22514: Nlbo: Comments on a N. Y. Times article on Blacks in Ivy Leagues (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

I read carefully a June 24“forwarded”  New York Times article authored by
Sara Rimer and Karen W. Arenson regarding  Africans and West Indians composing a
great percentage of Black students in Ivy league institutions.  As a Haitian
whose field of study until the last 3 years had always been in the area of
Education, I  had the chance to attend both a state college, a state university
in Boston, and 2 Ivy League institutions in Cambridge, Mass.   Between l975 and
today, I have only met three black women whose descendants were from this
country.  (I was  absent from school only the two semesters that followed the
birth of my two children). Except for community colleges, the lack of African
American whose grandparents are the United States  is not only in “Top
colleges”, as the article refers to. I have also observed that pattern in  4 year state
colleges and universities in the Boston area.  Furthermore, when blacks are
in attendance, they are more likely to be women.

As first generation of Haitian immigrants, we have maintained  what I always
understand was our cultural values, which getting an education is one  of
them. We work hard so that our children go to college. However, as I am observing
the lack of interest in the basic attitudes and behaviors that lead to college
in this country, I am wondering if the third generation of Haitians will
attend higher institutions. Thirty, forty years from now, won’t the same thing be
written about our Haitian grandchildren because the three institutions that
have influence on the Haitian community- media, church, and schools don’t have
systemic educational programs or vision for their Haitian audience, not alone
children. Most Haitians don’t read or show interest in the printing world, or
in continuous learning. The “leaders” they depend on to guide them to the
printing world don’t, to literarily hand them a book, an article, or a newspaper
don’t.  Once most of these leaders themselves have a job, a house, or a car,
learning stops.

The Haitian community as a whole doesn’t invest in learning or in educating
the children who are the future of the community. We depend on others to have
after school, tutoring or summer programs for our children. We don’t buy books,
go to the museums, plays, travel besides going to Haiti, interact with others
who are not Haitian. We don’t read. Haitian newspapers have to discontinue
their distribution in Boston. After close to 40 years, Haitians don’t have a
weekly or monthly newspaper in French/and or in Creole in the Boston area. No
Haitian entrepreneur will venture in opening a bookstore. The printing world
which is what is used in universities and will help one understand this country’s
society is something most Haitians are oblivious to. Most Haitian community
leaders, radio or TV hosts don’t use the internet. Those who do don’t provide
any information or insight, or anything one can learn from.

I don’t know who is responsible to educate the Haitian community.  After two
years of calling for a conference, a group of us met last May, but the
teachers, the clergy or a active lay ministers who see people on a consistent basis
were not present. I am not seeing interest in learning, in educating, in
providing instructional information both in the radio and  in the churches to the
Haitian population.

The attitudes, the looks that I have gotten from talking about Education make
me feel that if I want to be friends with Haitians, especially with those
with influential positions in the community, I am not talk about Education or
provide or refer to anything  in print.

Now I am proposing a “Haitian Education and Coalition Task Force” to really
look at the current and prospect state of educating Haitians. I am hoping once
such task force is cleared on its goals, it’s organized, it will become a
“Pan African Education Task Force” that will focus on what is happening to the
Education of all Blacks.  From the analysis of this report, one can imply that
it was only one generation of African Americans after the civil rights
movement who made it to college. Will this happen to the Haitian or the Africans who
are the most recent immigrants?

I am living an utterly unspeakable complacent attitude vis-à-vis learning and
the printing world in the Boston’s Haitian community that seriously worries
me. I need help in coping with this situation.

Nekita
Site Reference
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/24/education/24AFFI.final.html?ex=1089046624&;
ei=1&en=350eccf0551252c9