Black Education - Have We Made Progress?
Black education can use the rich fertilizer of African proverbs. Here is one from the Mafa people of Cameroon, northern Nigeria, and southern Niger: Nobody kills an ignorant person who begs for wisdom . This comes from a culture where even accepting a gift without first refusing it could be considered as begging, and, therefore, disgraceful; yet, humbling yourself to learn something that you should have known in the first place is ranked above prideful ignorance. I've thought about this proverb a great deal, especially concerning those black people who hold the highest academic degrees. It is a great achievement to go through the rigors of Western education and excel. Thanks to integration, this leaves black people open to participate in not only the Western economy and political arenas, but also certain levels of the Western social sphere. Still, I cannot help thinking about the Jews and how well integrated they were into German society before World War II. Like African Ame...