The Natural Mentoring Experience

Culture-Based Mentoring, Making The Most Of Our Children

I was very happy to discover the statistics below in my Black Seeds calendar upon first opening it.  It was like a sign supporting my need to bring attention to how important a tool mentoring is for OUR people of African decent, we are now called Black People, in a land that does not value us.

It says that;

*  Of all Black fourth-graders, 58% are functionally illiterate.

*  In some cities, 80% of our boys drop out before finishing high school.

*  Every day 1,000 Black children are arrested.

*  The number one cause of death for our children is homicide.

In 1902 and 1903 a group of "educators" met in upstate NY.  Their task was to design a public school curriculum that would control the masses, particularly poor Blacks and prepare them to work for the rich.  Public schools were created as a means of social control and were never meant to uplift Black people.

In decades past, especially in the period of time before integration, extended families and communities served as mentors to children.  This close relationship led to the transfer of skills and the retention of family values, and history, in a very natural way.

The public school system had very little in its curriculum about Africans and their contributions, to the development of the world.  So the children were ashamed of their history because all they knew about was slavery and negative sterotypes.

This was the mind set of the educators in power at the turn of the 20th century. 100+ years later; is their plan still working?  We need to teach the black children and as many black adults as we can possibly reach, how to join a viable PLAN of mentoring each other on an ongoing basis; daily!  Take the Initiative!!!