps something that all educators, doctors, nurses, clergy (or other people engaged in professional service work), must privately endure. So, in the spirit of life lessons and transparency, it is my sincere hope that someone else might learn to say yes to themselves and an emphatic NO to being busy.

At the height of my period of busyness, I actually believed that I was fully immersed in the moments and otherwise living my best life. Huh! Oprah would never be so unimpressed than to find one struggling to find themselves through the lens of other people and various social justice causes; and all the while neglecting the arduous self reflection and spiritual, inner growth required to be a fully evolved person who truly contributes to the world. Needless to say, I carried on in the aforementioned, full scale service driven manner for 20 years, but now in my 40s, I have learned my lesson of mandated spirit-soul work, the hard way – via an unforeseen health challenge and (virtually overnight) financial and career uncertainties. However, as a convert to the vast benefits of beginning again as preferable to being forced into introspection and “me time” through trials, I implore all people (especially women-the natural caretakers of the universe), to afford ourselves the time and space needed to grow gracefully.

Even during the current phase of self reflection and care, because old habits die hard, I was still fulfilling benchmarks of maturity and success because I obsessively set and accomplished professional goals and never ceased to be rewarded with symbolic signs of advancement for my tireless work ethic. However, I am convinced that professional advancement is not an indication of readiness for a life well lived and no matter how fulfilling life appears, from the outside looking in, we cannot avoid the tough inner work which prepares us for meeting life’s obstacles with ease. From an entirely honest perspective, I continually, albeit willingly emptied my own cup of plenty and gave to others to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. In this sense, I was unconsciously but foolishly avoiding the calling of my spiritual self to slow down, balance the scales and to take stock of the next best decisions in life. Ultimately, the impact of neglecting self love, self actualization and eschewing important, inner spirit work was apparent in my curiously increasing and unwanted weight gain and manifested in irreparably broken personal relationships – but by the time these negative implications are visible to the outside world, the real damage has already been done within. Though it still baffles me how very easily I embraced “busyness” as a means to serve the world and other people and to accomplish external goals, powerful life lessons have been learned and I truly do understand it better, by and by.

I am now a divorcĂ©e, proud mom of an increasingly independent and well adjusted young adult, a college professor and a small business owner who must of necessity, use all of my available free time wisely. Based upon my still very full plate of multiple responsibilities, there are still some infrequent days when I am busy, but admittedly nothing is more valuable than the time I devote to my own fortress of solitude to engage in spiritual work. For me, the painful reminder of past health challenges (while in the throes of busyness), and the ever present urgency to eat right, exercise and prioritize the spirit in order to ensure optimal health and strength; makes my life the literal poster child for the cautionary tale that life lived in a persistent state of “doing”, even when your frenzy is in service to others less fortunate, has an inevitable screeching halt of an ending.

Busyness is NOT living your best life. It’s simply doing too much – especially when pivotal spiritual growth is somehow divorced from our actions.

Maybe it’s during childhood, when we become conditioned to ignoring our own unique inner voices to retreat from the world and adopt conformity to the world’s frenzied expectations. In doing so, we cease loving ourselves unconditionally and honoring that inner voice which compels us to be self actualized persons, fully formed and powerful spirit beings each on our divine paths. This creates an internal imbalance which we mask with external patches and bandages while ignoring the deep wounds and pain underneath. For some people, it’s what drives us to eat to excess, indulge in habit forming drug, alcohol addictions, engage in unhealthy relationships or as in my case become a dangerously obsessive busybody, professional goal chaser and people pleaser faced with my own unforeseen health issue and crisis of conscience, at the same time.

Thankfully, we live and learn and with every passing day, month, year . . . we have each been granted an opportunity to begin again. The truth of it all is that we must learn to balance the entire complexity of our lives with grace because we are required to do so, from an innate calling to be whole. It is an exercise in futility to keep avoiding the importance of self-development and drowning our sorrows in food, alcohol, drugs, OPP (other people’s problems), or the countless other vices from which we suffer. It’s so much more beneficial, though admittedly harder, to spend time alone and be purposeful in our: thoughts, prayers, meditation, positive affirmations, exercise, self-talk and then to seamlessly align our actions with the fruits of our spirit and souls. But I suspect that the reward is worth the mammoth amount of effort on our parts.

So, for as long as possible in 2019, I resolve to begin again . . . No pronouncements (save this therapeutic blog), public declarations or professional goals in mind. For the first time, in my 40+ years – I have simply set my sights on ME and this is admittedly new territory. Sadly, I have already unintentionally disillusioned some family and friends who are used to a lifetime of me giving and never putting myself first. So for the people to whom I am closest, my emphatic no or need to retreat from the world to fully heal that which ails me, feels like a rejection of them or an absence of my love. Still, I must resist falling back into old patterns and people pleasing in order to live up to others’ expectations of me, when I have yet to fulfill my own divine destiny to myself. So, here’s to: self healing, deep reflection, health and wellness and all things positive which are bound to emerge from the requisite task of doing our own self work. Cheers to our conscious attempts to begin again.