Education: Black People and the Future - Essay Example

Education: Black People and the Future Abstract This paper is going to focus on how Farrakhan address the issue of literacy education of African Americans. According to him, black individuals were suffering from not being producers in the U.S. something that leads to high level of poverty due to lack of education within the black community. The paper will also focus on the role of pre-school teacher in addressing education of African American people. How did Farrakhan address the issue of Education- Black People and the Future? According to Farrakhan, black individuals were suffering from not being producers in the U.S. something that leads to high level of poverty due lack of education within the black community (Farrakhan, 2012). If people have to be productive they must be educated. In order for black people to overcome their social and economic status, it is important to be educated. Farrakhan also noted that the black people can not acquire the right education since the people who teach them don’t treat them right (Farrakhan, 2012). In fact, he asserts that people with equal education levels are all equal in different aspects. He believes that when one has equal education level with others, it is impossible to be ruled over. The quality education for black Africans can only be realised if they are subjected to equitable access to educational opportunities. However, this does not only involve access to education but also availability of resources. Black African needs to be taught to think critically. This involves allowing students to respond and moving beyond text (Farrakhan, 2012). His concern is on what the black Africans need to become in future. According to Farrakhan, specific areas of education need to be emphasized if the African Americans have to prosper. He believes that they need to be educated in science, agriculture, STEM Education= Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Farrakhan, 2012). What role do pre service teacher play in addressing Education- Black People and the Future? Pre-service teachers need to change their expectations about kids because kids know more that people presume. Teachers should avoid prejudice and bias when teaching African American kids (Joseph & James, 1999). They should learn different ways to educate. They should make use of technology by making it engaging, and connecting it to the real world. In fact, they should focus on professional development. A quality education for African Americans should consist of written curriculum which includes standards, assessment and procedures and, a hidden curriculum which focuses on what is actually taking place in the classroom (Joseph & James, 1999). Teachers should teach students as if they were their own. They should practice efficacy and concentrate on achieving their goal. They should be effective and productive by staying abreast and use learning techniques in order to prepare the students for the future. They should learn to teach beyond text, teach critical thinkers, and carry them until they reach success in life (Joseph & James, 1999). The teachers should make sure that the students think beyond the text but make them connect with the text. They should actually mentor them with the goal of having them develop a vision beyond that of their own. This would make the students independent. What role does literacy education fit Education- Black People and the Future? Literacy education can be seen to play a major role in addressing problems affecting black Africans. It is only through literacy education that the African Americans can overcome their developmental drawbacks (Hazen, 2004). Literacy education would mentor the students think critically and focus on their future. With literacy education, poverty that characterizes the African Americans would be eliminated. According to Farrakhan, black individuals were suffering from not being producers in the U.S because of lack of education. There is a clear link between the reduction of poverty and education (Hazen, 2004). Learned people are more likely to get well paying jobs that will help them to live a good life. They also have a higher likelihood of participating in social services and are more involved with the government by way of community development and voting (Hazen, 2004). Education helps in the empowerment of people and also makes people to be more positive, be in control of their lives and have a wider range of potential opportunities available. Education is one of the things that lead to empowerment for a person and groups of people. The empowerment that gives social status and the desire to participate is a key in the reduction of poverty (Hazen, 2004). Education is actually the main tool that children from poor backgrounds can use to lift them and have a better future thus reducing the level of poverty. Education black people and the future It is apparent that black people education has a lot of meanings attached to it. Perhaps the most obvious one and feared one by the whites is black revolution (Joseph & James, 1999). Education is the corner stone of socio economic and political development of the society (Phillips, 1994). Therefore, if this assumption is something to go by, it is true to argue that when black people get quality education, they might want to revolutionalise themselves in terms of positioning themselves in political and developmental matters in the United States (Joseph & James, 1999). Something that the whites fear since it might jeopardize their authenticity of being more powerful than the black people. To them, empowerment of black people through offering quality education could have implications in the way political games are played in the United States. To make the matters worse, the path in through which the black people are trekking in could create an insinuation that they have seen some light ahead of the tunnel, since they have already started by the election of Obama as the first back person to occupy the top seat in the United States. Generally, African American education may or may not reduce poverty. The most important thing is how the education is carried out. Where good quality of education is provided and the people have the potential of getting good jobs that pay well thereafter, the reduction of poverty is likely to be effective (Joseph & James, 1999). On the other hand, if the quality of education is generally poor and the cases of unemployment are high, the reduction of poverty will most probably not be effective. It should also be ensured that there is adequate funding for all schools. Conclusion According to Farrakhan, black individuals were suffering from not being producers in the U.S. something that has attributed high level of poverty to lack of education within the black community. The quality education for black Africans can only be realised if they are subjected to equitable access to educational opportunities. Teachers should avoid prejudice and bias when teaching African American kids. Teachers should teach students as if they were their own. They should actually mentor them with the goal of having them develop a vision beyond that of their own. This would make the students independent in future. References: Farrakhan, L. (2012). Food for Thought. Retrieved on 15th Feb, 2012 from http://www.zimbio.com/Louis+Farrakhan/articles/YiJgz-jF6xW/Food+For+Thought Hazen, W. (2004). American Black History (eBook). New York: Lorenz Educational Press. Joseph L. White & James H. Cones. (1999). Black man emerging: facing the past and seizing a future in America. New York: Routledge. Phillips, N. H. (1994). Choosing Schools and Child Care Options: Answering Parents' Questions. Springfield: C.C. Thomas. Read More