#TDRSplus: Are Black Kids the New Cotton?

Are Black kids the new cotton or what? 

We talked about the systemic oppression within America's educational system on the latest episode of Talk Dat Real Sh*T, #TDRS which is live on FB through Citizen Ed's page Mondays 12 noon.  

I mentioned on the show that the revolution will not be televised. 

View the episode, "Are Black Kids the New Cotton"?" 

In stating this, I want to take us back to the good book of The Second Founding by Eric Foner. (this is a MUST read) 

Throughout the show we discussed the oppression Black students face in public schools. We simply cannot forget what is really happening. 

It's a fight for power. 

The struggle for power in public school districts from parents, teachers, residents who want to see more equity in the system on the school board or like with EdLanta, students who want a seat at the decision making table too. 

If education is the gateway to freedom, then why are we expecting a public education "system" to teach our children how to be free? 

Atlanta is one of the most inequitable cities for Black and brown people in the Nation. As a product of the public school system, I see much more for the District. 

Much like my ESC student leaders and activists who want to improvements around workforce development in schools.

Black students aren't graduating from public high schools putting being push out of schools into the school to prison pipeline. Often with like to no workforce development training. 

In the 90's, there was a distinction even in predominately Black schools of the "pre selected" Black students who would make it to the middle class or beyond. The rest were "expected" to be products of our society and in out of the system. Either trapped in, consumed by, working for or destroyed by the system. 

This is why public schools are referenced as plantations and Black kids are the cotton. 

According to the book of The Second Founding, the power play is to maintain wealth by controlling Black minds and gaining free labor from Black bodies imprisoned by the system or financially imprisoned with debt by the system.

The fight for power and freedom begins in the education system. #TDRSplus