My Heart Runeth over...Me, my Mama and my niece Briyanna
Nemrac
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The Ultimate List Part 1
I was bored...I was up...I was thinking about my ideal mate and started to compose a list of the things (in no approximate order) that would all amount to the ONE for me. It may seem a little silly but hell, a girl can dream.
14. Can change a flat tire, spark plugs or an oil filter if need be
15. Likes to watch porn but feels no need to star in his own
16. Moderate on PDA
17. Willingness to talk about himself–his hopes, fears, past–but isn’t cocky or narcissistic
18. Isn’t a Mama’s Boy, co-dependent, closed-minded or misogynistic
19. Loves and KNOWS how to kiss
20. 0-2 children from previous relationship (s)
21. Legal employment
1. Between the ages 24-29
2. Between 5’10-6’4
3. Average to mid-athletic stature
4. Caramel to dark chocolate complexion
5. Social drinker
6. Non-smoker
7. Non-snorer
8. Some college, college graduate
9. Likes to read and/or write
10. Enjoys different kinds of music, movies, and foods
11. A believer in God’s word, the Trinity, and has accepted
God as his personal savior
12. Capable of passing the 3 T-Test: 1) puts the toilet seat down, 2) doesn’t put towels over the shower curtain, and 3) squeezes the toothpaste at the end and not the middle
13. Family oriented and is open to having his own family one day
14. Can change a flat tire, spark plugs or an oil filter if need be
15. Likes to watch porn but feels no need to star in his own
16. Moderate on PDA
17. Willingness to talk about himself–his hopes, fears, past–but isn’t cocky or narcissistic
18. Isn’t a Mama’s Boy, co-dependent, closed-minded or misogynistic
19. Loves and KNOWS how to kiss
20. 0-2 children from previous relationship (s)
21. Legal employment
22. Lives alone or w/roommates; if still lives at home, it’s because of unique circumstances
23. NOT a commitment phobic
24. NOT afraid to show his emotions
25. Will let me hog the remote control
26. Likes to play games– Scrabble, Monopoly, Jeopardy, Taboo, etc.
27. Likes to take things slow
28. Has an awesome sense of humor
29. Will not make me watch football or baseball or some other sport that I don’t comprehend
30. Has his own friends and will not insist that I like them all
31. Culturally, politically and worldly aware
32. Honest and will tell me when I’m wrong; also has no problem with admitting when he’s wrong
33. Thinks Napoleon Dynamite is funny as hell
34. Will scratch my dandruff and oil my scalp
Monday, May 08, 2006
MG Has Done It...
May 7, 2006 marked another milestone in the life of one of my favoritest people in the world, MC/BR a.k.a Mini Genuis. She graduated from the English Masters program today, strutting her stuff amongst 700+ undergrad and grad students and an arena full of proud parents, grandparents, drunken relatives, and friends who were probably hung over from celebrating the night before...I almost felt like a proud parent as I waited for her name to be called and watched her make her way across the stage. For 2 years, I've watched her spend hours in front of the computer working on a paper or a journal entry, seen her submerge herself in literature for weekends on end and even made fun of her when she got that B instead of an A in a grant writing course. I've even seen her push the art of procrastination to new heights...It's been an awesome trip, one that's even made me consider how sure I am about attending grad school in the future, but at the end I can honestly proclaim that I'm so very proud of my MG, in constant awe of her extreme capacity to learn and a teensy bit jealous of the way she's made getting an English masters appear easy. As always, I love her dearly and look forward to seeing what else life has in store for her and I just pray that I'll still be around to enjoy the ride!
Friday, May 05, 2006
Learning Curve for Black Men and Black Boys
This is an article emailed to me by one of my cousins. I thought it was extremely interesting and I wanted to share it with any and everybody.
Written By Tim King, the founder and chief executive officer of Urban Prep Academies, a non-profit education organization that is opening Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men--Englewood Campus in the fallMay 2, 2006
When I was growing up, the conversation around the dinner table frequently centered on school. "What did you learn today?" "How much homework do you have?" "When is your next test?" One question I don't remember being asked was: "Are you going to college?" In my family, graduating from college was a given; an understood step toward adulthood.
For most Chicago public high school students, the desire to attend college exists but actually graduating is not the reality, especially for black boys.
A recently released study by the Consortium for Chicago School Research indicates that fewer than 7 percent of freshmen entering Chicago public high schools will earn a college degree by their 25th birthday. This statistic hits African-American and Latino students the hardest since these groups make up more than 85 percent of public school students in Chicago. Dig deeper into the numbers and you find that only 2.5 percent of black male students make it through college--just about 1 in 50.
While this new data is appalling, it joins other grim statistics that detail the plight of young black males. For this group, homicide is the No. 1 cause of death, the high school dropout rate is 70 percent and the unemployment rate is three times the national average. Young black men are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to be both out of school and out of work. For every white college-age male in prison, there are 28 in college; for black men, that ratio drops to less than 1 in 3.
Major newspapers across the country are reporting the growing struggle of this population. Last month, the Los Angeles Times described being young, black and male as "growing up on a tightrope" in a world that is "fearful of [black boys] at best and hostile at worst." Two weeks later, the New York Times warned that the "plight deepens for black men." Ronald Mincy, a Columbia University professor and editor of "Black Males Left Behind" believes "there's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore."
Perhaps the magnitude and complexity of the issues keep us from action. Perhaps we see so many problems that we think there are no solutions. But there are some steps we can take if we want to better our society and increase the number of Chicago Public School students who graduate from college.
First, we must improve the quality and rigor of public schools. The Gates Foundation recently committed more than $20 million toward this effort in Chicago. Beyond revamping school curricula, however, a shift in culture is necessary. Chicago schools must focus on preparing students to attend colleges and must promote an environment that values academic achievement and college attendance. Umoja Student Development, headquartered at Manley High School, is a program that takes students from some of Chicago's toughest schools and helps them get into and stay in college. Programs like this should be emulated and incorporated in every school.
Second, we must increase the number of schools that work. According to the consortium's report, Chicago's charter high school graduates on average had a higher college attendance rate and were going to more selective colleges than their public school counterparts. According to CPS' 2005 high school scorecard, Young Women's Leadership Charter School had the highest number of graduates enrolled in college compared with all other public non-selective enrollment high schools in the city. The University of Chicago's Center for Urban School Improvement, with support from the Gates and Dell Foundations, understands the importance of building successful schools and has created a network to support them here in Chicago. Corporations, both independently and in conjunction with Renaissance Schools Fund, have joined in the effort to create new small schools. These efforts should be applauded and increased.
The third, and arguably most important, step we need to take focuses on the worst performing group--black boys--and rests in large part on the shoulders of black men. They have to shift the conversation from bling to books, from rims to reading, from chillin' to college.
I have an older brother who went to Georgetown University, an uncle who is a lawyer and a father who is an entrepreneur. I went to Georgetown, graduated from law school and started a business. While it's hard to pinpoint exactly what or who inspires us to do the things we do, I'm certain that much of what I've achieved was influenced by these black men, my role models.We all should be outraged by the reality facing young black men.. It's time to set a new dinner table, sit down at it with these boys and show them an alternate future, one that includes working hard, being accountable and going to college. Until we embrace this responsibility, they will continue to fail and so will we.
Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune
Written By Tim King, the founder and chief executive officer of Urban Prep Academies, a non-profit education organization that is opening Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men--Englewood Campus in the fallMay 2, 2006
When I was growing up, the conversation around the dinner table frequently centered on school. "What did you learn today?" "How much homework do you have?" "When is your next test?" One question I don't remember being asked was: "Are you going to college?" In my family, graduating from college was a given; an understood step toward adulthood.
For most Chicago public high school students, the desire to attend college exists but actually graduating is not the reality, especially for black boys.
A recently released study by the Consortium for Chicago School Research indicates that fewer than 7 percent of freshmen entering Chicago public high schools will earn a college degree by their 25th birthday. This statistic hits African-American and Latino students the hardest since these groups make up more than 85 percent of public school students in Chicago. Dig deeper into the numbers and you find that only 2.5 percent of black male students make it through college--just about 1 in 50.
While this new data is appalling, it joins other grim statistics that detail the plight of young black males. For this group, homicide is the No. 1 cause of death, the high school dropout rate is 70 percent and the unemployment rate is three times the national average. Young black men are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to be both out of school and out of work. For every white college-age male in prison, there are 28 in college; for black men, that ratio drops to less than 1 in 3.
Major newspapers across the country are reporting the growing struggle of this population. Last month, the Los Angeles Times described being young, black and male as "growing up on a tightrope" in a world that is "fearful of [black boys] at best and hostile at worst." Two weeks later, the New York Times warned that the "plight deepens for black men." Ronald Mincy, a Columbia University professor and editor of "Black Males Left Behind" believes "there's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore."
Perhaps the magnitude and complexity of the issues keep us from action. Perhaps we see so many problems that we think there are no solutions. But there are some steps we can take if we want to better our society and increase the number of Chicago Public School students who graduate from college.
First, we must improve the quality and rigor of public schools. The Gates Foundation recently committed more than $20 million toward this effort in Chicago. Beyond revamping school curricula, however, a shift in culture is necessary. Chicago schools must focus on preparing students to attend colleges and must promote an environment that values academic achievement and college attendance. Umoja Student Development, headquartered at Manley High School, is a program that takes students from some of Chicago's toughest schools and helps them get into and stay in college. Programs like this should be emulated and incorporated in every school.
Second, we must increase the number of schools that work. According to the consortium's report, Chicago's charter high school graduates on average had a higher college attendance rate and were going to more selective colleges than their public school counterparts. According to CPS' 2005 high school scorecard, Young Women's Leadership Charter School had the highest number of graduates enrolled in college compared with all other public non-selective enrollment high schools in the city. The University of Chicago's Center for Urban School Improvement, with support from the Gates and Dell Foundations, understands the importance of building successful schools and has created a network to support them here in Chicago. Corporations, both independently and in conjunction with Renaissance Schools Fund, have joined in the effort to create new small schools. These efforts should be applauded and increased.
The third, and arguably most important, step we need to take focuses on the worst performing group--black boys--and rests in large part on the shoulders of black men. They have to shift the conversation from bling to books, from rims to reading, from chillin' to college.
I have an older brother who went to Georgetown University, an uncle who is a lawyer and a father who is an entrepreneur. I went to Georgetown, graduated from law school and started a business. While it's hard to pinpoint exactly what or who inspires us to do the things we do, I'm certain that much of what I've achieved was influenced by these black men, my role models.We all should be outraged by the reality facing young black men.. It's time to set a new dinner table, sit down at it with these boys and show them an alternate future, one that includes working hard, being accountable and going to college. Until we embrace this responsibility, they will continue to fail and so will we.
Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune
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