New Education Principles 101 Textbook: New Education Principles 101 will revolve around a list of Educational Priorities and selected online essays. Find essays by scrolling down this page. Instructor: Mba Mbulu
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Class #6
MORE EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES
(1) Black educators must eliminate the fear or distaste of the "radical."
(2) Black educators must not question the legitimacy of representing the essence of Black People.
(3) If you presently teach, make it possible for your students to take one or more of Aset U's alternative education courses.
(4) Incorporate information from courses like these and books like Ten Lessons: An Introduction to Black History into your "traditional" classroom lessons.
Class Assignment
Read the essay that follows. Be able to relate that essay to the educational priorities listed above. Also be prepared to respond to the following questions:
(1) Is it important that Black individuals think of Black People as proper beings, proper nouns and proper pronouns?
(2) What can explain the motives of Black and white educators who are opposed to the capitalization of "Black People" and "Black" when it refers to Us as a People?
(3) The citation from Ten Lessons contrasts the philosophy of Black and white people. What does that have to do with capitalizing terms that are relevant to Black People?
(4) Capitalization of Black and Black People is "a simple adjustment to make, and it doesn't cost any money to implement. All We need to do is start doing it." Are Black educators likely to start doing it?
(5) Can something as simple as this be relevant to Our education as a People?
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More than 20 years ago, the following paragraph appeared on the Introduction page of Ten Lessons: An Introduction to Black History:
"Throughout this Handbook [10 Lessons]... the term Black People and all terms that refer to all of Us are capitalized. This is because Black philosophy is a philosophy of the group as opposed to a philosophy of the individual. To Us, the group, the Race, is supreme; Its identification and survival are of major concern and consideration. Therefore, whatever is referred to It is capitalized. This is in contrast to the philosophy of white people, which stresses the individual ('I') and capitalizes terms which refer to the individual while failing to capitalize terms that refer to the whole group. The difference in this particular aspect of philosophy indicates how basic the differences are between Black People and white people."
Black People are proper beings, and We must begin to think of Ourselves as such. Therefore, proper nouns and pronouns should be used to refer to Us. There is nothing common about Black People, nothing run of the mill, nothing that should not be respected and accorded value. We are proper nouns and proper pronouns, and We should make sure that Black students understand and appreciate that.
Whenever the term Black is used in a way that applies to all of Us, it should be capitalized. Whenever the term/phrase Black People is written, it should be capitalized. Whenever a pronoun that refers to Our race is used/written, it should be capitalized. Our teachers should teach that to their students, and Black writers who are serious about passing on powerful images to their readers should condition themselves to capitalize those terms. It's a simple adjustment to make, and it doesn't cost any money to implement. All We need to do is start doing it.
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