An undeniable part of American
history that naysayers could not whitewash was the impact and extent of the
Underground Railroad. The go-to escape routes funneled thousands of slaves into
“free” territories which included northern states, Canada, Caribbean islands
and Mexico. The slow and meticulous exodus helped spread an anti-slavery
sentiment, and while escaped slaves still faced many obstacles, being the property
of another human was not one of them. Freedom and full-autonomy was the goal
for all riders on the railroad and Ms. Tubman was the most reliable conductor.
It’s been 150 years (+ 1 day)
since Lincoln’s assassination and many Blacks and Browns still struggle to
strive for the same freedom. While today’s Blacks are not escaping slavery, we
still face low education rates, high incarceration rates, and a sense of inferiority
perpetrated by the same system that enslaved us. One might argue that today's outcomes are not as barbaric and deadly as faced by our ancestors, but when you
consider that 1in8 young Black man is locked up every day and that in the last
30 years, incarceration has increased by over 500%, we must wonder if these
privatized cages are meant for our Black and Brown brothers just like Thomas
Jefferson’s plantations were designed for slave labor. Below are links to data
and research to help clarify and support.
APA Factsheet on SES: http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-erm.pdf
Wealth Gap article: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/12/racial-wealth-gaps-great-recession/
Incarceration Data: http://www.cflj.org/new-jim-crow/new-jim-crow-fact-sheet/
Today’s escape route is education. Every completed assignment and successful
semester is one step closer to the mental and economic freedom that we all
strive to achieve. The summer and winter breaks feel like safe houses, where we
have time and security to re-group, decompress, and recognize the remaining steps
towards our independence. However, we continue to lose our most marginalized
students along the path, and even the students with proven potential have
proven to us that we, systemically-speaking, do not know how to educate our
kids. While 30 percent of Whites had graduated from college by their mid-20's,
only 14% of Blacks and 12% of Hispanics had done so, which translates to a wide
disparity in employment and income (Pew). The typical Black boy in a K-12 educational
setting is taught almost exclusively by White women who combine an insufficient
anticipation for his academic achievement with high expectations for disruptive
behavior, intellectual stupidity, and a dispassion for learning leads to
disengagement (Harper, 2009). They act like we don’t want to be there, but
refuse to accept that the educational spaces created in these neighborhoods are
mediocre at best and lack the pedagogical context necessary to engage us.
Simply point: we just ain’t feeling the lectures that have nothing to do with
our experiences and the needs of our communities.
 |
| The Graduate by Ernie Barnes |
To make escape routes more reliable, Tubman teamed up with Thomas
Garrett, a wealthy abolitionist who risked his life and freedom to the cause. The
Railroad would not have been as successful if it wasn't for the privileged, White
men and women who provided housing, food, and supplies. The collaboration is
what made the difference (not to be mistaken by “White saviors”). We must
create the spaces where survivors of this fragmented system team up with influential
people (politically and/or monetarily) with a progressive mindset who
understand that social and economic inclusivity benefits us all.
"in time, you'll learn that this shit is about you" -Kendrick Lamar, Section 80