So, I promised to blog daily, and publish those rants. I did not, and I am kinda pissed that I didn't but life presents new opportunities to start fresh. Here we go!
Chris Henry
First and foremost, R.I.P. Chris Henry. I hate to see young, black males die violently, and 26 is far too young for someone to leave this earth. More disturbing is the fact that Henry apparently was killed after falling out of a vehicle driven by his fiancee after a domestic dispute (a fight). Details are still a bit sketchy, but I can image them getting into a fight, her driving off, and he jumping in the back of the truck to stop her. She drives fast, hits a turn, and he flies out. Head trauma, and that's it. Sad.
Malcolm Gladwell and Bill Simmons
I love Gladwell's work, and I can tolerate the Sports Guy. Put them together, and I'm a happy dude. I like the way they both approach connecting different parts of life, and explain why we should all care. Although they have their faults, I think overall they are great for the way we should think about life and sports. Check out the link below:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/two/091218
Check out part one as well.
Jersey Shore
The recent weekend snowfall has kept me in the apartment, which sucks, but enabled me to watch all of the episodes of MTV's Jersey Shore consecutively. One word: WOW!
I'm not one of those people that has a preconceived notion about Italian-Americans or "Guidos" and feels like JS confirms my dislike of them. In fact, regardless of their ethnic origin, these fools are equal parts funny and stupid. The fact that they play up their Italian roots is offensive to Italians, but does not make me judge Italians. I'm still not sure what being (fill in the European Country) - American really means, especially if you are not a first generation. JS is a funny way to look at how people spend their time at the shore, how they choose partners, and how their morals are in conflict with what they do. Its funny how the guys all went on the show single, and two out of four of the girls were in "relationships." If you are going to the beach (hook-up central) for the summer, why would you be in a relationship? That's drama waiting to happen, and in the show, it does. I love it!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Real Estate, Race, and Gentrification Part I
Last Friday, I attended what could be best described as a modern Salon, in Harlem, with some very educated and aware folks. Most were from the Teachers College and Columbia network, but there were a few folks that were also outside CU, which is a great thing when speaking about real issues in Harlem, and NYC in general. On the whole, I find that many minority TCers are much more aware and caring about not only the state of education, but the state of society in our fair city. I feel like due to TC's location in Morningside Heights, minority students feel a greater attachment to the community and see it as more of a long-term place because of the high percentage of minority students that are serviced in local schools and through the larger city-wide system. Of course, I haven't performed academic studies on this, but definitely trust my gut when it comes to this particular issue. I guess time will bear it out.
The salon, which were are attempting to hold once a month or so, was a great chance to break bread, have some wine, and talk about the issues that are near and dear to folks. The vibe was great, and there were some very intelligent, and thoughtful people in the room. Unlike public debate which can be unruly, raucous, and downright unintellectual, we had a great start to a larger conversation.
To due it proper justice, I will not attempt to hammer away all of what was discussed. However, the main portion of the conversation centered around race, real estate, and Harlem's gentrification. Here is a highlight of what my thoughts are about the topic:
Gentrification Is A Myth (A little Harlem History)
I'm not a sociologist, but history shows us that people move in patterns. They behave in patterns, mostly predicitable ones, so that, not only does human behavior become repetitive, but it becomes cyclical. That being said, people move to places, they live, establish cultural institutions, and lay claim on a space for a set period of time. Then, especially in cities, those groups leave (given, for a littany of reasons) and give space for other groups to move in. In the last decade, this phenomenom has taken place in Harlem, where real estate values have risen, older renters have been priced out, and new groups of people move in. Harlem is unique (or not) because it has a cultural, historic tie to the black community, and is the unoffical capital of black America. I'm not going to argue the neighborhood's importance, because it does mean alot to black history, but it is far from the capital of the new black America. I would argue that its not the capital of black New York, which I believe can be found in numerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Also, historically speaking, Harlem of the early 20th century was heavily Jewish, and remained so until the 1930s. Although blacks lived there, it was a Jewish enclave, until the Bronx was built up and Jews migrated there during the 20s and 30s, vacating apartment houses that black migrants would soon establish. Moreover, Harlem was one of the few neighborhoods where de facto segregation allowed blacks to live, and in a few places, own. That being said, whites lived here before blacks.
The basis of the new "Harlem" is that blacks are being pushed out by opportunistic whites that are buying up cheap property and "taking over." While this might be the case, we must understand the reasons why this is even possible. Firstly, apartment buildings, brownstones, and townhouses that dot New York City are only cheap and ripe for investment when neighborhoods have bad reputations. Harlem, which saw its share of urban plight in the 70s, 80s and 90s, was a dangerous and scary place at times. The crime rate was high as drugs and urban issues help erode the high culture that the neighborhood experienced in the 40s and 50s. Slum clearance enabled public housing to be built, and soon, those places were no longer immune to serious urban issues. However, real estate prices are driven by perception and reputation. When Harlem was at its lowest point, it became more than an urban ghetto; it became a code word for whites to say "where they (blacks) live." Regardless of the fact that many Harlem homes and business are not, and have never been totally black owned, it was used as a synonym for where the others live. Arbitrary boundaries were drawn, (usually 96th St) and it was rare to see many whites live above that line. Of course, this made for a socially isolated set of communities, and landlords did less and less to take care of their buildings as tenants became harder to collect from, and crime skyrocketed. Building values plummeted during the 1980s, and many buildings were foreclosed on, and sold at auction or rehabbed through federal programs. What happened (possibly in conjunction with the Dinkins and Guiliani mayoral administrations' focus on crime prevention and correction) was that New York became safer. Even Harlem, with its brownstones, townhouses, and art deco builidngs, became a desirable place. This shift was then reinforced by the opening up of newer businesses, the rehabbing of subway stations, apartment buildings, and reinvestment by the large city entities, such as the universities.
You see, Harlem's property values were always valuable; its Manhattan real estate. But, when the perception of a neighborhood is all bad, then it takes a long time, and much infrastructure to repair it. But the authenticity of the neighborhood will always draw people back to it. Because 125th street has high quality shopping, rapid transit, and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, it will continue to serve as a main street of the city. Whites have not discovered or re-discovered anything new about Harlem; they are moving back here because the housing is is affordable, there is plenty of access to rapid transit, and you can buy a home in New York City for a fraction of what it costs in predominantly white neighborhoods. I don't see this as evil or as a plot to destroy the fabric of black America; instead, I see this as a prime reason why blacks don't yield as much political power in New York as they do in Atlanta, Washington DC or even Philadelphia: the lack of home ownership. Simply put, gentrification would not be occurring if more blacks owned their homes, and had the ability to decide to sell out (at top price) to people trying to move for a better life, regardless of race. Moreover, the civil rights movement has taught us that segregation is inherently wrong, and that there are unique benefits to having mixed societies than segregated ones. Folks fought, marched, and risked their lives for access to mixed living situations, so why is it that folks are arguing to maintain segregation in neighborhoods like Harlem?
The salon, which were are attempting to hold once a month or so, was a great chance to break bread, have some wine, and talk about the issues that are near and dear to folks. The vibe was great, and there were some very intelligent, and thoughtful people in the room. Unlike public debate which can be unruly, raucous, and downright unintellectual, we had a great start to a larger conversation.
To due it proper justice, I will not attempt to hammer away all of what was discussed. However, the main portion of the conversation centered around race, real estate, and Harlem's gentrification. Here is a highlight of what my thoughts are about the topic:
Gentrification Is A Myth (A little Harlem History)
I'm not a sociologist, but history shows us that people move in patterns. They behave in patterns, mostly predicitable ones, so that, not only does human behavior become repetitive, but it becomes cyclical. That being said, people move to places, they live, establish cultural institutions, and lay claim on a space for a set period of time. Then, especially in cities, those groups leave (given, for a littany of reasons) and give space for other groups to move in. In the last decade, this phenomenom has taken place in Harlem, where real estate values have risen, older renters have been priced out, and new groups of people move in. Harlem is unique (or not) because it has a cultural, historic tie to the black community, and is the unoffical capital of black America. I'm not going to argue the neighborhood's importance, because it does mean alot to black history, but it is far from the capital of the new black America. I would argue that its not the capital of black New York, which I believe can be found in numerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Also, historically speaking, Harlem of the early 20th century was heavily Jewish, and remained so until the 1930s. Although blacks lived there, it was a Jewish enclave, until the Bronx was built up and Jews migrated there during the 20s and 30s, vacating apartment houses that black migrants would soon establish. Moreover, Harlem was one of the few neighborhoods where de facto segregation allowed blacks to live, and in a few places, own. That being said, whites lived here before blacks.
The basis of the new "Harlem" is that blacks are being pushed out by opportunistic whites that are buying up cheap property and "taking over." While this might be the case, we must understand the reasons why this is even possible. Firstly, apartment buildings, brownstones, and townhouses that dot New York City are only cheap and ripe for investment when neighborhoods have bad reputations. Harlem, which saw its share of urban plight in the 70s, 80s and 90s, was a dangerous and scary place at times. The crime rate was high as drugs and urban issues help erode the high culture that the neighborhood experienced in the 40s and 50s. Slum clearance enabled public housing to be built, and soon, those places were no longer immune to serious urban issues. However, real estate prices are driven by perception and reputation. When Harlem was at its lowest point, it became more than an urban ghetto; it became a code word for whites to say "where they (blacks) live." Regardless of the fact that many Harlem homes and business are not, and have never been totally black owned, it was used as a synonym for where the others live. Arbitrary boundaries were drawn, (usually 96th St) and it was rare to see many whites live above that line. Of course, this made for a socially isolated set of communities, and landlords did less and less to take care of their buildings as tenants became harder to collect from, and crime skyrocketed. Building values plummeted during the 1980s, and many buildings were foreclosed on, and sold at auction or rehabbed through federal programs. What happened (possibly in conjunction with the Dinkins and Guiliani mayoral administrations' focus on crime prevention and correction) was that New York became safer. Even Harlem, with its brownstones, townhouses, and art deco builidngs, became a desirable place. This shift was then reinforced by the opening up of newer businesses, the rehabbing of subway stations, apartment buildings, and reinvestment by the large city entities, such as the universities.
You see, Harlem's property values were always valuable; its Manhattan real estate. But, when the perception of a neighborhood is all bad, then it takes a long time, and much infrastructure to repair it. But the authenticity of the neighborhood will always draw people back to it. Because 125th street has high quality shopping, rapid transit, and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, it will continue to serve as a main street of the city. Whites have not discovered or re-discovered anything new about Harlem; they are moving back here because the housing is is affordable, there is plenty of access to rapid transit, and you can buy a home in New York City for a fraction of what it costs in predominantly white neighborhoods. I don't see this as evil or as a plot to destroy the fabric of black America; instead, I see this as a prime reason why blacks don't yield as much political power in New York as they do in Atlanta, Washington DC or even Philadelphia: the lack of home ownership. Simply put, gentrification would not be occurring if more blacks owned their homes, and had the ability to decide to sell out (at top price) to people trying to move for a better life, regardless of race. Moreover, the civil rights movement has taught us that segregation is inherently wrong, and that there are unique benefits to having mixed societies than segregated ones. Folks fought, marched, and risked their lives for access to mixed living situations, so why is it that folks are arguing to maintain segregation in neighborhoods like Harlem?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday Evening Thoughts
Mad Men
Wow, what an episode of Mad Men. Just when I thought this should be the final season, they wow us with two doozies. Great writers, great story lines, great characters. This show is threatening The Wire as the great American story of the last ten years, and one of the greatest series ever.
Racial Identity
At a recent social gathering I was given the opportunity to have a rather lively discussion with mixed company about race, social identity, and the post Obama year(s). Here are my thoughts…
I find some people’s perception of race (more specifically black people’s experience in this country) perplexing. In a country where children go to years of counseling to deal with their parents’ divorce, where alcoholics and drug addicts go to rehab to end addition, and civil courts hear million dollar lawsuits to remedy disputes, time after time, black people are told to “forget” and “move on” about racism, as if somehow, magically, if blacks forget it happened, then everything will be better, and suddenly, it will never have an affect on your life. If one does talk about it, they are branded a whiner, someone that has a chip on their shoulder, a person that lives in the past, and part of the problem.
This is not only wrong, but the root of our racial problems in this country. Here’s why:
1. Since racism stems from racial superiority (whites to blacks) and was used to justify trans-Atlantic slavery, the subsequent establishment of the economy of this nation (free labor = easy southern planting and profitable northern shipping), the legal denial of rights based on skin color (which still governs the way we live our lives, from the neighborhoods people choose to settle, to whom people choose to marry, to who we choose to socialize with), thus it is not black people’s responsibility to fix racial superiority. We didn’t start the fire; it's on other folks to deal with that issue, not black people to “change peoples minds” about us. Fuck that.
2. Forget? Who tells people to forget stuff? When’s the last time you heard a logical person get on television and tell Jewish people, “Why do you celebrate Passover? That was such a long time ago. Why don’t you just move on?” or “Why are you still talking about the Holocaust? It was a long time ago. That’s just the way some people thought at the time.” Exactly.
And just what exactly are we forgetting? My Grandfather knew his Great-Grandfather, born in 1853 as a slave in Virginia. Hell, he went to a baseball game with him. I’ve spoke to my Grandfather about his Great-Grandfather, again, a slave. To put it simply, my mother’s father knew a slave. I’ve seen the man’s picture, know his name, and, share the same prolific eyebrows and dark circles around my eyes. Every morning I see his face. Sorry, can’t forget that.
Moreover, one forgets what they don’t want to remember. I, for one, want to remember what happened to my relatives, my ancestors, and people I never met. I want to remember what happened to Jack Johnson, George Stoval, and Nat Turner. That is history, it is what makes us strong, knowing that all the hell folks went through was not in vain, and the ultimate disrespect would be to forget what they went through. Again, Fuck that.
3. Our racial issues were not solved by electing a black president, although some people would like to think so. We’ve never had a national discussion about the impacts of racism through slavery, segregation, and economics. Our country has been built on an unfair playing field that generously benefitted white males for centuries, yet, we don’t talk enough about it, and how we can move forward to even out society. In today’s world, networks still rule the corporate world, networks that often are based on where you when to school, where you daddy when to school, and how much ass you can kiss. Have you seen Wall Street lately? When my parents when to college, schools were just being “desegregated” and blacks were just starting to go to traditionally white colleges. I’m not the exception to the rule.
Contrary to popular belief, being an angry black man doesn’t make you a self-destructive, unproductive individual. In fact, the anger can be used to motivate, and turn you into an amazingly productive and driven individual. Anger, intelligence, and strategy can turn you into a force.
See also: Booker T. Washington, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Eldrick Woods, Serena and Venus Williams, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, Huey P. Newton.
Wow, what an episode of Mad Men. Just when I thought this should be the final season, they wow us with two doozies. Great writers, great story lines, great characters. This show is threatening The Wire as the great American story of the last ten years, and one of the greatest series ever.
Racial Identity
At a recent social gathering I was given the opportunity to have a rather lively discussion with mixed company about race, social identity, and the post Obama year(s). Here are my thoughts…
I find some people’s perception of race (more specifically black people’s experience in this country) perplexing. In a country where children go to years of counseling to deal with their parents’ divorce, where alcoholics and drug addicts go to rehab to end addition, and civil courts hear million dollar lawsuits to remedy disputes, time after time, black people are told to “forget” and “move on” about racism, as if somehow, magically, if blacks forget it happened, then everything will be better, and suddenly, it will never have an affect on your life. If one does talk about it, they are branded a whiner, someone that has a chip on their shoulder, a person that lives in the past, and part of the problem.
This is not only wrong, but the root of our racial problems in this country. Here’s why:
1. Since racism stems from racial superiority (whites to blacks) and was used to justify trans-Atlantic slavery, the subsequent establishment of the economy of this nation (free labor = easy southern planting and profitable northern shipping), the legal denial of rights based on skin color (which still governs the way we live our lives, from the neighborhoods people choose to settle, to whom people choose to marry, to who we choose to socialize with), thus it is not black people’s responsibility to fix racial superiority. We didn’t start the fire; it's on other folks to deal with that issue, not black people to “change peoples minds” about us. Fuck that.
2. Forget? Who tells people to forget stuff? When’s the last time you heard a logical person get on television and tell Jewish people, “Why do you celebrate Passover? That was such a long time ago. Why don’t you just move on?” or “Why are you still talking about the Holocaust? It was a long time ago. That’s just the way some people thought at the time.” Exactly.
And just what exactly are we forgetting? My Grandfather knew his Great-Grandfather, born in 1853 as a slave in Virginia. Hell, he went to a baseball game with him. I’ve spoke to my Grandfather about his Great-Grandfather, again, a slave. To put it simply, my mother’s father knew a slave. I’ve seen the man’s picture, know his name, and, share the same prolific eyebrows and dark circles around my eyes. Every morning I see his face. Sorry, can’t forget that.
Moreover, one forgets what they don’t want to remember. I, for one, want to remember what happened to my relatives, my ancestors, and people I never met. I want to remember what happened to Jack Johnson, George Stoval, and Nat Turner. That is history, it is what makes us strong, knowing that all the hell folks went through was not in vain, and the ultimate disrespect would be to forget what they went through. Again, Fuck that.
3. Our racial issues were not solved by electing a black president, although some people would like to think so. We’ve never had a national discussion about the impacts of racism through slavery, segregation, and economics. Our country has been built on an unfair playing field that generously benefitted white males for centuries, yet, we don’t talk enough about it, and how we can move forward to even out society. In today’s world, networks still rule the corporate world, networks that often are based on where you when to school, where you daddy when to school, and how much ass you can kiss. Have you seen Wall Street lately? When my parents when to college, schools were just being “desegregated” and blacks were just starting to go to traditionally white colleges. I’m not the exception to the rule.
Contrary to popular belief, being an angry black man doesn’t make you a self-destructive, unproductive individual. In fact, the anger can be used to motivate, and turn you into an amazingly productive and driven individual. Anger, intelligence, and strategy can turn you into a force.
See also: Booker T. Washington, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Eldrick Woods, Serena and Venus Williams, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, Huey P. Newton.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
My Favorite Books, Pt II
Almost forgot:
The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Endurance - Alfred Lansing
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
The Souls of Black Folk - W.E.B. DuBois
The First Tycoon - T.J. Stiles
The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
Endurance - Alfred Lansing
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
The Souls of Black Folk - W.E.B. DuBois
The First Tycoon - T.J. Stiles
The Books That Helped Make Me Who I am
In no particular order:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Alex Haley
Manchild in The Promised Land - Claude Browne
Roots - Alex Haley
The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene
The 33 Strategies of War - Robert Greene
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
The Alchemist - Paulo Cuelo
Lies My Teacher Told Me - James Loewen
Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers
The Game - Neil Strauss
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington
The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Alex Haley
Manchild in The Promised Land - Claude Browne
Roots - Alex Haley
The 48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene
The 33 Strategies of War - Robert Greene
The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
The Alchemist - Paulo Cuelo
Lies My Teacher Told Me - James Loewen
Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers
The Game - Neil Strauss
Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki
Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
New Stadiums, High Standards, and Random Thoughts
Editor's Note: Okay, so I am going to make a concerted effort to blog daily. Its something that I've talked about doing, and have been much too lazy, unfocused, and not serious enough about to actually do. Well, there are no more excuses. I'm going to share my thoughts, regardless of how unedited, and disjointed they might be. I'm committing myself to do this, therefore it will be part of my daily routine!
Romo is not Eli!
I am all about capitalism and the spoils of victory that enable you to build a billion dollar stadium in the worst economy since the Great Depression. However, I took it personally when the NFL allowed the Cowboys to schedule the new stadium's grand opening against my Giants. I guess the Giants did as well, as they terrorized Tony Romo and Eli led the boys in blue to another 4th Quarter victory, capped off by a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Note here: do not invite a better team to your grand party. Jerry should have picked on the Bengals, or even the Redskins, but not the New York City Varsity Football team!
High Standards and Achievement Gap
This semester I am taking a great charter school design class. It is basically a seminar in how to build a successful, high performing charter school, with leaders in the field coming to each class to tell us how they do it or select schools to do it. Last night, I was able to, for the first time, confront a person that had perplexed me for a while. Eva Moskowitz, former City Council member, and CEO of Harlem Success Academy, has been a person of interest for me. I saw a few NYTimes articles about her, and her aspirations to one day become mayor. I was impressed that she had a PhD (in history no less) and I almost began to become hopeful about politics, until, I read further that she ran the Harlem Success Academy and would be staking her future aspirations on education little black kids in Harlem. My admiration turned into red flags. Why?
Well, I get very suspicious of people when they speak of Harlem. Harlem is not just a neighborhood; its an allegory of black America, as it was one of the most important cultural centers in decades past. Its definitely no longer that, but the historical connections has made it a place where many white people don't go. (One of my colleagues in Real Estate, a woman that is almost double my age and grew up in New York, thought that Harlem was part of The Bronx.) Of course, whites have controlled the real estate there for years, so its not like there was an unbelievable amount of home ownership, or less crime, but it was a segregated version of Times Square, I guess.
I'm not going to wax poetic about bygone eras; however, 125th St. is a tour bus destination, the brownstones and new construction has risen and prices have fallen, and Columbia will be expanding northward, further into the outer reaches of where many downtowners will go. Which is why I found it murky that the leader of a school of predominantly black kids was a wealthy Jewish woman from the neighborhood that moved to the Upper East Side, then moved back to Morningside Heights to tackle this job after she failed to be elected as Manhattan Borough President. This whole thing stunk of paternalism, political gain, and yet another opportunity to re-brand "Harlem."
Here's what the Times says:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/nyregion/04eva.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=eva%20moskowitz&st=cse
and the News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/02/26/2009-02-26_former_city_council_member_eva_moskowitz.html
I guess the media, and a lot of other people are skeptical as well. I have to say, I was impressed with her "passion" and ability to stay on message during her presentation. She kept on saying the "achievement gap" and talked about "high standards" for kids, and setting the highest standard for teachers. All of this is edutalk for the moment; the new reformers are trotting out "new" school concepts to shake up the system, and all the while erase historic, embedded racism by hiring ivy-leaguers to teach them chess, ballroom dancing, and everything else that is taught to the rich white kids that go to private school. Except, those rich kids come from rich families, with generational wealth, and ties that will get them into an ivy-league school regardless of their SAT scores, and there is no guarantee that Dr. M's charter school network can produce high functioning high schoolers, let alone college grads. I'm not saying it can't be done, but, ultimately, what will be the result? With the limited number of charters available, does Dr. M hope to influence the Department of Education after she has continued to trash it? Is the solution to fix the system actually reforming the system?
The Youth
I hate to sound like an old head, but I am completely perplexed by the way young black males dress. I walk through Harlem everyday, and I have no idea why young dudes have their jeans halfway (literally) down their legs, and they have to hold their pants up by the button (in the front) to keep them from falling. Where the hell did this trend come from? HOW stupid can you be? Is this yet another jail fashion trend that is one in a long line of ways to keep brothers from truly getting forward in life?
Also, while working my uber fun part time job at Yankee Stadium, I get a great chance to interact with the young Black and Hispanic guards that accompany the tours. For the most part, they are great, but a recent conversation bothered me. A young brother, with a great personality and a truly likeable disposition, and I were talking about Harlem day, etc, and he proceeded to use the phrase "my nigga" literallly twenty times in a three minute span. What gives with "my nigga" and using "nigga" as a way to describe other black folks? I really don't get it.
Over and out!
Romo is not Eli!
I am all about capitalism and the spoils of victory that enable you to build a billion dollar stadium in the worst economy since the Great Depression. However, I took it personally when the NFL allowed the Cowboys to schedule the new stadium's grand opening against my Giants. I guess the Giants did as well, as they terrorized Tony Romo and Eli led the boys in blue to another 4th Quarter victory, capped off by a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Note here: do not invite a better team to your grand party. Jerry should have picked on the Bengals, or even the Redskins, but not the New York City Varsity Football team!
High Standards and Achievement Gap
This semester I am taking a great charter school design class. It is basically a seminar in how to build a successful, high performing charter school, with leaders in the field coming to each class to tell us how they do it or select schools to do it. Last night, I was able to, for the first time, confront a person that had perplexed me for a while. Eva Moskowitz, former City Council member, and CEO of Harlem Success Academy, has been a person of interest for me. I saw a few NYTimes articles about her, and her aspirations to one day become mayor. I was impressed that she had a PhD (in history no less) and I almost began to become hopeful about politics, until, I read further that she ran the Harlem Success Academy and would be staking her future aspirations on education little black kids in Harlem. My admiration turned into red flags. Why?
Well, I get very suspicious of people when they speak of Harlem. Harlem is not just a neighborhood; its an allegory of black America, as it was one of the most important cultural centers in decades past. Its definitely no longer that, but the historical connections has made it a place where many white people don't go. (One of my colleagues in Real Estate, a woman that is almost double my age and grew up in New York, thought that Harlem was part of The Bronx.) Of course, whites have controlled the real estate there for years, so its not like there was an unbelievable amount of home ownership, or less crime, but it was a segregated version of Times Square, I guess.
I'm not going to wax poetic about bygone eras; however, 125th St. is a tour bus destination, the brownstones and new construction has risen and prices have fallen, and Columbia will be expanding northward, further into the outer reaches of where many downtowners will go. Which is why I found it murky that the leader of a school of predominantly black kids was a wealthy Jewish woman from the neighborhood that moved to the Upper East Side, then moved back to Morningside Heights to tackle this job after she failed to be elected as Manhattan Borough President. This whole thing stunk of paternalism, political gain, and yet another opportunity to re-brand "Harlem."
Here's what the Times says:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/nyregion/04eva.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=eva%20moskowitz&st=cse
and the News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/02/26/2009-02-26_former_city_council_member_eva_moskowitz.html
I guess the media, and a lot of other people are skeptical as well. I have to say, I was impressed with her "passion" and ability to stay on message during her presentation. She kept on saying the "achievement gap" and talked about "high standards" for kids, and setting the highest standard for teachers. All of this is edutalk for the moment; the new reformers are trotting out "new" school concepts to shake up the system, and all the while erase historic, embedded racism by hiring ivy-leaguers to teach them chess, ballroom dancing, and everything else that is taught to the rich white kids that go to private school. Except, those rich kids come from rich families, with generational wealth, and ties that will get them into an ivy-league school regardless of their SAT scores, and there is no guarantee that Dr. M's charter school network can produce high functioning high schoolers, let alone college grads. I'm not saying it can't be done, but, ultimately, what will be the result? With the limited number of charters available, does Dr. M hope to influence the Department of Education after she has continued to trash it? Is the solution to fix the system actually reforming the system?
The Youth
I hate to sound like an old head, but I am completely perplexed by the way young black males dress. I walk through Harlem everyday, and I have no idea why young dudes have their jeans halfway (literally) down their legs, and they have to hold their pants up by the button (in the front) to keep them from falling. Where the hell did this trend come from? HOW stupid can you be? Is this yet another jail fashion trend that is one in a long line of ways to keep brothers from truly getting forward in life?
Also, while working my uber fun part time job at Yankee Stadium, I get a great chance to interact with the young Black and Hispanic guards that accompany the tours. For the most part, they are great, but a recent conversation bothered me. A young brother, with a great personality and a truly likeable disposition, and I were talking about Harlem day, etc, and he proceeded to use the phrase "my nigga" literallly twenty times in a three minute span. What gives with "my nigga" and using "nigga" as a way to describe other black folks? I really don't get it.
Over and out!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Hiatus Over
It's been a few months since I've updated, but I have valid and semi-reasonable excuses. I've determined that I will update the blog on Sundays, as they are a great way to start the week.
Celebrity Deaths
This last week and a half saw the deaths of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Steve McNair. All three deaths were sudden, but reactions have been very different to all. Personally, I was not emotionally attached to any of them, since I am too young to remember Fawcett, wrote off Michael after he started bleaching himself, and did not follow the Titans that closely. Of the three, I am most disturbed by McNair, since it was a homicide, and there seems to be much tied up with the situation (wife+kids+mistress).
I am, however, a little disappointed with the way that our society (through the media) handles these types of tragedies. For starters, they emphasize celebrity yet do little to cover their indvidual lives, then cover their lives after they die. I know that the machine must feed itself, but the media's hypocracy underscores the problem that we often only care about people's lives after they are gone. Just like people only care about history when an old building or site is being destroyed, or when it is already gone, and there is little or nothing one can do about it. Instead, we should value celebrities for what they do as humans, and not put them on unrealistic pedestals because of what they do on camera, on the field, or in print.
July 4th
This year's July 4th was probably the most mellow I've had in recent years. No Yanks game ( I went on Friday, though), did the bbq thing with my buddy and his sister's folk in Long Island City. Good music, good weather, good food, and a good night of sleep. Couldn't ask for more.
Work, Ain't It Special?
Just read a NY Times piece on 20 something college kids that are being foreced to give up unpaid internships and three months of living off of their parents in the city to work at $7.80 jobs at amusement parks. Poor college kids? Or reality?
I do feel bad that college kids might not be able to take internships, but I think that its fine for them to work a minimum wage (or somewhere around there) jobs before they graduate. After all, having some college experience does not mean much, especially in the job market. I feel like colleges over-market their educational experiences, and give their undergrads a false sense of accomplishment and security. More on this later...
Celebrity Deaths
This last week and a half saw the deaths of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Steve McNair. All three deaths were sudden, but reactions have been very different to all. Personally, I was not emotionally attached to any of them, since I am too young to remember Fawcett, wrote off Michael after he started bleaching himself, and did not follow the Titans that closely. Of the three, I am most disturbed by McNair, since it was a homicide, and there seems to be much tied up with the situation (wife+kids+mistress).
I am, however, a little disappointed with the way that our society (through the media) handles these types of tragedies. For starters, they emphasize celebrity yet do little to cover their indvidual lives, then cover their lives after they die. I know that the machine must feed itself, but the media's hypocracy underscores the problem that we often only care about people's lives after they are gone. Just like people only care about history when an old building or site is being destroyed, or when it is already gone, and there is little or nothing one can do about it. Instead, we should value celebrities for what they do as humans, and not put them on unrealistic pedestals because of what they do on camera, on the field, or in print.
July 4th
This year's July 4th was probably the most mellow I've had in recent years. No Yanks game ( I went on Friday, though), did the bbq thing with my buddy and his sister's folk in Long Island City. Good music, good weather, good food, and a good night of sleep. Couldn't ask for more.
Work, Ain't It Special?
Just read a NY Times piece on 20 something college kids that are being foreced to give up unpaid internships and three months of living off of their parents in the city to work at $7.80 jobs at amusement parks. Poor college kids? Or reality?
I do feel bad that college kids might not be able to take internships, but I think that its fine for them to work a minimum wage (or somewhere around there) jobs before they graduate. After all, having some college experience does not mean much, especially in the job market. I feel like colleges over-market their educational experiences, and give their undergrads a false sense of accomplishment and security. More on this later...
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