Activism, So You Think
This post is a follow-up to Monday's post: State of Affairs. It is also a response to feedback I received in regards to that post, so away we go.
This post is for those who want to make improvements and to those who claim to be making strides to empower and improve the community. In years past, I have tutored, mentored, led forums, and wrote papers that specifically addressed the "State of Affairs" in question. I have learned a few things in doing this. One, you cannot hope to change the ignorance or ineptitude of the black community by having a forum or workshop that charges a fee to attend. Trust me, these pseudo-thugs and hoodrats will not pay to sit and be told about themselves. You know who will come, people like myself. People who already know about the problem. This is an example of "preaching to the choir". Similarly, doing the outreach in a community that has a high retention rate in the schools, low truancy rate, or higher income has the same effect.
When I have done "real" outreach in the past, I did it either at the schools, in which you are almost guaranteed to reach your target audience, or as a field trip. If you do it at the high school or middle school, Joe Thug, will happily skip class to go to a forum where he believes he can zone out and talk to his friends. (This is where good teachers come in to help keep the peace). Additionally, I did test-prep workshops free of charge at my school or at other community-neutral locations during the school hours. Again, this reaches your target audience because the kids take a field trip during their hours to learn something they will not learn in class. Doing this after school hours or at community centers while beneficial is unlikely to hit the nail on the head so to speak.
When doing these workshops and forums I speak on the level of my audience, the "real-talk" level. Lol, I am sure it sounds weird when I do it, but when you lead a forum on bettering yourself and proving to be a role model, the worst thing you can do is talk down to the audience from your haughty-taughty pedestal. All you will get is a bunch of tweets like listen to this bourgeoise-ass n***a. Be honest with them, I have a best friend who got shot, and yes I have friends who have been locked. And if you cannot relate to them, find someone who can. Trust me telling them about your life in private school, or in a predominantly white area is not going to do anything but fuel their anger and ignorance.
If you are serious about outreach, then reach your taget community. Do your research, get your feedback and make improvements. Everywhere I have gone, I have been invited back, and even received a few underage Facebook requests (hey, no judgments here, that's a sign of effectiveness). When people ask what will I do I simply tell them engage in intellectually stimulating conversation because that is what a workshop/forum/mentoring program is. Could I go out to Queensbridge and hand out leaflets? Bad example, I actually have done that, but guess what leaflets got tossed but the conversation sank in and hit home. I could run for office, but let's be honest I have too many skeletons in my closet for that. In summary, if you want to be an activist, an effective one, these are my thoughts. If you claim to be one, then allow me to quote from a good book (in the spirit of Founder's Day), "[...] but before you inflate yourself with pride, ask yourself honestly what have I done."
This post is for those who want to make improvements and to those who claim to be making strides to empower and improve the community. In years past, I have tutored, mentored, led forums, and wrote papers that specifically addressed the "State of Affairs" in question. I have learned a few things in doing this. One, you cannot hope to change the ignorance or ineptitude of the black community by having a forum or workshop that charges a fee to attend. Trust me, these pseudo-thugs and hoodrats will not pay to sit and be told about themselves. You know who will come, people like myself. People who already know about the problem. This is an example of "preaching to the choir". Similarly, doing the outreach in a community that has a high retention rate in the schools, low truancy rate, or higher income has the same effect.
When I have done "real" outreach in the past, I did it either at the schools, in which you are almost guaranteed to reach your target audience, or as a field trip. If you do it at the high school or middle school, Joe Thug, will happily skip class to go to a forum where he believes he can zone out and talk to his friends. (This is where good teachers come in to help keep the peace). Additionally, I did test-prep workshops free of charge at my school or at other community-neutral locations during the school hours. Again, this reaches your target audience because the kids take a field trip during their hours to learn something they will not learn in class. Doing this after school hours or at community centers while beneficial is unlikely to hit the nail on the head so to speak.
When doing these workshops and forums I speak on the level of my audience, the "real-talk" level. Lol, I am sure it sounds weird when I do it, but when you lead a forum on bettering yourself and proving to be a role model, the worst thing you can do is talk down to the audience from your haughty-taughty pedestal. All you will get is a bunch of tweets like listen to this bourgeoise-ass n***a. Be honest with them, I have a best friend who got shot, and yes I have friends who have been locked. And if you cannot relate to them, find someone who can. Trust me telling them about your life in private school, or in a predominantly white area is not going to do anything but fuel their anger and ignorance.
If you are serious about outreach, then reach your taget community. Do your research, get your feedback and make improvements. Everywhere I have gone, I have been invited back, and even received a few underage Facebook requests (hey, no judgments here, that's a sign of effectiveness). When people ask what will I do I simply tell them engage in intellectually stimulating conversation because that is what a workshop/forum/mentoring program is. Could I go out to Queensbridge and hand out leaflets? Bad example, I actually have done that, but guess what leaflets got tossed but the conversation sank in and hit home. I could run for office, but let's be honest I have too many skeletons in my closet for that. In summary, if you want to be an activist, an effective one, these are my thoughts. If you claim to be one, then allow me to quote from a good book (in the spirit of Founder's Day), "[...] but before you inflate yourself with pride, ask yourself honestly what have I done."
posted by K. Jobe | 13:17
1 Comments:
Mr. Jobe,
I caught your blog because I catch everything Jobe...I am a Jobe too.
And in the small world life we seem to live, I too was born in Providence Hospital in DC and attnded local schools for a time until I wound up in rural Georgia, where I exist today.
The fee-based workshops you speak of are nothing more than money in someones pocket as far as I am concerned. And those that need to attend can ill aford them. On the other hand, those that should attend must find a need for themselves, not just an excuse to visit or start trouble.
Without real goals and motivation, any endavor to improve a community is a moot point...inner city or country bumpkins.
You are right to work only in your area of expertise, that is the only place it will count. Mine is in Podunk USA with rural kids with rural raisin.
I am not a teacher, I am a carpenter.
Being active, without the moniker of activist, is being a mentor, being vocal, being a volunteer...at least around here.
I'd love to help you, no buts. I think I have my hands full tho.
BTW, I am a divorced, white, father of 2 teen daughters without a job for 18 months now that has never lived above the poverty level. Bigotry and greed has always ruled over folks like us...and as long as we squabble over the scaps they allow us to have, we, as a community, so judged, will always see it from our poor point of view.
Educate, don't retaliate.
Randy Jobe
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