How do I summarize the summer? I learned about history and race relations. I ate too much. I debated so much I don't want to debate anymore... For a little bit at least. Im going to try to summarize it as directly as I can.
What went well?
The speakers were the best part of the internship. Going on the Time Magazine website and seeing an article about two of the people I just spoke with was pretty awesome. Discussing real issues with people out in the field is great. The trips were amazing. Going to see the places where Emmett Till was tortured, killed, and thrown into the Tallahatchie river was powerful. Seeing a KIPP school that was run well, with a philosophy on teaching, was empowering.
What didn't?
The office work after the summer school was over was boring. It was the end of the internship and a lot of things had to be finished. These things were the least exciting or thought provoking part of the internship. Mr. Ben Guest called this our "tuition" for everything else. That seems fair.
What was the highlight?
The trips were the main highlight. Going with the interns to Memphis, traveling to Indianola, seeing the Sunflower County Freedom Project, these things help keep a lot of other things in perspective.
What did you learn?
I need more time to digest everything in order to give the best answer for this. However I learned a lot about seeing things from another perspective and seeing where other people are coming from.
How have you changed?
I really can't say yet. I'm probably a little more open minded. I know more about Mississippi. I'm going to think a lot more about the situations and people around me.
How will this internship inform what you do?
This is another question I can't answer right now. Everything becomes clearer in retrospect. But I know that it will change some of my decisions for the better.
Who do you want to thank?
I want to thank everyone who helped me inform my decision about this internship, the good people at the Southern Education Foundation, the teachers/administrators at MTC, family, friends, etc. (I feel like I just gave a speech lmao)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Brown Report
Brown University created the "Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice" and commissioned them to write an in depth report about the legacy and lasting meaning of American Slavery on Brown University, America, and the world at large. Some of the history uncovered was not the most positive for Brown's image. Some of the history was good for Brown's image in retrospect. They were overall straight forward and blunt, and this report was a very respectable move on their part. There is no way I am going to be able to cover everything they did on this blog, so I highly recommend reading it for yourself. The report can be found in its entirety in PDF format here.
Reasons For Doing So
Brown listed several reasons for doing this report, the main reason being the pursuit of truth that all universities claim to aim for. This largely comprehensive report focused on honesty. There have been many cases of selective memory and denial when it comes to discussion on this topic, and Brown wanted to avoid that. They decided to acknowledge and see if there was a way to make amends for a past trespass. They ask how a place that claims to be dedicated to knowledge (university or otherwise) could avoid looking its own past in the face. They also discuss the validity of some forms of reparations for different aspects of slavery.
Denial/Pain
This topic can bring pain to a lot of different groups of people, for various reasons. This cited as the main reason they are the first institute to put forth an effort like this. Some people would rather act like it never happened. Some people feel that it ended, and everyone should let it go. Some people say Barack Obama is President, so everyone should just let it go. One thing is true however, the American Slavery of the past still affects the American Society of today, whether we talk about it in public or not. There are still plenty of race issues in America, none quite as polarized, yet as subtle as a residual white and black tension. Not to say that all there is between the cultures is tension, but just to say that on some levels its still there.
Examples of Acknowledgement
America is however, not the only country with issues. Other countries have made reparations for past injustices. The most notable reparations program was Germany's somewhat hesitant official apology and series of reparations programs to families of victims of the Holocaust. Some people there also would rather forget some aspects of their past, but Germany was under international pressure and scrutiny after World War II. What I find most interesting is that America has given apologies before. Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, native Hawaiians, and victims of the Tuskegee "Bad Blood" experiment have all received at least a Presidential apology. Families of former slaves and indigenous Americans have received no formal apology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after discussing the effects of slavery, the worlds reactions to similar situations, and the overall philosophy of America, Brown University believes that reparations are in order. However, the reparations do not have to come in the form of direct payments to descendents. Brown stated (& I agree) that the most favorable form of reparations would come in the form of what was most passionately held away from slaves: education. Brown found that slavery and the left-over, never fully dealt with effects of slavery have held African Americans back from receiving a equal education. This was changed in the 1960's legally, but there is a very clear overall gap in the level of education available even today. The process of reparations should address this issue.
Reasons For Doing So
Brown listed several reasons for doing this report, the main reason being the pursuit of truth that all universities claim to aim for. This largely comprehensive report focused on honesty. There have been many cases of selective memory and denial when it comes to discussion on this topic, and Brown wanted to avoid that. They decided to acknowledge and see if there was a way to make amends for a past trespass. They ask how a place that claims to be dedicated to knowledge (university or otherwise) could avoid looking its own past in the face. They also discuss the validity of some forms of reparations for different aspects of slavery.
Denial/Pain
This topic can bring pain to a lot of different groups of people, for various reasons. This cited as the main reason they are the first institute to put forth an effort like this. Some people would rather act like it never happened. Some people feel that it ended, and everyone should let it go. Some people say Barack Obama is President, so everyone should just let it go. One thing is true however, the American Slavery of the past still affects the American Society of today, whether we talk about it in public or not. There are still plenty of race issues in America, none quite as polarized, yet as subtle as a residual white and black tension. Not to say that all there is between the cultures is tension, but just to say that on some levels its still there.
Examples of Acknowledgement
America is however, not the only country with issues. Other countries have made reparations for past injustices. The most notable reparations program was Germany's somewhat hesitant official apology and series of reparations programs to families of victims of the Holocaust. Some people there also would rather forget some aspects of their past, but Germany was under international pressure and scrutiny after World War II. What I find most interesting is that America has given apologies before. Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, native Hawaiians, and victims of the Tuskegee "Bad Blood" experiment have all received at least a Presidential apology. Families of former slaves and indigenous Americans have received no formal apology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after discussing the effects of slavery, the worlds reactions to similar situations, and the overall philosophy of America, Brown University believes that reparations are in order. However, the reparations do not have to come in the form of direct payments to descendents. Brown stated (& I agree) that the most favorable form of reparations would come in the form of what was most passionately held away from slaves: education. Brown found that slavery and the left-over, never fully dealt with effects of slavery have held African Americans back from receiving a equal education. This was changed in the 1960's legally, but there is a very clear overall gap in the level of education available even today. The process of reparations should address this issue.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Maliks Top Ten List For Future Interns
10. Know that it gets hot. Too hot.
9. Be ready to do a lot of readings and make more annotations than you normally would (I don't usually make any, so it kinda sucked for me.)
8. Be honest.
7. There is no amazing barbeque in Oxford, MS. The best is B's and that's located in a gas station.
6. Be ready learn new things about education, race, and life. Some of it will probably be uncomfortable.
5. Bring a car if you can.
4. Be ready to debate all day everyday.
3. Make sure you recognize sarcasm/dry humor, life will be easier.
2. It's really hot out here.
1. Come with an open mind.
9. Be ready to do a lot of readings and make more annotations than you normally would (I don't usually make any, so it kinda sucked for me.)
8. Be honest.
7. There is no amazing barbeque in Oxford, MS. The best is B's and that's located in a gas station.
6. Be ready learn new things about education, race, and life. Some of it will probably be uncomfortable.
5. Bring a car if you can.
4. Be ready to debate all day everyday.
3. Make sure you recognize sarcasm/dry humor, life will be easier.
2. It's really hot out here.
1. Come with an open mind.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Speakers & Life
This week we had some interesting speakers. We went a KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) charter school in Arkansas. KIPP is basically a certain mindset and philosophy about how a school should be run. It was refreshing to see a school in a high poverty, mostly minority area that cared about the kids. It was also refreshing to see one that got results. The kids were well behaved and 100% of graduates got accepted to and went to college. We spoke with the pricipal, Mr. Marcus Nelson.
We also spoke to Mr. Reggie Barnes. He spoke with us about his experiences being amoung the first group of black people desegregating public schools in Mississippi growing up. He used to get in a lot of fights. He also spoke with us about his accomplishments and how he accheived them. He invited us to his lovely home on a lake and made us a bunch of great seafood.
However the speaker I am going to focus on for this post is Otis Pickett. Brown University released a paper about its past involvement in slavery, the effects of American slavery, the historical context of American slavery, and what can and should be done in modern society. Later this week I will blog more about the specifics contained in the report itself and now I will focus instead on Mr. Pickett himself.
We had a previous, unplanned discussion with Mr. Pickett before but this one was even better. We used the report as a jumping off point to discuss issues of race and class in America and the world at large today. Consider these thoughts, why do some cultures focus so specidically on themselves that they exclude, and may even be offended at being included with other cultures with many simularities? For example, Dominican versus Puerto Rican, Trinidadian versus Jamaican, and Chinese versus Korean. I feel that more can be acheived through working together, especially in America, where all of these groups are usually lumped together. I understand the need for cultural identity, but not at the expense of solidarity with other cultures, specifically with cultures that are close to my own and especially when we have a common goal.
Basically it became an interesting open forum on race and identity, particularly in the American South. There were many topics openly discussed and I feel that we all took things from the conversation, Mr. Pickett included. I hope to have more like it.
We also spoke to Mr. Reggie Barnes. He spoke with us about his experiences being amoung the first group of black people desegregating public schools in Mississippi growing up. He used to get in a lot of fights. He also spoke with us about his accomplishments and how he accheived them. He invited us to his lovely home on a lake and made us a bunch of great seafood.
However the speaker I am going to focus on for this post is Otis Pickett. Brown University released a paper about its past involvement in slavery, the effects of American slavery, the historical context of American slavery, and what can and should be done in modern society. Later this week I will blog more about the specifics contained in the report itself and now I will focus instead on Mr. Pickett himself.
We had a previous, unplanned discussion with Mr. Pickett before but this one was even better. We used the report as a jumping off point to discuss issues of race and class in America and the world at large today. Consider these thoughts, why do some cultures focus so specidically on themselves that they exclude, and may even be offended at being included with other cultures with many simularities? For example, Dominican versus Puerto Rican, Trinidadian versus Jamaican, and Chinese versus Korean. I feel that more can be acheived through working together, especially in America, where all of these groups are usually lumped together. I understand the need for cultural identity, but not at the expense of solidarity with other cultures, specifically with cultures that are close to my own and especially when we have a common goal.
Basically it became an interesting open forum on race and identity, particularly in the American South. There were many topics openly discussed and I feel that we all took things from the conversation, Mr. Pickett included. I hope to have more like it.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Why Is Fairness Important?
Why is fairness important?
First off, let it be said that everyone has their own concept of what is and what is not fair. Approach any amount of people about a moral situation and odds are there will be as many different answers as there were people asked. With that in mind, there is no one perfect guideline for what is fair in every situation. Life is too varied to accurately predict all of the millions of little details that make up every situation in our lives. We do have some guidelines for fairness however, holy books for example. These are the quintessential examples of how one thing can mean different things to different people. The same quote can be used for multiple conflicting arguments because holy books, like anything else in life, are up for interpretation.
As Americans, we have been taught that fairness is a natural right of all people. From day one we hear talk about how America is great because we have such a focus on fairness, justice, liberty, freedom, and many other ambiguous but positive concepts. Whether America truly tries its hardest to make all its decisions with as large of an emphasis on these concepts as we are told or not can be debated. One thing that is clear however is that because of the public perception of how important fairness is in America, many Americans personally believe strongly that fairness is important. However, this is by no means strictly an American concept.
With the human race in general, there seems to be a common perception that there is a value that needs to be put on the ideas of fairness and justice, even if we dont always agree in exactly what ways. The human race consistently seems to value these concepts throughout our history, no matter what the culture. We admire those who give to the less fortunate. We harbor bad feeling towards those that we see as selfish. There is some part of humanity that naturally reflects these values. Why? It is difficult to say for sure why exactly people started valuing these moral concepts. Most likely because it helps mankind to better function together as a society if we all work together and value each other.
Why is fairness important? At the end of the day it is important because for whatever reason, we as a people throughout history and into modern times have and continue to put a value on it.
First off, let it be said that everyone has their own concept of what is and what is not fair. Approach any amount of people about a moral situation and odds are there will be as many different answers as there were people asked. With that in mind, there is no one perfect guideline for what is fair in every situation. Life is too varied to accurately predict all of the millions of little details that make up every situation in our lives. We do have some guidelines for fairness however, holy books for example. These are the quintessential examples of how one thing can mean different things to different people. The same quote can be used for multiple conflicting arguments because holy books, like anything else in life, are up for interpretation.
As Americans, we have been taught that fairness is a natural right of all people. From day one we hear talk about how America is great because we have such a focus on fairness, justice, liberty, freedom, and many other ambiguous but positive concepts. Whether America truly tries its hardest to make all its decisions with as large of an emphasis on these concepts as we are told or not can be debated. One thing that is clear however is that because of the public perception of how important fairness is in America, many Americans personally believe strongly that fairness is important. However, this is by no means strictly an American concept.
With the human race in general, there seems to be a common perception that there is a value that needs to be put on the ideas of fairness and justice, even if we dont always agree in exactly what ways. The human race consistently seems to value these concepts throughout our history, no matter what the culture. We admire those who give to the less fortunate. We harbor bad feeling towards those that we see as selfish. There is some part of humanity that naturally reflects these values. Why? It is difficult to say for sure why exactly people started valuing these moral concepts. Most likely because it helps mankind to better function together as a society if we all work together and value each other.
Why is fairness important? At the end of the day it is important because for whatever reason, we as a people throughout history and into modern times have and continue to put a value on it.
A Day In The Life: The Day Food Took Over
My next assaignment is a photo-essay about one day on the job. I chose the day we got a gelato machine. Also Kalina was not in school that day & I was the only intern. I did more running around then you see here, but thats boring. Those pictures would just be me holding papers & I skimmed over my regular duties for this photo-essay & I hope you enjoy my day filled with food.
Gotta make the bread.
Gotta make the copies/run around.
The strawberry gelato process.
The bread finally finished.
The lunches I shipped off to detention & me with the lunch ladies at the end of the day.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
My Blues Song.
Here is the one and only blues song I ever wrote. It follows the typical AAB format of the genre. If you ask me to sing it... Ill probably just look at you funny and walk away hahah... Anyway here is "The Worst Kind Of Deal"
Oh baby baby baby please
(Yea baby baby baby please)
You got me, got me on my knees
And i donno, i dont know where to go
(I donno, baby I dont know where to go)
But u got me trapped in your heart shaped hole
I aint know, no no no, I aint know
(I aint know, no no no, I aint know)
That you done wanted my soul
Oh you devil devil woman
(You devil devil woman you)
You want me to make the worst kinda deal
[instrumental break]
Oh baby baby baby please
(Yea baby baby baby please)
You got me, got me on my knees
And i donno, i dont know where to go
(I donno, baby I dont know where to go)
Dont promise me fame, dont promise me fortune
But I know your love would be torture
(I know your love would be torture baby)
I think I know what would be wise
But I aint never took no good advice
(I aint never took no no advice baby)
I hope you make me feel.
[instrumental break]
Oh baby baby baby please
(Yea baby baby baby please)
You got me, got me on my knees
And i donno, i dont know where to go
(I donno, baby I dont know where to go)
But u got me trapped in your heart shaped hole
I aint know, no no no, I aint know
(I aint know, no no no, I aint know)
That you done wanted my soul
Oh you devil devil woman
(You devil devil woman you)
You want me to make the worst kinda deal
[instrumental break]
Oh baby baby baby please
(Yea baby baby baby please)
You got me, got me on my knees
And i donno, i dont know where to go
(I donno, baby I dont know where to go)
Dont promise me fame, dont promise me fortune
But I know your love would be torture
(I know your love would be torture baby)
I think I know what would be wise
But I aint never took no good advice
(I aint never took no no advice baby)
I hope you make me feel.
[instrumental break]
emmett till.
------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------
The Remains Of The Store. This is what's left of the store that Emmett Till visited that fateful day. The store has obviously been out of use. The crazy thing about the store to me is that it used to be a spot to go to... But its currently in the middle of nowhere. It got me thinking back on how life might have been back then.
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The Shed. This is where 14 year old Emmett Till was taken to be tortured and killed for whistling at a white woman. The craziest thing about this shed however is that... Its on private property... and is still in use to this day...
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The Tallahatchie River.The river that Emmett Till was found in 3 days later. 'Nuff said.
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The Courthouse. This is where the murder trial for Roy Bryant (the husband) and J.W. Milam (his half brother) happened. There was international outrage, amazing press coverage, witnesses to the kidnapping, a witness who heard the screams and was threatened into silence by one of the defendants, motivation, and one of the most famous graphic pictures of all time was the picture of Emmett Till that was circulating. The trial took place in Mississippi in the 1950s. They were acquitted by an all white, all male jury. They later admitted in "Look Magazine" that they did do it. They could not be tried again due to double jeopardy protecting them against being retried. Isn't that crazy? The only question I really have for them is did they ever regret it? Did they ever even feel bad?
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(Bonus) Robert Johnson Greenville, MS Grave. This is one of the graves for blues legend Robert Johnson.
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Friday, July 8, 2011
the school board
The other interns and I went to a meeting of The Board of Trustees of The Oxford School District. It was sort of interesting to me because I have been to school board meetings in New York before. My father used to be the president of the District 27 School Board in so I have been to meetings, but it was more of being dragged to them (haha... but seriously.) The differences were interesting enough out here.
The main speaker to catch my attention was a Ms. Cynthia Bunch, a teacher who was very passionate about what she had to say. She was a teacher of the year multiple times in the past. She spoke of the discrepancies between the scores of black students and white students within the same schools. It was a very passionate speech, in which she called members of the board out by name and eventually got shut down. I found it interesting how they reacted to her. She did start to go over her time so I understand that, but they seemed very eager to ignore that and move on...
The politics of the school board were also of interest. The people running for positions were strictly the people who were already in the position. The nominations and voting for all began and ended in about a minute total. That was very different from how it was back in New York, where it was an actual election... but then again, that was a bigger school board i guess. The whole meeting did leave me feeling sort of odd however. There seemed to be a very old school mindset about the meeting. Ms Bunch described it as a “the good ol boy mentality” during her talk.
Later we spoke with Ms Marian Barksdale, a member of the school board. She clarified some things, such as how all of the members still wanted the president to remain president. She also spoke of how some changes had already been made to the administrators of some of the schools that Ms Bunch was speaking of. She seems to be a great lady and I felt better about the meeting after meeting with her, but I still sort of feel that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
The main speaker to catch my attention was a Ms. Cynthia Bunch, a teacher who was very passionate about what she had to say. She was a teacher of the year multiple times in the past. She spoke of the discrepancies between the scores of black students and white students within the same schools. It was a very passionate speech, in which she called members of the board out by name and eventually got shut down. I found it interesting how they reacted to her. She did start to go over her time so I understand that, but they seemed very eager to ignore that and move on...
The politics of the school board were also of interest. The people running for positions were strictly the people who were already in the position. The nominations and voting for all began and ended in about a minute total. That was very different from how it was back in New York, where it was an actual election... but then again, that was a bigger school board i guess. The whole meeting did leave me feeling sort of odd however. There seemed to be a very old school mindset about the meeting. Ms Bunch described it as a “the good ol boy mentality” during her talk.
Later we spoke with Ms Marian Barksdale, a member of the school board. She clarified some things, such as how all of the members still wanted the president to remain president. She also spoke of how some changes had already been made to the administrators of some of the schools that Ms Bunch was speaking of. She seems to be a great lady and I felt better about the meeting after meeting with her, but I still sort of feel that the truth is somewhere in the middle.
the blues & mr barretta.
Earlier we met with a Mr. Scott Barretta. He is known as “Mississippi’s Blues Detective” and he is a writer and researcher. He is known for hunting down the stories of blues musicians. He hunts down those who may not have gotten the exposure they deserved in order to piece together a better a more complete picture of Mississippi music. He soon got a name for his ability to track down even the most elusive of blues artists.
He spoke with us mainly about the “Blue Trail” markers that have been placed all around Mississippi. They are a signs with facts and history about a person, area, or land mark in the area. The number and popularity of these markers is already high, and still rising. He helps research and write them, and he was one of the first people involved with the project from its humble beginnings.
We also spoke more casually about music and life. He seems to be a very laid back, relaxed guy. He runs a radio show, which i can see him doing. He seems to be a guy who has found what he enjoys in life and stuck with it. He also told us where we can get the best barbecue in the area, even though Oxford isnt exactly the best place to find barbecue apparently.
He discovered blues when he was around 15 through rock and roll. He was soon buying records of blues artists. Eventually he grew more and more involved and ended up working on blues journalism and he began working with “Living Blues” the premiere blues magazine which is based in Mississippi. At some point he began teaching sociology an University of Mississippi, all the while still involved in blues music. I recommend looking him up.
He spoke with us mainly about the “Blue Trail” markers that have been placed all around Mississippi. They are a signs with facts and history about a person, area, or land mark in the area. The number and popularity of these markers is already high, and still rising. He helps research and write them, and he was one of the first people involved with the project from its humble beginnings.
We also spoke more casually about music and life. He seems to be a very laid back, relaxed guy. He runs a radio show, which i can see him doing. He seems to be a guy who has found what he enjoys in life and stuck with it. He also told us where we can get the best barbecue in the area, even though Oxford isnt exactly the best place to find barbecue apparently.
He discovered blues when he was around 15 through rock and roll. He was soon buying records of blues artists. Eventually he grew more and more involved and ended up working on blues journalism and he began working with “Living Blues” the premiere blues magazine which is based in Mississippi. At some point he began teaching sociology an University of Mississippi, all the while still involved in blues music. I recommend looking him up.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Random School Moments #1.
When her mother arrived, she was upset, which is understandable. She argued against the decision, but the rules were clear on the situation. The mother brought up a point which only made the situation worse. She asked how the school even knew it was really girl 1. The number that the threatening texts came from was the emergency contact number listed in the school information. The texts actually came from the mothers cell phone. At that point there was not much to argue against that. The girl was removed from the program and the school found out that girl 2 was not the only girl to receive threatening messages that night. The school avoided multiple problems by reacting the way they did.
That is a picture of some of the teachers messing around at the Ole Miss golf course driving range after work one day. I enjoy sometimes hanging out with the teachers, who are only a couple of years older then me. One day I sat in on a "role play" which is one method of preparing teachers in the Mississippi Teachers Corps (MTC) for extreme situations. A "role play" is when after school a bunch of teachers sit in a room pretending to be students while one of them plays the teacher. Teachers who graduated MTC and are involved in training them or "Team Teachers" plan disturbances that the teacher in front has no idea about. While the teacher is teaching, something happens and the teacher is graded on their reaction in a couple of categories afterwards.
This was an interesting, less formal, and even fun exercise. A couple of situations was brought up during the role play I sat in on. There was a girl fight, immature noise making, a rowdy parent coming to the class, and more. I even got involved in one where we were going to the cafeteria for lunch and I was hit in the head by, and ended up chasing after one of the Team teachers down the hallway. It gives the teachers pretending to be students a chance to loosen up after classes are over and learn how to deal with situations that may come up later. It was very interesting.
These were some random school moments that caught my attention. Ill be sure to add more on here later. I decided to end this blog post with my favorite picture done by a student so far.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Memphis A.K.A. Civil Rights & BBQ Sauce.
I had never been to Memphis before. My fellow interns and I (minus Kalina who went home for the weekend and plus Andre, an in intern from the Mississippi Innocence Project, which fights for the freedom of people who have been wrongly incarcerated) heeded the words of Mr. Ben Guest (the boss man) and packed up and went to Memphis for a Saturday.
After we went to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken for dinner. Below you can see the difference Beale Street at noon and in the evening when people are beginning to head there for the night.
First stop? Ribs. Blues City Cafe on Beale Street was supposed to be top tier so we headed that way. In the end I felt they were good but didnt live up to all the hype around them. Next we looked around Beale Street, the most famous street in Memphis. Its a long strip of bars, restaurants, clubs, and shops that is closed off to cars. It looked interesting and we made a note to come back later. Onto the next stop and the main focus of our trip.
This is the Lorraine Motel, the motel that Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in. But wait... whats this?
The National Civil Rights Museum is built into the motel! The idea was surprising at first but makes a lot of sense. The museum was a comprehensive look into the struggle from the slave ships to the end of the Civil Rights Movement and into the future of civil rights. You walk though and see pictures, documents, and videos documenting the struggle. It is a great experience that I highly recommend. I even got my father a book from the gift shop. They directly banned the taking of pictures so I only took a couple.
I found the burnt carcass of the bus to be visually striking. The second, less clear picture is a look into room 306, the room Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was staying in before his assassination. The picture came out badly due to a glare off of the protective glass, but I figured it was still worth adding. The museum also has a second part across the street.
The window that James Earl Ray allegedly fired the shot that killed the unofficial leader of the Civil Rights Movement from. A powerful view. In this part of the museum system there is information about the detective work on, the actual mechanics of, the chase after, and the court case following the assassination. There is also information on and even some evidence pointing towards other theories on the assassination. They do not say for sure what happened, but leave it up to the museum goers to decide themselves. You have to go and see for yourself.
After we went to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken for dinner. Below you can see the difference Beale Street at noon and in the evening when people are beginning to head there for the night.
Waxing Philosopic.
I had another day of panels after two days at the school. We met with Mr. Germain McConnell in the first, Mr. Richard Boyd in the second, and Mr. Austin Walker, Mr. Hunter Taylor, and Ms. Golda Sharpe, who are teachers who have recently graduated from the Mississippi Teachers Corps (MTC) in the last. This was not as intense as the days of panels back in Atlanta (panels from 8am to 9pm with dinner, lunch, and miscellaneous 15 minute breaks between) but was also eye opening.
The panel I enjoyed most was the teachers, of course. They spoke of the trials, tribulations, and joys of the program. It was kind of funny to me because I met two of the teachers before around the school. They graduated from the program but are still involved in different ways. Having a panel with people I interact with on the daily was more amusing then with people I had never actually met before. I found myself asking more abstract questions. Questions like "If you had to pick the one most important aspect in a person that creates a great teacher, what would it be?" Thought provoking questions without actual concrete objective answers.
I enjoyed waxing philosophic (it means talking philosophically, the term came to mind so I used it) about different methods of education, positively influencing kids, and life in general. There was of course different answers to the "most important aspect" question. However there was a common theme that one has to care. If the kids can tell that you dont give a damn, then they have no motivation to either. It somewhat had the feel of an open, philosophical discussion. I enjoyed it and I didnt really have more questions for them at the end of the session, I just wanted to see more of the MTC program.
Also I decided that Im going to hold back on specifics on the actual summer school and the goings on there as of now, because I currently spend most of my time behind the scenes helping things to run smoothly. I have yet to sit in on enough classes and clubs to fairly evaluate the situation. Im settling down into the specifics of my position and beginning to figure time to get into every aspect of the school, so it would not be fair to me or my readers (if they exist) to voice opinions I know are going to change very soon. Basically the MTC internship has me waxing philosophic in general. Theres going to be a lot of school information in next weeks blogs, however. Also cinnamon raisin bread was made (see post #1), time for a more difficult goal.... Banana nut bread.
The panel I enjoyed most was the teachers, of course. They spoke of the trials, tribulations, and joys of the program. It was kind of funny to me because I met two of the teachers before around the school. They graduated from the program but are still involved in different ways. Having a panel with people I interact with on the daily was more amusing then with people I had never actually met before. I found myself asking more abstract questions. Questions like "If you had to pick the one most important aspect in a person that creates a great teacher, what would it be?" Thought provoking questions without actual concrete objective answers.
I enjoyed waxing philosophic (it means talking philosophically, the term came to mind so I used it) about different methods of education, positively influencing kids, and life in general. There was of course different answers to the "most important aspect" question. However there was a common theme that one has to care. If the kids can tell that you dont give a damn, then they have no motivation to either. It somewhat had the feel of an open, philosophical discussion. I enjoyed it and I didnt really have more questions for them at the end of the session, I just wanted to see more of the MTC program.
Also I decided that Im going to hold back on specifics on the actual summer school and the goings on there as of now, because I currently spend most of my time behind the scenes helping things to run smoothly. I have yet to sit in on enough classes and clubs to fairly evaluate the situation. Im settling down into the specifics of my position and beginning to figure time to get into every aspect of the school, so it would not be fair to me or my readers (if they exist) to voice opinions I know are going to change very soon. Basically the MTC internship has me waxing philosophic in general. Theres going to be a lot of school information in next weeks blogs, however. Also cinnamon raisin bread was made (see post #1), time for a more difficult goal.... Banana nut bread.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My Favorite SEF Orientation Panel.
I found about about the Mississippi Teachers Corps (MTC) through the Southern Education Foundation (SEF). The Southern Education Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation created in 1937 with the main goal of promoting quality education for traditionally disadvantaged students, including the poor and African Americans. SEF has a Southern Education Leadership Initiative (SELI) in which college students from Southern states have an opportunity to learn about the historical and contemporary issues of Brown and to become involved in effective efforts to reform and improve Southern education.
What the SELI program actually does is bring interns to Atlanta for an orientation on issues in education, past and present, then send the interns out for a summer internship with other not-for-profit organizations. During the orientation many speakers come and talk with the interns in panels of three people with a similar topic. From 8am until roughly 9pm for a little less then a work week with breaks for lunch and 15 minutes between each panel we are in a professional setting, learning and asking questions. I drank coffee for the first time in years in order to keep up.
The panels are very informative, and with issues from philanthropy to the role of courts and policy makers in achieving equity being discussed there is something of interest for everyone. This blog is on my favorite panel of the orientation. My favorite panel was the MTC panel, which was entitled "Insights into Rural Education in Mississippi."
It may seem cheesy now that I'm interning here, but its true. A movie named Lalee's Kin was shown first. It showed the struggle of one matriarchal family to survive, and one school to do the same. It was powerful, beautiful, and depressing in different combinations throughout. I highly recommend the movie. Afterwards the personal stories started.
Mr. Ben Guest who was mentioned in my first post, along with two MTC alumni, Ms. Ashley Johnson and Ms. Danielle Hall all told stories about their favorite students. There was a presentation with pictures of the students and classes. The stories were even more poignant because there were people telling their own stories right there, directly to us. All had sad parts, some had semi sad endings, all were inspirational. One of the presenters began to cry while telling her story. Stories that inspire the mind and break the heart.
I found the MTC session to be the most moving and affecting panel during the orientation, and since it affected me the most personally, It became my favorite. See? No bias there. The next day I headed out to Mississippi.
What the SELI program actually does is bring interns to Atlanta for an orientation on issues in education, past and present, then send the interns out for a summer internship with other not-for-profit organizations. During the orientation many speakers come and talk with the interns in panels of three people with a similar topic. From 8am until roughly 9pm for a little less then a work week with breaks for lunch and 15 minutes between each panel we are in a professional setting, learning and asking questions. I drank coffee for the first time in years in order to keep up.
The panels are very informative, and with issues from philanthropy to the role of courts and policy makers in achieving equity being discussed there is something of interest for everyone. This blog is on my favorite panel of the orientation. My favorite panel was the MTC panel, which was entitled "Insights into Rural Education in Mississippi."
It may seem cheesy now that I'm interning here, but its true. A movie named Lalee's Kin was shown first. It showed the struggle of one matriarchal family to survive, and one school to do the same. It was powerful, beautiful, and depressing in different combinations throughout. I highly recommend the movie. Afterwards the personal stories started.
Mr. Ben Guest who was mentioned in my first post, along with two MTC alumni, Ms. Ashley Johnson and Ms. Danielle Hall all told stories about their favorite students. There was a presentation with pictures of the students and classes. The stories were even more poignant because there were people telling their own stories right there, directly to us. All had sad parts, some had semi sad endings, all were inspirational. One of the presenters began to cry while telling her story. Stories that inspire the mind and break the heart.
I found the MTC session to be the most moving and affecting panel during the orientation, and since it affected me the most personally, It became my favorite. See? No bias there. The next day I headed out to Mississippi.
My First Post/My First Day/The Road to Mississippi.
How did I end up going from being a New York City kid to a intern in the Mississippi Teachers Corps? Let me start at the beginning. My full name is Malik Ali Mandela Sanders. Very few people actually know the whole thing, welcome to the club. I was born and raised in Far Rockaway in Queens, NY. I lived in New Jersey for a little bit, which was different than what I was used to but still close to Manhattan, so i survived (that's really how i felt at the time). I decided that although I love New York, I also love adventuring and going new places.
When college time came, I decided to make a change and move to a new region. Largely based on the influence of my loving and supportive aunt and uncle who met and fell in love there, I attend Hampton University, a Historically Black University in Virginia. I visited family in the south but Hampton was definitely the most time I have ever spent in the region. I thought that was going to be difficult because i was a "Manhattanite", I lived for the city life.
My time at Hampton has been enjoyable so far. I made some friends, got used to the area and enjoyed life in general. While out in Virginia I got wind of the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) summer internship program. As I am a psychology major interested in creating a mentoring program in the future to help bring positive influences into the lives of children with few, any hands-on time with a non-profit organization could greatly help me to sharpen my vision. Also around 75% of my aunts and uncles are teachers or principals, which always gave me a healthy interest in education. I applied and was accepted. I had hopes of being placed in Atlanta, where I have some family and some friends. Instead I was placed in Mississippi.
My original reaction was concern because I knew next to nothing about Mississippi and had never been there. After talking things over with Ms. Vanessa Elkan of SEF and Mr. Ben Guest of the Mississippi Teachers Corps (MTC) and being convinced that I wouldnt be trapped in the middle of nowhere, I realized that this could be a great chance to have yet another different life experience. I accepted the placement.
Summer came and after a couple of days of orientation in Atlanta, where SEF is located (more on that in the next post) I headed to Mississippi for the first time ever. The University Of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is a gorgeous school. The campus is huge and they have everything. There's even a school run hotel on campus and a small school owned airport (!) a couple of minutes away. I arrived on a Friday, met people, saw BB King sing the blues live on the Mississippi Delta Saturday, and hung out for the weekend in general.
Monday was the first day of school for me. The summer school program had already begun the week before, the interns and teachers already met each other, and a routine was being eased into. I was late. I did not really know what to expect, as the summer school program is for several different grades from several different schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The students range from middle school to 12th grade. Some of the students are 19. What do I look like ordering someone to do something, when they are basically the same age as me and the only real difference between us is that I'm not from around here and I'm wearing a tie? That was a large concern of mine.
The first day wasnt very dramatic. I am an intern, not a teacher. I learned how to handle my duties as a sort of runaround between teachers and administration. I finally got to see first hand the secret world of how teachers and administrators live (I remember watching a episode of "Recess" when I was younger, in which the kids attempted to learn what was really going on in the teachers lounge.) Its not as glamorous as I imagined it to be when I was a kid, even though im not sure why i felt that way. Apparently the teachers have a bread machine which im learning how to use. My goal for that is to make cinnamon raisin bread. Not the most exciting thing, but its now another thing I intend to learn this summer.
I sat in on my first class and got to see the teachers in action however, which was the most interesting part. The teachers in MTC are themselves being taught and learning about the process is very interesting. As the teachers progress through the program and even after they graduate, they observe the newer teachers in classroom settings and they progress with help from their peers. I'm still learning the details but it is a sight to see a teacher (lets call them "Teacher A") teaching students and teachers B, C, and D with handouts of their own participating somewhat and taking notes on the class and on Teacher A themselves. Its an intriguing program that I'm only beginning to see the inner workings of and there's a lot more to it than that.
I'm looking forward to learning about it.
When college time came, I decided to make a change and move to a new region. Largely based on the influence of my loving and supportive aunt and uncle who met and fell in love there, I attend Hampton University, a Historically Black University in Virginia. I visited family in the south but Hampton was definitely the most time I have ever spent in the region. I thought that was going to be difficult because i was a "Manhattanite", I lived for the city life.
My time at Hampton has been enjoyable so far. I made some friends, got used to the area and enjoyed life in general. While out in Virginia I got wind of the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) summer internship program. As I am a psychology major interested in creating a mentoring program in the future to help bring positive influences into the lives of children with few, any hands-on time with a non-profit organization could greatly help me to sharpen my vision. Also around 75% of my aunts and uncles are teachers or principals, which always gave me a healthy interest in education. I applied and was accepted. I had hopes of being placed in Atlanta, where I have some family and some friends. Instead I was placed in Mississippi.
My original reaction was concern because I knew next to nothing about Mississippi and had never been there. After talking things over with Ms. Vanessa Elkan of SEF and Mr. Ben Guest of the Mississippi Teachers Corps (MTC) and being convinced that I wouldnt be trapped in the middle of nowhere, I realized that this could be a great chance to have yet another different life experience. I accepted the placement.
Summer came and after a couple of days of orientation in Atlanta, where SEF is located (more on that in the next post) I headed to Mississippi for the first time ever. The University Of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is a gorgeous school. The campus is huge and they have everything. There's even a school run hotel on campus and a small school owned airport (!) a couple of minutes away. I arrived on a Friday, met people, saw BB King sing the blues live on the Mississippi Delta Saturday, and hung out for the weekend in general.
Monday was the first day of school for me. The summer school program had already begun the week before, the interns and teachers already met each other, and a routine was being eased into. I was late. I did not really know what to expect, as the summer school program is for several different grades from several different schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The students range from middle school to 12th grade. Some of the students are 19. What do I look like ordering someone to do something, when they are basically the same age as me and the only real difference between us is that I'm not from around here and I'm wearing a tie? That was a large concern of mine.
The first day wasnt very dramatic. I am an intern, not a teacher. I learned how to handle my duties as a sort of runaround between teachers and administration. I finally got to see first hand the secret world of how teachers and administrators live (I remember watching a episode of "Recess" when I was younger, in which the kids attempted to learn what was really going on in the teachers lounge.) Its not as glamorous as I imagined it to be when I was a kid, even though im not sure why i felt that way. Apparently the teachers have a bread machine which im learning how to use. My goal for that is to make cinnamon raisin bread. Not the most exciting thing, but its now another thing I intend to learn this summer.
I sat in on my first class and got to see the teachers in action however, which was the most interesting part. The teachers in MTC are themselves being taught and learning about the process is very interesting. As the teachers progress through the program and even after they graduate, they observe the newer teachers in classroom settings and they progress with help from their peers. I'm still learning the details but it is a sight to see a teacher (lets call them "Teacher A") teaching students and teachers B, C, and D with handouts of their own participating somewhat and taking notes on the class and on Teacher A themselves. Its an intriguing program that I'm only beginning to see the inner workings of and there's a lot more to it than that.
I'm looking forward to learning about it.
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