I went to Yazoo City, MS, this weekend to see my amazing nephew graduate from high school. More on the nephew later, but the timing was perfect given that there was a comment–and later, a clarification–made the other day by bboyboop about whether black folks value education.
No one could go to this ceremony and question whether black people value education. More on that in a few, but the graduation itself was the most entertaining ceremony I’ve ever attended.
Get ready…
The ceremony was at the football field, and my family got there early so we could get good seats. The added benefit of that was seeing the crowd show up. For a quick glimpse of what was there, click here.
That pic doesn’t do justice, though. My batteries were dead when the countless people in airbrush wife-beaters rolled up. I would have gotten my ass whooped if I’d been caught taking pictures of chicks with homeade tattoos that said “sexy” on their wrists that looked like they were done with a stick pen and traced over with a fading permanent marker. So much. So much.
For the first time in my life, I felt like one of those New Yorkers I despise, the ones that come down South and talk about how backwards the people are and look down their noses at the way we live. I wasn’t looking down on people, but I definitely saw some shit that made me take pause. Lots of it.
Either way, the ceremony started, and it didn’t take long to get into the valedictorian and salutatorian’s speeches. My nephew was the salutatorian, so we were waiting for the first kid to hurry up so I could see what I came to see.
What followed was the best valedictory speech I’d ever heard.
Someone must have made that lil joker mad because he went off. He started by talking about some of the things he’d been through, something that usually turns me off, but he went on to implore the kids to keep on trucking, no matter what. He let them know that, no matter what, it’s your production that matters and little else in the real world. HE QUOTED T.I.!!! He also dropped the dopest, self-deprecating science I’d heard in a valedictory address.
“Do you think anyone will care that I finished number one in my class? Do you know how many people finished first in their classes in college? Nobody will care.”
That was real talk. I wish I could have gotten my students to understand that the only thing people give a damn about is what you do, not what you did. I was privileged to hear the young man speak from the stands, and I hope the kids that sat behind him as he spoke realized the same thing.
The nephew’s speech was spectacular. I try to relay it wouldn’t give justice, but it made me proud to see this mature, confident young man address his peers dynamically, relevantly, and in an entertaining manner. As I’ve said for years, I wanna be like my nephew when I grow up.
But after his speech, the rain came. The principal was trying to introduce the speaker, but it was time to go. Folks got their herr did, and the rain wasn’t going to mess that up. So, the production moved to the gym. I normally would say it was hot as four niggaz in a hatchback, but that analogy isn’t nearly emphatic enough. It was hot as a thousand or two niggaz in a gym. Yes, hot like that.
But things started rolling…and then this.
Yep, the power went out. What happened then? Everyone in the gym opened their cell phones, creating the best low-budget light show I’d ever seen. It was a tad disturbing when fourteen year olds then started firing up their lighters, but it was an interesting sight. To keep the party entertaining, the drummers in the band got to going. And since the school’s mascot is the Indians–foul, I know–the kids started doing the chant and the Tomahawk Chop–foul, again. It was so much fun, though, to see those cell phones going back and forth, watching folks make fun where none seemed possible. My buddy, whose from Jackson, said it best: Folks don’t have much in Mississippi, so they learn to make fun from what they’ve got. In this case, it was a party in a sweltering, pitch black gym. Great.
At that point, the ceremony had to be shut down. I feel for the kids whose last names are late in the alphabet because they didn’t get to walk. But, since my nephew’s last name is Arp, we were in the game. Plus, since it was his day, he got to walk right after the valedictorian. Good work, lil fella.
Next was the reception. Now, my sister is a Jones, meaning that she’s just as thrifty as the rest of us are. So to save funds, she had his reception at a hall at her job.
Where does she work? The Yazoo City Federal Corrections Facility.
That’s right–we partied at the pen after graduation. I need say no more. Just know it was crunk as all get out.
(That same buddy came and picked me up. I asked him if he knew how to get where he was, and he said, “You know it. My best friend’s been there for five years.” I love my friends)
As I read back over this, I realize it’s impossible to convey how fun the graduation was, but it was great. People frequently get large sticks inserted into their booties when graduations come, but it should be a party. Folks should cheer, bring their airhorns and jugs with pennies in the bottom, and just have a blast. It ain’t about knowing how to act. It’s all about celebrating an important milestone in those kids’ lives.
But let’s talk about how this ties into black folks’ and their views on education. Out of the 112 kids that walked, 111 of them were black (white folks in Mississippi simply put their kids in private schools to avoid any race mixing). Out of those kids, I can’t tell you how many were announced for having multitudes of scholarship offers from multiple schools. My nephew could buy a good house with all the money folks offered him. And these weren’t rich kids by any stretch. Folks that don’t value education don’t produce those kinds of results.
But to see who folks value education, you’d have to hear the rousing applause the kids that earned scholarships received. If folks didn’t value education, then getting a scholarship wouldn’t be a big deal. If black people didn’t value education, the graduation would not have been packed as it was. If black folks didn’t value education, the loudest ovations of the evening would not have gone to the valedictorian and salutatorian.
Trust me–black folks value education. Historically, black people have known that education is the genesis of liberation. During slavery, it was known that education would be necessary to do ascend to the strongest goal of the time–a stronger relationship with God. After emancipation, and during slavery, black folks defied the law and risked their lives to learn to read. Colleges have been opened all over the country with the specific purpose of educating black people. Kids at schools everywhere without two nickels to rub together have mortgaged all they have to get into school, to try to use education as their ticket to economic liberation. James Meredith took a bullet in his back as an offshoot of his attempts to get into school. The list goes on and on. Even black folks who have little more than elementary school educations go out of their way to encourage their kids to get educated as best as they can.
Trust, poor black folks and all other value education. They don’t always have the easiest time getting it, but don’t think for a minute that we, as a people, are averse to education. We’ve done so much with so little to get ourselves and our children in positions to learn as much as possible.
Should one not believe me, I’d recommend taking a trip to Yazoo City, MS.
12 thoughts on “Graduation Day…”
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Interesting article. Thanks Bomani. I agree that many Blacks in Amerikkka do value education. However, after living in 3 major cities, (Miami,FL-Minneapolis,MN, Philadelphia,PA), I can tell you that ,unfortunately, there are many of us who don’t. In some schools, especially in very poor areas, some kids are teased and even physically abused if they choose to attend classes regularly. I’ve tutored kids of all ages across the country and heard nightmare stories of the kids who were scared to be seen walking home with their classroom textbooks and notebooks. (Involved parents/guardians seem to be the key difference maker in these cases).
In closing, I’ll say this. Yes, there are many of us who really do value education. But, there is a lot of work yet to be done to get more of out young people to understand the true value of a good education.
peace always,
bj in philly
Bomani’s note – I’m curious to hear what people have determined what the value of an education actually is. More important, though is what is meant when someone says that black folks do or do not value education. Once we specify that we’re dealing with black folks, there’s an implication that black folks are different than other people, and I’ve yet to see proof of that.
Perhaps,Black Amerikkkans are no different than other Amerikkkans. However, I believe that our experiences are inherently different than other Amerikkkans, especially, white Americans. My white co-workers and associates always seem baffled when I tell them about the things I have and continue to experience as a Black Amerikkkan male. These experiences have molded me into a different person than my white associates. My reactions, responses and perspectives are different as a result of my experiences. I believe the same is true of our Black American children.
First off, that graduation sounds like it was a blast. Kind of makes me wish I had gotten more than a GED. Kind of.
As far as “blacks not valuing education” goes, I don’t think that’s true at all. My girlfriend is an education student at Temple and just from what I’ve heard her say about the conditions in the schools there, it’s not the students’ fault, no matter what their ethnicity is. Urban schools are horribly underfunded, made worse because of “No Child Left Behind.” And unless you’ve got money to spend, after school activities that continue education and keep kids out of trouble are few and far between. Beyond that, just judging from her classmates, the current crop of prospective teachers look suspect at best. I mean, these are the kind of people I wouldn’t want to chill with, much less entrust with my kid’s future.
The way I see it, it’s not that blacks don’t value education, it’s that America doesn’t value education. How else do you explain teacher salaries across the board? Or the fact that teachers often pay for supplies out of pocket? Or that in inner city areas, where kids really do need a good education, school funds primarily still come from property taxes even though most companies are given property tax breaks just to set up shop? Or that financial aid for secondary education is being cut left and right? The list goes on and on.
It’s really a sad situation. Education is the key to everything I believe a society should be. Education ends poverty, ends petty crime and makes us all better, deeper, more thoughtful, more understanding. But the way things are, if you’ve succeeded in school, it’s because you and, if you’re lucky, a strong, supportive family, did it. The system didn’t do jack shit for you except get in the way.
I really think that in the long run, if 1/3 of the funds allocated to defense spending were diverted to education, in a generation, we’d have smarter people in government and wouldn’t need to defend ourselves so much. Off topic, I know, but so true.
Glad you had a good time and congrats to your nephew… and thanks for the shout out/call out, heh.
First maybe I should say to everyone, I am willing to bet that a lot of my views are slantier than my chanky eyes (I’m Chinese)… this is school for me, and I’m willing and ready to learn. Just so y’all know where I’m coming from.
Anyway here’s one thought I have – it is difficult to dispute that Asian/Pacific Americans (henceforth referred to as APA’s) do value education greatly. But had the Yazoo City high school been 111 out 112 typical APA’s, I don’t think there would have been nearly as much turnout or raucous at the ceremony, which might even lead one to believe that APA’s don’t care about education.
My parents explained it to me like this: from their point of view, graduating from high school is something they sort of take for granted. It’s a milestone on the road of life but nothing to really get excited about, whereas higher education is far more meaningful to them. My parents are not ones to party, but if they were, the post-gradudate degree would be where the party’d be at.
I think to them (and to me, to some extent) their takeaway from seeing the positive turnout you did at your nephew’s commencement could say to them Black People Care About Their Children/Family/Community – but not necessarily Black People Value Education (though the heightened applause for the val/sal. do support that).
You also mentioned that several graduates earned loads of scholarship money… man I feel like Blacks and Hispanics have it good here. In a funny sort of way I experienced being judged by the color of my skin and not by my achievements. My Black and Hispanic friends who had lower grades and SAT’s than me and fewer if any extracurriculars/leadership positions had colleges and scholarhips alike clamoring for their attention… I had one Mexican friend, who was in danger of failing out, receive in the mail one day, completely out of the blue, a full ride from the University of Washington (both of us went to NCSSM, a public boarding jr/sr high school with competitive admissions, so it’s not that he hadn’t achieved anything as far as college admissions were concerned, I had done more). In retrospect I may have had similar offers from NC A&T and possibly one more HBCU (though not Howard)… if only I had known then what I’ve learned from this site.
Anyway… I think what really has me trippin’ are the definitions of everything… what does it really mean to value education… and what does it mean to say BLACK PEOPLE do or don’t…
Would you consider Yazoo City representative of Black “Amerikkka” (was this intentional or is your keyboard broken, BJ?) What about the Chris Rock quote – would it be as funny if he’d been talking about ignorant Asians? I think Will Smith, despite coming from the suburbs, also once said something to the effect of that he felt the pressure of it being “uncool” to be black AND intelligent… maybe it’s all in his head?
With all due respect to everyone involved, this is a stupid conversation. It should be clear that there is no sense in a statement like “Black People don’t value education”. Some Black people value education, others don’t. Same goes for White people, Asian people, and everyone else.
I can’t say I’m personally offended, but I really don’t understand why anyone thinks this is worth talking about, unless it’s simply to counter the original statement. If that’s the case, a simple “You’ve gotta be f***ing kidding me” should suffice.
If, on the other hand, one thinks that there are other factors that are involved besides race (economic status, etc.) then the statement should have been framed that way instead. Again, the original statement is just so ludicrous that it’s almost laughable.
Sorry, one other word of advice. Never, EVER, seriously advance a line from a stand up comedian as part of a defense of what you have to say. Maybe Chris has something to say on the topic, but if so, I doubt he chose an HBO special as a way of delivering his message.
All I’m saying by invoking Chris Rock here is that to every joke there is an element truth to it, and that there’s got to be a reason that it was funny when the people invovled were “Black people” and “niggas.” I don’t see the same effect (which could be due to my lack of perceptiveness) if he had said it about “White people”/”Crackers” or “Asian people”/”Chinks.”
Now… after pondering it some more… all this proves is that there exists Black individuals who don’t care about education. BJ’s comment says the same. It’s the same as looking at the NBA and concluding that there exist Black individuals who are good at basketball.
But to conclude that “Black people are good at basketball,” in the same way that I think most of you interpreted my original assertion that “Black people don’t value education,” I agree with you Kirk, there’s no sense to that at all, and (in all caps so that if you get nothing else out of this) I APOLOGIZE AND RETRACT THAT STATEMENT. I should have like many have said been more specific.
Conversely, there have also been numerous examples of Blacks doing things that clearly showed how much they did value education, but again all we get is that there exist Black individuals who do care about education…
I would like to say that I have believed all along that there is no difference across race in the valuing of education, but I so poorly said what I said that I left it open such that one would be inclined to interpret it as a racial/color/genetic thing. But like Bo said we have yet to see evidence of that.
Peace!
Who is to say that the “bullies” don’t value education? Haterade has long been a beverage of choice. When someone beats you up or talks trash its because they realize what you have and what you’re doing is valuable. If they didn’t understand the value (to some extent) of education, they wouldn’t go out of their way to make themselves feel better for lacking it.
I can’t say that all Black people don’t value education. In fact, I can’t really say all Black people anything… We should stop contributing to the homogenization of “us” quickly. We are helping other people label, categorize, and stereotype us.
Bboy- Good response!!! You just got an “amen!”
and now back over to Roland Fryer…
So…they’re burning crosses in Durham, Bo.
Any thoughts?
I must not be black like that…or more likely I’m just getting old.
Who the hell is T.I.???
…
I understand what Bboy is saying. But I’m with Bomani. Causation and correlation are two different animals. If we’re talking about large numbers of black people and comparing them, the best we can say is that black, Latinos, and some Asian populations tend to have less education than their white counterparts. We can’t begin to talk about value without somehow controlling for economic status, and dealing with a whole host of other issues.
I’ve seen a lot of chatter about whether or not black people value education and I think that horse might have been beaten thouroughly enough at this point. What I think I can add, however, is a contrasting perspective, for the three or so people who might look back at the list of comments three posts later. I went to a white suburban high school, and in a class of 300, I would guess that maybe twenty five students valued education, in a school where 90 percent of graduates go on to four year college. I don’t know what it’s like to be a black student, but I do know that at my school no one ever got a C without trying to get it, with a couple of classes as an exception. What I think we (as a class) learned better than anything else was how to cheat our way to what we wanted – whether that meant actually cheating (which, as one of the 25 who valued education pissed me off more than anything else) or by complaining to teachers, parents or administrators, we found a way to make our breaks without really doing the work, reading the books and learning the information. I’m not sure what that shows, but I don’t think its the “value” of an education. Maybe my peers realized the financial oppurtunity provided by a college education, but I think something else was at work – social expectation. Four year college was the only option and if it wasn’t your goal you were ostracized for it. Parents (not mine, thank the Lord) would beat their kids to death before they’d let them flunk out of school. Doesn’t have much to do with Bomani’s post, but I think it’s worth a look at the other side of “AmeriKKKa” as you call it. (by the way, that “kkk” is offensive as hell)