In Memory of T.J. Vassar who won his battle to live for the good of thousands of brown, black and poor white children who deserve an equitable and excellent education. Thank you T.J. for LEEP, a program he expanded as Director of Diversity at Lakeside School.
Thousands of children benefitted, including my own from his leadership as a Seattle School Director and at the prestigious private school. He was known as a parent teacher and education administrator who was unapologetic about his belief in African American children's abilities to be excellent. And in all he did as an African American student, academic, School Board Director and Director of Diversity bringing African Americans along with other non white, children he was unapologetically committed to the community that raised him. So in honor of TJ, I am increasing my personal commitment to the education of African American children with the campaign:
Take A Leap For African American Students.
What started as gatherings and individual meetings during the past two years has exploded into a campaign for African American children in their role as students. We know that once we get a win for their education, their path will lead to excellence. Given an equal and fair chance, African Americans always excel. I is the genetic energy that is our legacy from having been America's slaves. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and African American, explains why we can not win in environment when if we have 5 and whites have 4 they win. This reminds me of the title We Must Run While They Walk, the memoir of Mwalimu (Teacher) Julius Nyerere the first and four term President of Independent Tanzania. I am a student of his education reform thinking for the post colonial Tanzania and other formerly colonized nations in the world. I will speak more about this in another blog entry.
Take A Leap With African American Students challenges assumptions that they are too difficult to teach, combats the insult of low expectations, and builds capacity for parents as coach and manager of their children's education and that their education is primarily for the purpose of passing tests developed for a minority white student population. Non white children dominate the Seattle Schools enrollment. Education should elevated all people to be self discovers, not just to substantiate an inferior status. White privileged students do better on these tests because they were written for them to pass. The education system is established for them to succeed beyond all other students.
This campaign for equity and excellence for African American children benefits from the determination and actions of the late TJ Vassar whose life commitment inspires me. He inspired my politics, and the ways that a former elected official gives back to those who made their elections possible. TJ never forgot the mission or the people who put him in position to make a tangible difference.
The Campaign is graced with an honorary chair, Dr Maxine Mimms. Dr Mimms is TJ's Vassar's elementary school teacher, and first African American full time teacher in Seattle Public Schools. She is a consummate educator and legacy builder and has never apologized for believing in and bringing African American children and adults to excellence. Though committed to the education of African Americans, so many of all races and cultures know her as their favorite teacher. At the 2011 Annual Fish Fry, TJ recognized Dr. Mimms as his favorite teacher and she recognized him as a teacher's pet an affection well placed.
We are joined by abolitionists from a variety of races and cultures, in keeping with the ways that TJ took a leap for Lakeside School and created a majority minority enrollment. There are many who are intent in their own purpose of bringing equity to teaching and learning. My favorite movement for freedom and the march toward equal justice in the USA is the abolitionist and Underground railroad movement that existed prior to the civil War. Even as above ground the way that freedom of the slaves could and would occur, underground slaves by the thousands were being moved to freedom through a secreted network of conductors and safe houses. As a student, of Dr. Maxine Mimms and Dr. Joye Hardiman I studied freedom movements and the abolitionist movement and the underground railroad are my favorite.
On January 25, 2013 Wmaimu TJ Vassar, a champion for equality in education, passed over into pure energy and thousands of children and parents are the beneficiaries of his legend. I can think of no better way to honor his life and the life of the many educators who believed in African American students and their worthiness than to Take A Leap With African American Students.
