Interesting Times
These are certainly interesting times that we are living through! Sports cancelled, a pandemic raging, and now nationwide protests. My state, Georgia, has relaxed restrictions quite a bit, but leaders are still asking us to wear masks and to social distance. However, when my wife and I went to Home Depot on Friday, she and I were two of only five people wearing a mask, and that includes only one employee! Our local Walmart has much better mask participation, and employees are monitoring how many customers enter and exit the store.
Some sports look like they will be starting soon: the NBA, the NHL, and MLS, but MLB is too busy trying to win negotiations to focus on doing what's best for all involved. Many college sports teams have been cleared to return to school for workouts, and even the high schools here in Georgia may have athletes and band members work out at school, as long as certain guidelines are met. It looks like the NFL and College Football plan to start on time and have full seasons, but that could change at a moment's notice.
Despite all of this, the biggest news is the ongoing protests around the country, sparked by people being fed up with POC being targeted by police and others, and by the systemic racism in our society that has been going on for over 400 years. For some police departments, it seems that they are intent on proving there is no brutality by being brutal toward protesters, which doesn't make any sense. They know they are being filmed, they know people will see what they do, but they don't seem to care. It's as if they don't fear any consequences for their actions. Many will say these are the actions of a few bad apples, but there are many in their departments that tolerate these "bad apples". In my belief, this goes much deeper than a few rogue officers. There needs to be systemic changes in how police officers are led and trained.
Black Lives Matter. I have heard many comebacks about All Lives Matter, and Blue Lives Matter. But no one is saying that they don't. The emphasis is that Black Lives ALSO Matter, not ONLY Black Lives Matter. That is a huge distinction. No one gets angry at sports teams, for example, when they wear pink for breast cancer awareness, or for wearing blue for prostate cancer awareness. We don't have anyone screaming, "But all cancers matter!" When we have a hurricane hit the gulf coast, or when we have forest fires in Australia, no one is screaming, "All forest fires matter! All hurricanes matter!"
I often have to tell my students that when I praise one for doing something well, that doesn't mean no one else did it well. That simply means that I chose to bring attention to what that student did at that time. I'll often have kids respond, "What about me? I did it right!" And so I have to explain that not everyone will get praised for every little thing they do right. So many of them think that if I don't praise them for every thing they do right, that means they messed up. To me, this is similar to people voicing opposition to BLM: what about them? What about them? What about...
Getting to this point in my life has been a long journey. I was among the first group of students to go through school integrated from 1st-12th grade in Columbus, Georgia (I can't remember if my kindergarten class was segregated or not- I have no idea where my class picture is- but I always thought it was). I'm the youngest of 6, so all of my older siblings went through segregated schools for at least part of their lives. Two of my siblings were bused to the "black high school" across town for 2 years, and one graduated from there (Carver High School). My point is, I never really knew any different; to me, school was always integrated.
I was also exposed to diverse cultures. My parents were active at Columbus College, and one of the things the faculty did was host military officers from other countries that were training at Fort Benning just outside Columbus (Home of Infantry!). My understanding was that we were to show them a little of what American life was like- have them over for dinner, talk about life here, answer questions, etc. As I recall, we hosted several officers from Korea, and a family from Iran (this was pre-1979). They would even invite us over to where they were staying on occasion.
In addition to these experiences, we also hosted college exchange students. We had 2 from Ethiopia (brothers, but at different times), and one from Japan, a young lady who insisted on cooking for us almost every night. As you can see, from early on I was taught that people were people, no matter what their background or where they were from.
In my teaching career, I have taught in many different types of schools. Two school systems were 90% white, and the one I have subbed in and taught part time since I retired is also close to that figure. Three school systems I taught in were 90% black. Three school systems were around 50-50 in racial makeup, though it may have been 55-45 one way or the other. Finally, one school system was about 35-35-30 between Black, White, and Hispanic. My kids almost always attended in the school system where I taught, though there were about 5 years where I was working three or more hours away from home (so I had a place to stay and drove home on the weekends) or where my wife took care of her sick parents and couldn't be with me. As you can see, I was exposed to a pretty diverse mix of parents and students. I want to talk about several places I lived and worked, and point out a few observations from each.
I taught in Macon, Georgia for three years (1988-1991) at a brand new school that was splitting off from another school. Macon is about 50-50 Black and White, but the schools were majority Black. That's because Macon had about 6 or 7 private schools (they have more now!). The school we split from had a huge band, and they did the HBCU dance band thing, and they did it well! I had been trained in corps style, so that's what I taught, so it took a while for the kids to buy in, but we went from 14 to 45 students in 3 years. I learned that the kids really don't care about the style as long as they're getting a quality experience.
While I was in Macon, I finished up my Army Reserve commitment with an outstanding unit- the 928th Maintenance Company- as a 1LT and platoon leader. There were 198 people in our unit. Three of us were White. We were actually supposed to be mobilized for Iraq, but the US Army had changed the mission of our unit just a month before the Iraqi invasion from small engine maintenance to electronic maintenance, so no one was trained in their new job yet. Overnight we went from 90% MOSQ to 30%.
I taught in Danielsville, Georgia from 1991-2001. Madison County was 90% White. I loved teaching there as the kids were hungry for success. I only want to mention one "funny" incident while I was there. One year, we only had one Black kid in the marching band, and he happened to be one of our drum majors. We had to travel to Forsyth County for a football game, and this happened to be within weeks of a KKK rally in the town were traveling to. As we approached the town, this drum major stood up and loudly said, "You guys gotta protect me! You gotta protect me!" Of course he was only kidding. Or so I thought at the time...
I taught In Fitzgerald, Georgia from 2002-2004, just 2 years. We ended up moving back to North Georgia because our house wouldn't sell. Fitzgerald is an interesting place; it was established after the Civil War as a town where Northerners and Southerners could both live. The main streets were named after the generals who fought on both sides. If I recall correctly, the East-West streets were named after Confederate generals (yes there was a Longstreet St, which is kind of unwieldy), and the North-South Streets were named after Union Generals. And yes, there was a Hooker Street. The best part was that the fire station was located on Sherman Street, which was a one-way street heading north! There were also wild chickens roaming the town, as it was illegal to kill them. The demographics were about 50-50 White and Black.
My first BOE meeting included parents upset that only one Black student was chosen for the dance team, and she was a returning member. Every other team member was White (there were 16-20, I believe). However, the flag line was mostly made up of Black students, though there were 2 or 3 White students on the line. To me, this was unacceptable. I met with the Black parents after the board meeting (I was introduced at the meeting) and assured them that the tryouts would be fair the following Spring, and sure enough, we had 4-5 Black students make the dance line the next year (we also added more White students to the flag line). Needless to say, this was not popular. I should also mention that this school also had two proms, one for the White kids and one for the Black kids. Now, to be fair, the administration was trying to change that, as there was only one OFFICIAL prom, but the White parents held a private prom the same weekend. I had never experienced such a thing! I had assumed having two proms was never a thing. I wonder if they've ever succeeded in integrating the prom...
I also coached Little League Baseball in Fitzgerald. I was an assistant for one year, but had to take over when the head coach quit (he was crazy!), and then I was head coach the next year for the full season. Anyway, the 1st year was strange, what with the coach leaving, and we only had 9 players. Our star player knew he was our best player, but when he didn't show up for practices, I decided to sit him for a game, so we only had 8 players- no way we could win, as there was a guaranteed out for the empty slot. Therefore, I decided that everyone who hadn't had a chance to pitch in a game would get to do so. It was fun, and the kids had a great time! I had a parent (someone whose kid played on the other team) come up to me after the game and thank me for letting my Black kid pitch. He said none of the other coaches would ever pitch the Black kids. I was flabbergasted! Why would you handicap your team by not putting kids where they can help the most? Who cares what color!
I taught in Greenville, Georgia from 2004-2006. Greenville was 90% Black. Not only were a majority of the students Black, but so was the faculty, which was a first for me. I was extremely impressed with the faculty, as they all seemed to care deeply for the students.
I taught in Camilla, Georgia from 2010-2013 (my daughter graduated from there). When I interviewed for the job, I was told that the school was 90% black (it was a Class A school- the smallest designation- and my daughter was one of 5-7 White students attending). After the interview, my wife and I went to the local Pizza Hut for their buffet lunch (when they still did those) and discussed the job and the interview. We noticed that the restaurant was filled with White people, which we thought was odd. We did some research, and learned that the county was 50-50 Black and White. So why was the high school 90% Black? Where were all the White kids? Turns out most of the White kids went to the private school, the charter school, or to the Pelham city school (think Commerce and Jefferson city schools, or Buford). Crazy! I have to say, I absolutely loved teaching there! One interesting tidbit was that we had several teachers from India on the faculty there. Very odd, especially in a small, South Georgia town.
One final incident that really opened my eyes to racial inequality. While I was living in Camilla, my son transferred from Emmanuel College to Darton College, in Albany. The band at Darton College did not include enough musicians for full instrumentation, so community members were invited to join. After playing with them for a year, I asked if 2 of my top students could join us. The director said that was fine, and so my son and I would stop to pick them up on the way to rehearsal, and then drop them off on the way back. Once, while returning, my son was driving, and a policeman pulled us over, ostensibly for the tail light being out. He looked in the back seat and saw that there were two Black male students in the car with us, and his demeanor immediately changed. He told them to keep their hands visible at all times and not to make any sudden moves, commands he did not direct to my son and me. After asking why we were travelling together, he gave us a warning and sent us on our way.
As you can see, my diverse experiences have led me to where I am today. Does this mean I harbor no prejudices? I would hesitate to say that, as no one is perfect. But I am working every day to love all people, and to support all people. I believe we must end systemic racism. I believe we must train our police force better, and end police brutality or misconduct. I believe we all have to strive to see others as individuals, and not as part of a group. And I believe that words and actions matter. What we say and do reveals who we are.
I resolve to listen and do more. I resolve to look inward and see the biases I have within, and to strive to do away with them. But most of all, I stand with my brothers and sisters of all nationalities, races, creeds, religions, and sexual orientations as we work together to stamp out intolerance and prejudice.
Feel free to leave a comment.
Some sports look like they will be starting soon: the NBA, the NHL, and MLS, but MLB is too busy trying to win negotiations to focus on doing what's best for all involved. Many college sports teams have been cleared to return to school for workouts, and even the high schools here in Georgia may have athletes and band members work out at school, as long as certain guidelines are met. It looks like the NFL and College Football plan to start on time and have full seasons, but that could change at a moment's notice.
Despite all of this, the biggest news is the ongoing protests around the country, sparked by people being fed up with POC being targeted by police and others, and by the systemic racism in our society that has been going on for over 400 years. For some police departments, it seems that they are intent on proving there is no brutality by being brutal toward protesters, which doesn't make any sense. They know they are being filmed, they know people will see what they do, but they don't seem to care. It's as if they don't fear any consequences for their actions. Many will say these are the actions of a few bad apples, but there are many in their departments that tolerate these "bad apples". In my belief, this goes much deeper than a few rogue officers. There needs to be systemic changes in how police officers are led and trained.
Black Lives Matter. I have heard many comebacks about All Lives Matter, and Blue Lives Matter. But no one is saying that they don't. The emphasis is that Black Lives ALSO Matter, not ONLY Black Lives Matter. That is a huge distinction. No one gets angry at sports teams, for example, when they wear pink for breast cancer awareness, or for wearing blue for prostate cancer awareness. We don't have anyone screaming, "But all cancers matter!" When we have a hurricane hit the gulf coast, or when we have forest fires in Australia, no one is screaming, "All forest fires matter! All hurricanes matter!"
I often have to tell my students that when I praise one for doing something well, that doesn't mean no one else did it well. That simply means that I chose to bring attention to what that student did at that time. I'll often have kids respond, "What about me? I did it right!" And so I have to explain that not everyone will get praised for every little thing they do right. So many of them think that if I don't praise them for every thing they do right, that means they messed up. To me, this is similar to people voicing opposition to BLM: what about them? What about them? What about...
Getting to this point in my life has been a long journey. I was among the first group of students to go through school integrated from 1st-12th grade in Columbus, Georgia (I can't remember if my kindergarten class was segregated or not- I have no idea where my class picture is- but I always thought it was). I'm the youngest of 6, so all of my older siblings went through segregated schools for at least part of their lives. Two of my siblings were bused to the "black high school" across town for 2 years, and one graduated from there (Carver High School). My point is, I never really knew any different; to me, school was always integrated.
I was also exposed to diverse cultures. My parents were active at Columbus College, and one of the things the faculty did was host military officers from other countries that were training at Fort Benning just outside Columbus (Home of Infantry!). My understanding was that we were to show them a little of what American life was like- have them over for dinner, talk about life here, answer questions, etc. As I recall, we hosted several officers from Korea, and a family from Iran (this was pre-1979). They would even invite us over to where they were staying on occasion.
In addition to these experiences, we also hosted college exchange students. We had 2 from Ethiopia (brothers, but at different times), and one from Japan, a young lady who insisted on cooking for us almost every night. As you can see, from early on I was taught that people were people, no matter what their background or where they were from.
In my teaching career, I have taught in many different types of schools. Two school systems were 90% white, and the one I have subbed in and taught part time since I retired is also close to that figure. Three school systems I taught in were 90% black. Three school systems were around 50-50 in racial makeup, though it may have been 55-45 one way or the other. Finally, one school system was about 35-35-30 between Black, White, and Hispanic. My kids almost always attended in the school system where I taught, though there were about 5 years where I was working three or more hours away from home (so I had a place to stay and drove home on the weekends) or where my wife took care of her sick parents and couldn't be with me. As you can see, I was exposed to a pretty diverse mix of parents and students. I want to talk about several places I lived and worked, and point out a few observations from each.
I taught in Macon, Georgia for three years (1988-1991) at a brand new school that was splitting off from another school. Macon is about 50-50 Black and White, but the schools were majority Black. That's because Macon had about 6 or 7 private schools (they have more now!). The school we split from had a huge band, and they did the HBCU dance band thing, and they did it well! I had been trained in corps style, so that's what I taught, so it took a while for the kids to buy in, but we went from 14 to 45 students in 3 years. I learned that the kids really don't care about the style as long as they're getting a quality experience.
While I was in Macon, I finished up my Army Reserve commitment with an outstanding unit- the 928th Maintenance Company- as a 1LT and platoon leader. There were 198 people in our unit. Three of us were White. We were actually supposed to be mobilized for Iraq, but the US Army had changed the mission of our unit just a month before the Iraqi invasion from small engine maintenance to electronic maintenance, so no one was trained in their new job yet. Overnight we went from 90% MOSQ to 30%.
I taught in Danielsville, Georgia from 1991-2001. Madison County was 90% White. I loved teaching there as the kids were hungry for success. I only want to mention one "funny" incident while I was there. One year, we only had one Black kid in the marching band, and he happened to be one of our drum majors. We had to travel to Forsyth County for a football game, and this happened to be within weeks of a KKK rally in the town were traveling to. As we approached the town, this drum major stood up and loudly said, "You guys gotta protect me! You gotta protect me!" Of course he was only kidding. Or so I thought at the time...
I taught In Fitzgerald, Georgia from 2002-2004, just 2 years. We ended up moving back to North Georgia because our house wouldn't sell. Fitzgerald is an interesting place; it was established after the Civil War as a town where Northerners and Southerners could both live. The main streets were named after the generals who fought on both sides. If I recall correctly, the East-West streets were named after Confederate generals (yes there was a Longstreet St, which is kind of unwieldy), and the North-South Streets were named after Union Generals. And yes, there was a Hooker Street. The best part was that the fire station was located on Sherman Street, which was a one-way street heading north! There were also wild chickens roaming the town, as it was illegal to kill them. The demographics were about 50-50 White and Black.
My first BOE meeting included parents upset that only one Black student was chosen for the dance team, and she was a returning member. Every other team member was White (there were 16-20, I believe). However, the flag line was mostly made up of Black students, though there were 2 or 3 White students on the line. To me, this was unacceptable. I met with the Black parents after the board meeting (I was introduced at the meeting) and assured them that the tryouts would be fair the following Spring, and sure enough, we had 4-5 Black students make the dance line the next year (we also added more White students to the flag line). Needless to say, this was not popular. I should also mention that this school also had two proms, one for the White kids and one for the Black kids. Now, to be fair, the administration was trying to change that, as there was only one OFFICIAL prom, but the White parents held a private prom the same weekend. I had never experienced such a thing! I had assumed having two proms was never a thing. I wonder if they've ever succeeded in integrating the prom...
I also coached Little League Baseball in Fitzgerald. I was an assistant for one year, but had to take over when the head coach quit (he was crazy!), and then I was head coach the next year for the full season. Anyway, the 1st year was strange, what with the coach leaving, and we only had 9 players. Our star player knew he was our best player, but when he didn't show up for practices, I decided to sit him for a game, so we only had 8 players- no way we could win, as there was a guaranteed out for the empty slot. Therefore, I decided that everyone who hadn't had a chance to pitch in a game would get to do so. It was fun, and the kids had a great time! I had a parent (someone whose kid played on the other team) come up to me after the game and thank me for letting my Black kid pitch. He said none of the other coaches would ever pitch the Black kids. I was flabbergasted! Why would you handicap your team by not putting kids where they can help the most? Who cares what color!
I taught in Greenville, Georgia from 2004-2006. Greenville was 90% Black. Not only were a majority of the students Black, but so was the faculty, which was a first for me. I was extremely impressed with the faculty, as they all seemed to care deeply for the students.
I taught in Camilla, Georgia from 2010-2013 (my daughter graduated from there). When I interviewed for the job, I was told that the school was 90% black (it was a Class A school- the smallest designation- and my daughter was one of 5-7 White students attending). After the interview, my wife and I went to the local Pizza Hut for their buffet lunch (when they still did those) and discussed the job and the interview. We noticed that the restaurant was filled with White people, which we thought was odd. We did some research, and learned that the county was 50-50 Black and White. So why was the high school 90% Black? Where were all the White kids? Turns out most of the White kids went to the private school, the charter school, or to the Pelham city school (think Commerce and Jefferson city schools, or Buford). Crazy! I have to say, I absolutely loved teaching there! One interesting tidbit was that we had several teachers from India on the faculty there. Very odd, especially in a small, South Georgia town.
One final incident that really opened my eyes to racial inequality. While I was living in Camilla, my son transferred from Emmanuel College to Darton College, in Albany. The band at Darton College did not include enough musicians for full instrumentation, so community members were invited to join. After playing with them for a year, I asked if 2 of my top students could join us. The director said that was fine, and so my son and I would stop to pick them up on the way to rehearsal, and then drop them off on the way back. Once, while returning, my son was driving, and a policeman pulled us over, ostensibly for the tail light being out. He looked in the back seat and saw that there were two Black male students in the car with us, and his demeanor immediately changed. He told them to keep their hands visible at all times and not to make any sudden moves, commands he did not direct to my son and me. After asking why we were travelling together, he gave us a warning and sent us on our way.
As you can see, my diverse experiences have led me to where I am today. Does this mean I harbor no prejudices? I would hesitate to say that, as no one is perfect. But I am working every day to love all people, and to support all people. I believe we must end systemic racism. I believe we must train our police force better, and end police brutality or misconduct. I believe we all have to strive to see others as individuals, and not as part of a group. And I believe that words and actions matter. What we say and do reveals who we are.
I resolve to listen and do more. I resolve to look inward and see the biases I have within, and to strive to do away with them. But most of all, I stand with my brothers and sisters of all nationalities, races, creeds, religions, and sexual orientations as we work together to stamp out intolerance and prejudice.
Feel free to leave a comment.
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