A Charge to Keep- Princess

During this lecture, Ms. Worthy described to us the cultural relevance of LEAP schools. To summarize, these are schools that cater specifically to the African American mindset to best assist the youth in learning. She is strongly against having white teachers educate black children because she sees a large cultural gap between us that cannot be bridged in such a setting. She stressed how even the smallest things, such as the tardy bell, all express eurocentric manners of thinking that are at odds with the way the African mind works. This "culturally relevant teaching" should greatly assist student learning because it aligns culture, psychology, and education in order to help students learn easier.

I have to question some of the material in this lecture, however. Immediately after class, I had to clarify a question I had with Ms. Worthy. I asked her if she was for the segregation of black and white students teachers in schools. She replied that she believes black people should teach "our babies" and white people should teach "their babies". She believes it is critical for white people to acknowledge themselves as the oppressors before we can move on from the past. I have to question this segregated system that she proposes just because it contradicts the very nature of Brown v Board of Education, a ruling that desegregated schools and eventually lead to better race relations.

-Princess Jenkins-Simlin