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A simple glance at the school's handbook shows some interesting things. Apparently, the students are supposed to follow the 7 Nguzo Saba Principles. In case you've forgotten what those are:
• UMOJA (unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family,
community, nation and race.
• KUJICHAGULIA (self-determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create
for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
• UJIMA (collective work and responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together
and to solve our problems together.
• UJAMAA (cooperative economics)
To build, maintain and to profit from our own
shops, stores, and other businesses.
• NIA (purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building
and development of our community.
• KUUMBA (creativity)
To always do the best we can to leave our
community more beautiful than we inherited it.
• IMANI (faith)
Believe in our people, our parents, our teachers,
our leaders, and the righteousness and victory
of our struggle. ß----WTF???
And here’s a list of holidays the school celebrates. Christmas? No, that’s for white folks.
January 15th: Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday
January 24th: Martin Delaney Day of Passing ß----Who???
February 4th: Pittsburgh Miller PreK-8’s
Umoja/Unity Dinner
February: Black History Month
February: Pittsburgh Miller PreK-8’s
Living Museum
March: Black Nation Day ß----WTF????
March, 3rd Wk: Binti PAMOJA (Daughters
United) Conference ß----What????
April 1: First recorded African Revolt
against enslavement
May 19: Malcolm X Day
May: Bring Your Father to School Day
May 25: African Liberation Day
June: Pittsburgh Miller PreK-8’s Carnival
June 16: Demark Vessey Day ß-----What???
June 19: Juneteenth
July 17: Maafa Commemoration ß-----Huh?
August 11: Marcus Garvey Day
September: Black Reading Month
October 12: African Holocaust Day ß----LOL! Ok!
October 16: The Million Man Day of Atonement
October 31: Ancestors Day
December 26: Kwanzaa
And, some other “interesting” things the school does:
• Solute Bandera Flag ß---The United States of Bandera????
• Drumming—calling the students and staff to be
mindful of Afrocentric values, attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors and remembering the contributions
of our African and African-American ancestors
starting with singing the Negro Anthem ß----Anyone know the Negro National Anthem???
This school is crazy. Apparently, it’s better for an 8 year old to know about Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey than actually learn to read and write…because the state test results for this school are terrible. This is your tax dollars at work people.
No, honestly, I don't think the school is crazy...but, then, given some of the silly 'asides' you have here, maybe your mental state might be the right one to question...
I was raised from a very early age to appreciate the entire culture of the world, not only that which was spawned by my people (I'm black)...I was also taught not to demonize or stereotype the members of any racial, ethnic, or religious group, based against the actions of its' more extreme members...
The concept of an 'afrocentric' school/curriculum ,as others here have explained, cam from a desire to mold the minds of young black men at an impressionable age, and to let them know that their culture is important on the world stage, AS WELL AS the eurocentric view...
It is NOT some hotbed of 'kill-whiteyism', nor is it implying that knowing of the lives and times of Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X is secondary to learning fundamental reading, writing, and math...I'm quite sure the instructors at the school know this, because no matter whose lives you learn about, if you can't read, write, or count, then your way in this world will be a bit more difficult...
By the way, had you spent more time doing research and due diligence, instead of getting your boxers in a bunch and yelling 'the Afrocentric Kids are coming! Lock your doors! Hide your tax dollars!', then you would be readily able to find answers to just about every thing you so snidely questioned in this post, up to and including---what the 'Negro National Anthem' is (Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing), who Denmark Vesey was (planner of what would have been the largest slave revolt in the US, had it succeeded), and that Christmas is celebrated not just by 'white folks' (seriously, sir?)
No, you chose to be an ill-informed, shrieking Chicken Little, warning everyone the sky is falling because someone (the founders of the school), wanted to do something a little different, and by golly, it's a racist concept, and you weren't gonna have it, nosiree...and you have the colossal nerve to tell someone else to grow up? I strongly suggest an extended stay in front of the nearest mirror, because there resides the true child in this matter
No, honestly, I don't think the school is crazy...but, then, given some of the silly 'asides' you have here, maybe your mental state might be the right one to question...
I was raised from a very early age to appreciate the entire culture of the world, not only that which was spawned by my people (I'm black)...I was also taught not to demonize or stereotype the members of any racial, ethnic, or religious group, based against the actions of its' more extreme members...
The concept of an 'afrocentric' school/curriculum ,as others here have explained, cam from a desire to mold the minds of young black men at an impressionable age, and to let them know that their culture is important on the world stage, AS WELL AS the eurocentric view...
It is NOT some hotbed of 'kill-whiteyism', nor is it implying that knowing of the lives and times of Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X is secondary to learning fundamental reading, writing, and math...I'm quite sure the instructors at the school know this, because no matter whose lives you learn about, if you can't read, write, or count, then your way in this world will be a bit more difficult...
By the way, had you spent more time doing research and due diligence, instead of getting your boxers in a bunch and yelling 'the Afrocentric Kids are coming! Lock your doors! Hide your tax dollars!', then you would be readily able to find answers to just about every thing you so snidely questioned in this post, up to and including---what the 'Negro National Anthem' is (Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing), who Denmark Vesey was (planner of what would have been the largest slave revolt in the US, had it succeeded), and that Christmas is celebrated not just by 'white folks' (seriously, sir?)
No, you chose to be an ill-informed, shrieking Chicken Little, warning everyone the sky is falling because someone (the founders of the school), wanted to do something a little different, and by golly, it's a racist concept, and you weren't gonna have it, nosiree...and you have the colossal nerve to tell someone else to grow up? I strongly suggest an extended stay in front of the nearest mirror, because there resides the true child in this matter
It's not just the curriculum that is bothersome. It's the fact that it's a public school, using public tax dollars. If you want to send your kids to an african-centered school, fine. Why do you have to use my tax dollars to do it? Also, you forgot to defend the school's amazing academic record. Last year their 5th grade class got an average of 5% on the PSSA writing exam and 21% on the reading exam. I know state exams aren't everything, but those numbers are beyond pathetic. Clearly, the kids aren't being taught the basics. Maybe the kids would be better served if they spent less time singing the Negro National Anthem and more time learning to read and write.
It's not just the curriculum that is bothersome. It's the fact that it's a public school, using public tax dollars. If you want to send your kids to an african-centered school, fine. Why do you have to use my tax dollars to do it? Also, you forgot to defend the school's amazing academic record. Last year their 5th grade class got an average of 5% on the PSSA writing exam and 21% on the reading exam. I know state exams aren't everything, but those numbers are beyond pathetic. Clearly, the kids aren't being taught the basics. Maybe the kids would be better served if they spent less time singing the Negro National Anthem and more time learning to read and write.
Maybe the kids would be better served if they were taught that every adult in Pittsburgh didn't present themselves as a hand-wringing NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)...
And why the constant whining and carrying on about your tax dollars? You touched on a very improtant term there---public, meaning everybody's and not just yours...if people out there truly have a problem with the school and its' existence, and it being funded by public tax dollars, they most surely would have mounted a storm of protest by now...
And furthermore, why are you so preoccupied with this? Is it that much of an issue, and seemingly a personal affront to you, that young black kids are being taught to appreciate their culture and heritage, as well as those of others? I'd be more comfortable with that than having a whole bunch of 'kill the white devils! kill the enemy!' junk being fed to them...and what's more, I really don't think that hose 'pathetic test scores' you trumpet so lustily about will be an issue, once the school finds its' legs and caring and nurturing adults take the time needed to work with the kids, and insure that they are as strong in their fundamentals as they are or will be in the cultural aspect of things...
I think more people would say something but they are afraid of your reaction above.
The curriculm should be questioned, especially since some of it appears fiction. Also the issue is not about AA students being taught about AA history, but are you going to teach other minorities their ethnic histories?
Sadly, and I hate to sound so negative, but this is another attempt to help AA children with academics, which more than likely will fail, since there is no provision to involve parents. Parenting is the key to kids learning.
Last edited by Pitts10yrs; 08-22-2010 at 08:06 PM..
Reason: grammer
I wonder if this is an expermential type public school?...It is fine if you want to learn your history,but if
the kids are preforming badly..and not being prepared for life this school is useless...If the kids are
performing like the kids at Propell (and these are the same type of kids at Propell)..who are excelling in
Math and Reading and about all of them are going to college,then more power to them..
That is one reason the United States is behind in Education is that there are socially expermental schools that push social theories rather than academic performance...
I hear the AA kids who are from a poor background in McKeesport at Propell are excelling in Reading and
Math and most of them are going to college...I have the feeling some puiblic schools are just social
experiements..
Waiting for Little Mizzz Picksburg, Black Beauty, and Miss Shonna to weigh in on this.
It is only one 'n'.
Personally I think it is a little odd. However the idea of a public school with a cultural or language-based think is not a novel one. I know that Ben Gamla is a Hebrew-language charter school in FL that has come under fire for the inability to keep Judaism out of the 'public Hebrew school' curricula.
In the grand scheme of things...whatever. If the children are learning, then that is the most important part. If the children are NOT learning...that is a problem (no matter what the mission is of the school). However there are a lot of standard public schools who are also not educating their students. Has nothing to do with any time of specialized mission of the school (if that were the case, then argue to do away with CAPA, Pgh Montessori, Dilworth, etc.)
The curriculm should be questioned, especially since some of it appears fiction. Also the issue is not about AA students being taught about AA history, but are you going to teach other minorities their ethnic histories?
Oh please; all the years that Black people had to go through school and learn NOTHING about their own history. I am sure that all the non-Black children will survive.
I took my first Black history class as a sophomore in college. And I'm not bitter about it; it was great that I even had the opportunity for it!
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A Few Notes Here
