5K Run/Walk For Literacy

09/17/2024

Thank you for letting my voice be heard on this very important topic.

Letter: Michigan's urban education system is broken

On the 61st anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) scores were released and at a 10-year low. The deafening silence in and around Detroit and other predominately Black communities regarding these scores speaks volumes about a dream yet to be realized.

At this point do people even care about the miseducation of Black students, or is this simply an expectation on the way of life for Black America? I see the silence as a direct reflection of not enough people caring to fix a very fixable problem.

The overall levels of proficiency for Black students in Michigan based on a multitude of categories is beyond embarrassing. In English and Language Arts, levels are at 15.1%, in math, 9.8%, in science, 11.5%, and in social studies, 5.8%.

Leaders are good for establishing all types of useless task forces, but it is well beyond the point where a legitimate task force on education should be established with the sole purpose of fixing the educational crisis in our urban communities. People that actually care should be placed on this task force instead of those just looking to pad their resume.

There cannot continue to be a constant argument about companies not wanting to bring business to Detroit when there appears to be an ill-equipped potential workforce. Something needs to be done to change this narrative.

It makes no sense that former students in Detroit had to file a lawsuit in an attempt for future generations to receive a quality education, and based on the settlement of said suit, it appears there is not a clear definition of what a quality education looks like. I am sure the lackluster test scores support my position that the kids are still being failed.

The education system has got to do better by these students. The shrugging of the shoulders and just saying that “we have got to do better” is no longer acceptable.

Eric Brown

Canton, MI

12/15/2023

When the parents get it, the kids will follow.

12/07/2023

11/18/2023

Eric Brown

Friday December 8th, Free Screening of The Right to Read Film at Mott Community College

11/18/2023

The sad reality is that COVID has provided a cover for educational systems to not be held accountable for their failing the students.

A recent New York Times editorial detailed just how damaging COVID-19 school closures were to the development of America's K-12 students.

10/04/2023

The literacy crisis is real and an event such as this can make all the difference in the world to positively impact someone’s life.

Every human deserves to be free and in a position to prosper. "Once you learn to read, you will forever be free"....Frederick Douglass

06/20/2023

The 2nd iteration of Juneteenth being celebrated as a national holiday has come and gone. I have a suggestion for ALL. Please keep the conversation going with regards to the meaning of the day. Personally for me, it is not about a celebration and I hate seeing the “freeish since 1865” gear. Please people, be more deliberate and intentional about how you honor/recognize the day going forward as well as educate yourselves about what REALLY took place down in Galveston, Texas.

Does it not bother you how commercialized the day has become? I do not want to go into a Target and see clothing that will assist in their bottomline and in no way improve Black America. And I damn sure do not want to walk into Walmart to see a special flavor of “Juneteenth” ice cream on sale. I mean, what the p***k is juneteenth flavored ice cream?

And to the many in white America; quit your bitching about having your day to be acknowledged. Many of you do one helluva job making fools out of yourselves on St. Patrick’s Day and the way you wave your American flags on the 4th of July, you most assuredly have your day. So please, no need to be disingenuous when calling into national shows complaining about the Juneteenth Holiday. Just enjoy your day off and do something constructive; like learn about the true history of the country that so many of you love and think is so great. I don’t get your whining, but the actions of so many do not surprise me.

Now to Black America; learn the true meaning of what the Juneteenth Holiday is all about. Additionally, do yourselves a favor and learn about the Emancipation Proclamation and the benefit to slaves on January 1, 1863. The June 19, 1855 date is significant, but to equate being free as part of the reason to celebrate is very misleading. The folk in Galveston, Texas were already freed, but it is just unfortunate that they were bamboozled by white America who took advantage of their lack of knowledge. The irony of how the more things that do not change, the more that they remain the same (a post for another day).

It is important that WE know our history and to quit expecting others to teach OUR history from THEIR perspective. So many still need to learn about Tulsa, Oklahoma and “Black Wall Street” (again, a post for another day). Most importantly though, quit with the commercialization of what is a very important day that need not be commercialized. It is history, but history that must be respected and treated with dignity.

03/31/2023

Instead of questioning my calling out elected officials, the educational systems, civic and social organizations, the black church and the business community; find a way to get involved and fix this mess. Here are proficiency rates of 8th graders from the top twenty-five urban school districts in America.

Detroit and Dallas share the same paltry 5% proficiency rate for black students, with Cleveland just a step above at 6%. However, overall, Dallas fares better statistically than Detroit and Cleveland. The worst rating amongst the twenty-five cities is Detroit, Michigan.

The information shown represents the percentage of black students in the district and the proficiency rate of the demographic group. Three districts, Albuquerque, Austin and San Diego, did not meet the reporting standards to specify a proficiency rates. However, the overall reading proficiency for black students in Albuquerque, Austin and San Diego were higher than eight, eleven and twenty-three cities, respectively.

Just over one-hundred-sixty years since the Emancipation Proclamation became law, when reading and learning how to read is legal; these numbers here are sad, shameful and pathetic. It makes no sense at all and we have got to do better Black America in making the importance of reading a priority.

• Albuquerque (3%/Standards not met)
• Atlanta (72%/13%)
• Austin (6%/Standards not met)
• Baltimore (79%/11%)
• Boston (29%/15%)
• Charlotte (37%/16%)
• Chicago (38%/9%)
• Clark County, NV (14%/11%)
• Cleveland (63%/6%)
• Dallas (19%/5%)
• Denver (14%/15%)
• Washington, DC (62%/14%)
• Duval County, FL (43%/15%)
• Fort Worth (20%/6%)
• Guilford County, NC (42%/12%)
• Hillsborough County, FL (22%/12%)
• Houston (21%/9%)
• Jefferson County, KY (38%/12%)
• Los Angeles (6%/19%)
• Miami-Dade (19%/18%)
• Milwaukee (49%/6%)
• New York City (21%/12%)
• Philadelphia (48%/11%)
• San Diego (7%/Standards not met)
• Shelby County, TN (73%/10%)

03/14/2023

Literacy and Justice for all!!!

YOU ARE INVITED to attend 5K Run/Walk For Literacy and the Washtenaw County Literacy Coalition's FREE Movie Screening of "The Right to Read", produced by LeVar Burton Entertainment.

The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.

WHEN: Sunday, March 26, 2023
WHERE: Second Baptist Church
301 S. Hamilton St., Ypsilanti, MI 48197
TIME: 5 p.m.

There will also be a panel discussion about the literacy crisis in Washtenaw County immediately following the screening.

See you there!

03/14/2023

03/14/2023

An amazing quote!