Special Guest Blogger

Hi all,

My baby sister is preparing for college and in an effort to get some scholarship money, I will allow her to post on my blog for the world to see. I hope you all enjoy!


Failing Forward:
What Happens When You Stop the
Chickens From Coming Home to Roost?
or
How Disallowing Failure in Our
Schools Has Destroyed Our Society

The complete lack of a freedom to fail in our current educational system threatens to institutionalize students, conditioning them to view laziness and poor work ethic as fully acceptable. This training will, however become ruinous to society, those students who somehow never surrender to this way of thinking will spend their lives dragging their contemporaries’ dead weight and those who do believe what their they’re, taught will partially unwittingly, burden our society.

Recently one of my teachers addressed me in an inappropriate manner. They were very upset, because I was about thirty-five minutes late to class. I, though, did not understand why this teacher was so upset, because I had only taken their cue. On an average school day I show up late to approximately 3 out of 4 of my classes, and every one of these teachers simply jokes about my lack of punctuality. While you may say I was wrong, consider that I do receive high marks in these classes, so it would stand to reason that the teachers appreciate my tardiness. While you may claim I’m being facetious, we are all driven to do what most benefits us, so if I am rewarded for decidedly lazy behavior, why wouldn't I cultivate these habits? I am not an exception, far worse I am the rule, most American students fully understand that they can act however they want and still be passed on as long as they make some token effort. While I have attempted to right my behavior, it is difficult in such a permissive culture, so what about a student with less determination , a young person who needs guidance, they will flounder and accept what happens around them as the right way to behave. Is it any wonder that so many young people are unprepared for life after organized education?
The real issue here is not a few undeserved A’s, though, it’s what happens when the young people who have been trained to do nothing and receive everything become accountable for their own behavior. Unfortunately they are only further rewarded as adults by having their bad habits accommodated. How are they rewarded? Welfare. Welfare in itself is not a bad idea, but when it is misused as it often is now, the people receiving “help” never learn to help themselves, they remain perpetual children. This practice of sustaining those who should fail, through other people’s resources, only hurts our society, but it can’t be stopped from the end it must be nipped in the bud. Schools must begin allowing students who don’t do what is fairly expected of them to fail, even if they’re as awesome as I am. The freedom to fail is the only thing that can save our society from itself.

Walk It Off

In sports you learn that nothing should stop you from finishing the game. Be it a broken nail or a bruised sternum. Your coach would come and put their arm around you and look at you with intent and simply say “WALK IT OFF,” you would nod and wipe the dirt and tears from your face and continue. Those three words made you finish. You got that extra boost of confidence and strength you needed to go on. What happened to that concept? Somewhere between childhood and adulthood many of us have forgotten that the minor inconveniences/injuries shouldn't cause us to quit. These things come to make us stronger not to beat us into submission. If you let that break up cause a break down, you’ll never get anywhere. So just remember when you get hurt in the game of life, take a brief time out to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, wipe the tears away, and WALK. IT. OFF. I promise you’ll be better and stronger for it.

Is This Love...

This is just a little something to make your weekend more relaxed.I love this song and Ms.Rae did a wonderful job covering it. Check the passion in her face as she performs. This should be in rotation on every "Midnight Storm" mix. Enjoy.

I've been gone for minute...

Hey folks, I know I've been M.I.A. for a while but I have been busy. I have been trying to make changes mentally,spiritually,and physically. In the process I have neglected my blog. I am going to try and do better. I have read a lot of good books and heard some nice music lately and I plan on doing some reviews. I will try and document my changes, goings on and take you on the journey with me.


Amani and Asante

Jalen Rose vs. Grant Hill

Recently an ESPN documentary was shown about the dynamic Fab Five that played at Michigan during the 1992-1994 seasons. The guys changed college basketball. The most noted part of this documentary is the fact that Jalen Rose calls rival Duke players most notably Grant Hill an "Uncle Tom." I agree the comments from Jalen Rose came from a younger, frustrated person who was clearly upset that his upbringing wasn't like that of Grant Hill's. Michigan is no community college though. He had the same opportunity to get a quality education at Michigan as Hill did at Duke. I also feel that the term "Uncle Tom" is too strong to be used in this instance. Hill and the other black players didn't shuck and jive to get on the team. They played great basketball, and came from two parent households. Rose is essentially saying that he resented Hill's upbringing. He needs to be upset with the "man" who left he and his mother alone to struggle. Jalen has yet to apologize for his past comments in any of the television appearances which would lead one to believe that he still feels the same way. By Rose calling the black players Uncle Toms, he is also calling all the black students that ever attended Duke the same ugly name. That is just disrespectful. What this writer fails to realize is that Jalen Rose is now the person that he has proclaimed to have disdain for. He is the establishment. His children are privileged, they will go or already attend private school, he is wealthy, his children are coming from a two-parent home. Also while Jalen is toting the ghetto pride flag, his own Fab Five team mate Chris Webber went to the same type of private school as Grant Hill! He also came from a middle class two-parent household! But they don't want to say that. They just want to make Hill and his teammates look less than, feel inferior to, and further perpetuate the hate that is steeped in our culture. I know what the definition of this term is and in this context it is being used to describe those black people who come from a traditional nuclear family complete with a comfortable living situation and higher education. First off, I believe in free speech as much as the next person, if not more. Now I understand playing at a collegiate level will bring out all types of feelings and cause things to be said. Rose said while speaking with Skip Bayless ,that he understood the context of what he said, that is NOT the same as an apology. I say that he owes him and the rest of the players and students an apology because it discredits their talent and disrespects them as individuals. Grant Hill's response was printed in the New York Times and is basically saying that he is not apologetic for where he went to school, who his parents are, or how "black" he is in comparison to Rose or anyone else. Rose apologized via Twitter to Hill before it aired but has yet to say it publicly or remove it from the final cut. One could even go as far as saying that the Fab Five were "Uncle Toms" for choosing not to attend HBCUs. I would say not to judge each other and the sooner we can get away from belittling our own the stronger and better we will be. I'm not taking either man's side. This is just my opinion. Formulate your own.
Link's to both Grant's response and the documentary are below.