Happy Birthday August!

Much of my teaching is influenced by the education that I got at Columbia Prep and the education that my mother made sure that I had outside of it.  My mother guaranteed that that I had access to books by black authors, and she took me to museum exhibits that featured work by black artists.  We saw Alvin Ailey every Christmas, and if there was a black person in a play on Broadway we got tickets.

Out and About circa 10th grade

August Wilson was a big part of my growing-up, and much of what I know about the African-American experience I learned from the plays in his Century Cycle.  Interestingly, August Wilson is one of the most venerated yet under-taught black writers in America.  Nevertheless, teaching his plays was often the highlight of my year.  My students loved the humor and the familiarity of the language, while the plays allowed us to examine elements of  African culture and Greek tragedy in a modern context, and discuss larger themes such as love, magic, family, and history.

On the occasion of what would have been his 70th birthday, here are a few of my favorite August Wilson memories.

1. Seeing Joe Turners Come and Gone on Broadway in 1988.  My mother and I saw every August Wilson play on or off Broadway, but this one was my favorite. I remember the realization that slavery didn't end with slavery being really impactful for me.  I was only twelve, but I recall the following line like it was yesterday.

“Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money!”

2. Reading Fences with my 8th grade English class and then seeing it on Broadway.  Yes, academic rigor existed before The Common Core and the charter school movement.  My students were lucky enough to see the production starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.  Watching 8th graders mouth the words of the play along with the actors was priceless. 

3. Watching Nasir  outact Denzel when we read Fences last year  in the 6th grade.

4.Watching this video from PBS version of The Piano Lesson as we read this play.  The is something so beautiful and haunting about this song. My students wanted to watch this over and over again, and then learn about the history and pain behind the music.

August Wilson's Century Cycle is available on amazon.com 

Style Inspiration: Tracee Ellis Ross @ The White House Correspondents' Dinner

God Help the Child

I don’t know what I was expecting when I arrived at Barnes and Noble last Tuesday. Balloons, maybe? A block-long window display of Toni Morrison: a photograph in profile with her silver dreadlocks flowing and the red lipstick she wore on the recent cover of The New York Times Magazine.  Yes, that is what I expected.

Illustration by Eva S.

Instead I saw nothing.  I looked around the bookstore, at times distracted by other novels, wondering if such an intense search would be necessary when Harper Lee’s new book comes out.  Afraid that I had gotten the release date of God Help the Child wrong, I asked someone for help and was directed to a slim stack of books without one standing up to alert the browser to the presence of the others.  I know that the sale of hardcover books is down and it would have been easier (and cheaper) to download the book on my Kindle, but this is a book I wanted to own.  I love that when Chloe sees a picture of Toni Morrison, she says "Look, there's Chloe."  These books are part of her inheritance.

Unfortunately, being the Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author of eleven novels doesn't guarantee prime real estate in Barnes and Noble.  Neither does being the subject of a New York Times Magazine cover or a New York Times Book Review front page review by artist Kara Walker.

Olaf Hayjek

Nevertheless, God Help the Child, was the most pleasurable reading experience that I have had in a while.  Many people believe that Toni Morrison's books are "too much work" but reading with a pencil in hand is part of the thrill.  I read this book when I should have been sleeping, when I was traveling to work on the train, during homeroom- and in 48 hours I was done.

I will not reveal too much of the plot, but I will say that God Help the Child is NOT simply about a light-skinned woman and the mental damage that she causes her dark-skinned daughter, nor is it about racism.  As Booker states, "Scientifically, there's no such thing as race . . . so racism without race is a choice.  Taught, of course, by those who need it, but still a choice.  Folks who practice it would be nothing without it."

As other reviewers have written, God Help the Child, seems to reference many of Toni Morrison's earlier works.  Reading it is like meeting old friends who are familiar, yet not exactly as you remember them.  Bride reminds me of the dark-skinned woman that Jadine encounters in Tar Baby who threatens her entire perception of beauty.  Rain is Amy Denver from Beloved in another form.  Brooklyn is as infuriating and one-dimensional as Maureen Peale in The Bluest Eye.  And Booker is reminiscent of Son from Tar Baby in that they are both beautiful, eloquent runners.  

Reading books by Toni Morrison books often leaves me with more questions than answers. After reading God Help the Child, I am left wondering if Booker is even black, and why Bride's body begins to revert back to its pre-puberty state after her break-up?   What is Morrison saying about black women "having it all" in the modern world?  Is the ending ultimately optimistic or pessimistic? Does Toni Morrison write white characters badly on purpose? These type of questions stay with me long after I have finished reading Morrison's books and motivate me to read them again and again.  Right now, I am about to pass God Help the Child to my father because he wants to read it.  Good thing I bought the hardcover.

If you liked God Help the Child, here are other books you will probably enjoy as well.

Tar Baby and Sula by Toni Morrison

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman

Hunting Season: Black Death and President Obama

"Black people are the magical faces at the bottom of the well.  Even the poorest whites, those who 

must live their lives only a few levels above, gain their self-esteem by gazing down at us."

-Derrick Bell, Faces at the Bottom of the Well  

Recently, I have been wondering if there is  a connection between white anger over Obama's presidency and the recent epidemic of murders of unarmed black people in America.  Logically, I know that conflict between blacks and the police has been a part of our country's history since before the idea of a black president was a seed in the minds of even the progressive white people. Malcolm X and the Black Panthers frequently spoke out against police brutality, and  Martin Luther King (who many view as more accommodating) talked about the "unspeakable horrors of police brutality" in his famous I Have a Dream Speech.

Nevertheless, the events of the past year seem excessive, even by American standards, and I am left feeling like it is connected to Obama.

But why are some white people so mad?  Obama hasn't said or done anything to give the impression that he is particularly aligned to black Americans.  He has repeatedly made the point that he is "everyone's President,"  and addressing institutional or personal racism has not been a priority of his administration in the way that addressing issues of gender and sexuality have been.  In fact, when Obama does choose to speak about race he stresses issues of personal responsibility in the vein of a 21st Century Booker T. Washington.

Nevertheless, the mere mention of Obama's name can produce a reaction from some people that is a scary combination of anger and disgust. If you have watched Fox News or read comments on articles about Obama in The New York Times, you know what I'm talking about. Let's be honest, we frequently shook our collective heads at George Bush, but when that Iraqi journalist threw a shoe at him we were mad because it was an insult to the office of the Presidency of the United States.  Any such respect for the office has seemed to have fallen by the wayside under Obama.

I am at the point where I don't even want to bring up President Obama's name in the classroom because of the vitriolic comments that erupt from the mouths of my otherwise sweet sixth graders.  I'm all for encouraging self-expression among my students, but there is no way that a twelve year old should be talking about the President of the United States like he is the clueless child.

6th graders when I mention The President

Black people are only 14 percent of the U.S. population and no longer the largest minority group in the country.  Despite our relatively small numbers, our presence in this country looms large.  We serve a psychic function in this country.  As Derrick Bell says in the epigraph of Faces at the Bottom of the Well, the stability of the capitalist system relies on Americans having blacks to look down on. No matter how bad off you are in America you can always feel good about not being black. (White people are fascinated with black culture, but they don't really want to be black.  There's a difference.)

Whether they are aware of it or not, many whites have a fear that blacks will unfairly get ahead, and thus threaten the material and psychic privileges attached to being white in America. Obama is hated because he  is a symbol of the manifestation of this fear.  He represents the threats of immigration, interracial marriage, affirmative action- and people who refuse to stay at the bottom of the well.

And so the police fire shot after shot and mutter "fuck your breath" to unarmed black people- because they dare not aim at The White House.  And the idea of Obama refuses to die.

Self-Fashioning

There is a funny story behind this picture!

This past Sunday I went to The Studio Museum in Harlem to see their Spring Exhibits.  In particular, I was excited to see the Salon Style exhibit of art inspired by hair and nails.  

Lipstick Building, by Meschac Gaba

Self Portrait #4 by Nadine Robinson

However, the exhibit that spoke to me the most was In Profile: Portraits from the Permanent Collection.  The description of the work mentioned the idea of “self-fashioning” in 16^th century Europe, in which noblemen commissioned artists to create portraits that highlighted their social status.  The pieces in In Profile exemplified black artists' efforts to translate the concept of "self-fashioning" to black subjects reflecting the nobility in everyday life that is lived with dignity.

Coin XXIV by  Whitfield Lovell

Last week, before seeing the exhibit,  I had the idea of doing a post on teachers with great style.  Representation matters and it is frustrating to see teachers maligned in the media as molesters, cheaters, or ineffective blobs.

I asked one of my students to take my photo- and she immediately pulled out a chair, stood on it, got the right angle and took my picture!  Meanwhile the librarian was at the door wondering what the hell was going on! Education, I tell you!  I was "self-fashioning"!  I had to laugh at how quickly the people around me learn my angles! Even Chloe knows that you "have to hold the camera up and tilt it!" I'm like Mariah, you just can't shoot me any old way!

I have insecurities just like any other woman.  I have had to wear braids and weaves for the past year because stress caused my hair to break off.  In the same time-period, I gained 35 pounds (which is ten more pounds than I gained during my entire pregnancy).  It is important to for me to acknowledge my insecurities so that I don’t end up taking them out on other people, but it is equally important for me not to live in a space of disappointment or self-loathing.  And for this reason, I have no problem having my picture taken.  I have to love every one of my pounds and make sure that even the extra ones are properly outfitted.  And when I’m not feeling it, I have to fake it until I make it.  Period.

What I love about the concept of "self-fashioning" is the idea that self-esteem, and by extension, the world's perception of you isn't static. It is something that we can bend and shape as situations change and need arises. Because aren’t we all worthy of a portrait?

Three Tipsy Piglets!

If you are looking for something healthy to eat, do not go to Hogshead Tavern.  Luckily, James, Kyle, and I were not in the mood for a salad.

Spring!

On Saturday we spent four glorious hours walking the grounds of The Botanical Gardens and racking up steps on James's Fitbit.  By the time we got back to Harlem it was past wine o'clock, and we had walked about 11,000 steps.  It was time to eat!

And drink! Never having heard of a 'beer cocktail," I concluded that I should definitely try one.  I got the Pink Squealer which was a refreshing blend of rum, fresh lemon juice, Merlet Creme de Fraise, and Crispen Pear Cider.  Next time, I am going to try The Tipsy Piglet on the basis of the name alone!

Since we were famished (a walk in the park will do that), we decided to order practically everything on the menu.  We enjoyed  Kale and Artichoke Dip, Spicy Moroccan Meatballs, Korean Beef Tacos
Hogshead Sliders, and Crispy Pork Belly Grilled Cheese.

The food definitely exceeded my expectations.  It is what you need from bar food: salt, cheese, and carbs-while being flavorful and sophisticated (think gouda and sweet onion relish, rather than cheddar on the grilled cheese).

Our visit to Hogshead would have been perfect if the crowd had been more diverse (I don't think that I will ever get used to being one of  four black people at an establishment on 143rd and Amsterdam).  It's a weird feeling to go from this:

To this:

Where are the colored people?

Just by walking through a door . . . It all felt oddly colonial.  We were seated next to three annoying Columbia students who talked loudly about their escapades on Tinder and their dislike of President Obama.  According to them, Obama is "articulate" but "too moderate."  I hope that they don't think that traveling above 116th Street to drink beer with other white people makes them liberal.  I prefer not to be a minority on the weekend, but the food and drink at Hogshead Tavern was worth having to think about race on a Saturday.

This Could Be Us But You . . .

Malick Sidbé - Nuit de Noel

The Color Purple

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."-Alice Walker, The Color Purple

       

Go see The Orchid Show: Chandeliers at The New York Botanical Gardens before it closes on April 19th.

Flawless

If You Can Read This Thank a Teacher

Every day I hear about great teachers leaving the profession; teachers both younger and older than I am who have inspired me with their creativity, warmth, and high expectations for students. It makes me sad because in order to have a strong institution you must have a certain level of continuity and a strong sense of community.   In my humble (wink, wink) opinion, here is what administrators are doing wrong:

1. Approaching teachers from the standpoint of what they are lacking rather than what they are contributing to the classroom.  If we sought to improve a student's performance by harping on their weaknesses rather than emphasizing their strengths we would be crazy to think that they would be invested in their education.  Why treat teachers any differently?  It makes no sense to require that teachers have a certain level of education and experience-and then treat them like they are a blank slate to be written on with hours of professional development that changes every year.  Or worse like they are something broken that needs to be fixed.  Why not hire people and then trust them to know what they are doing?

2. Attempting to routinize education.  Teaching standards and skills are important, but teachers should be free to choose the content through which to teach those skills.  If teachers are passionate about their subject matter, that passion will translate to their students.  Students may not necessarily love the material, but they learn that curiosity and enthusiasm are an essential part of education.  The current obsession with requiring teachers to document everything so that it can be duplicated by the next person filling the position is not the most effective use of a teacher's time.  Schools should not be factories with teachers treated as replaceable assembly line workers.

3.  Forcing teachers to take on administrative responsibilities in order to make a livable wage.  Most of the good teachers that I know just want to teach.  Unfortunately, they are made to feel as if they aren't professionally ambitious if they aren't interested in running staff meetings.  They are forced to settle for paltry"cost of living increases" if they don't want to read a gaggle of other people's report cards multiple times a year.  Requiring teachers to take on administrative work says that the real value is in education is in becoming an administrator.  Teaching should not be seen as the gateway to becoming an administrator.  Being a teacher is enough.  Excuse the vulgarity, but . . .

4. Attempting to schedule every minute of the school day.  Teaching requires being fully attentive and in the moment for extended periods of time.  Teachers need downtime in order to recharge and be fully present for the next group of students.  Some of my best lessons have been the result of sitting around talking about books and current events while surfing Facebook.  The downtime spent reading, traveling, and visiting museums benefits students in the classroom.

5. Being mean and calling it 'accountability'. I remember last year a student said to me "you guys want us to be happy to be here, but you don't even like being here." A school should be a warm and inviting place to be.  There should be laughter in the hallways that is the result of joy, not mean-spiritedness.   When teachers are made to feel inadequate and unappreciated that cannot happen.  If you walk into a school and the teachers are looking beat down like Barack Obama in his second term there's a problem.  Thank goodness I don't have to color my hair anymore; the grey has magically disappeared.

Mango Mimosas and Easter Eggs