Where’s My Daddy?

Broken homes, broken dreams have led to 50% of marriages ending in divorce, since the 90s. Add that statistic with another 27% of parents that have children that have never been married. Do you see where this is leading? Bad decisions, a rush to judgment, or simply incompatibility, often times the children are the victims. You want to know why a growing segment of today’s America’s youths have poor decision making skills, addictive personalities, and disconnect feelings; all roads lead to the lack of family values.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in November, 2009, there are approximately 13.7 million single parents in the United States today, and those parents are responsible for raising 21.8 million children (approximately 26% of children under 21 in the U.S. today).  Statistics have shown children from broken homes are at a greater risk to have academic and social problems. With 84% of these households led by women, and less then 40% receiving child support, 27% of the children also live in poverty, and that number is projected to be higher in minority communities.    

Last week a report by the Council of Great City Schools was released, A Call for Change: the Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools. Haven’t ready it yet, but I guess, it focuses on poor test scores and the high number of males in the juvenile justice system. Same old story.

In 1996, our organization, New Jersey Minority Educational Development, after six years of trying to force change in the nation’s  most violent city,  and poorest city per capita, Camden, New Jersey. Deciding enough was enough; we must attack the problem at its root, and redefined what it is to be a man.

With 31% of Camden’s total population consisting of adult minority males between the age

of 18 and over, an estimated 55% of them have not completed high school, and barley 40% of its current minority male high school students graduate each year.  A major make-over was needed, with over forty percent of the male dropouts unemployed, 70% either on probation, on parole, or have been incarcerated as an adult or juvenile, and an additional 50% or more owing child support, has helped cause up to 70% of the city’s children under the age of 18 years old to live in poverty.  We believe no other city in the United States has been affected more by the failure of our nation’s educational system to graduate minority males from high school.

Through community involvement and partnerships, we created a 10-year plan called the 100% Graduation Rate Program, which increased the black and Hispanic male high school completion rate from 39% to 89%, enrolled 49% first time college students, with a 48% and 23% college retention and graduation rate. This all points to the fact it can be done, by planning and action not talk.

This type of change can happen… with the challenges that face our country’s family futures, especially the minority community. The question of where’s is my daddy, can be answered by redefining what a man is, the first clue is education.

America’s First or Last: Social Security Disappearing in the 21st Century

America’s First or Last: Social Security Disappearing in the 21st Century: "Its called friendly fire went the attended victim was not a fellow compatriot. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not limited to the ba..."

Social Security Disappearing in the 21st Century

Its called friendly fire went the attended victim was not a fellow compatriot. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not limited to the battle field. From the effect of today’s U.S. economy break down, millions, no tenths of millions of individuals and families will be at risk of living below their standard of living, or even worse, live in poverty themselves, which will severely affect the social  and financial condition of our country, over the next several decades. And no other group will be in the crossfire, more so, then our elderly population.

With seventy-seven million U.S. baby boomers scheduled to leave the workforce over the next 10 years, and only 41 million new workers entering it, millions of today’s baby boomers’ private pensions and social security benefits will be depleted to help sustain the U.S. economy, before the end of this half-century.  Why, because, there simply will not be enough skilled U.S. workers to replace them, or fill the jobs created by this new economy to secure these benefits.  In fact, the retirement of these baby boomers, along with increasing life spans, will sharply expand government aid cost, therefore, forcing the government to either raise future taxes or constrain future benefits. 

So where does that leave us? Hopefully not near the threshold of retirement. Because, in 2025, our Social Security system is scheduled to bottom out, and cost the U.S. government over $300 billion a year. To sustain the system, since benefits are paid from taxes of workers, each retiree will need two workers per benefit. It can’t be done, if things stay the status quo.

Demographics don’t lie; minorities are projected to represent 40% of the U.S. population by 2030 and 50% before 2100. This group will also be responsible of making up 44 to 60% of the labor force. Unfortunately, many minorities will not be qualified to fill those jobs in the new global knowledge base 21^St century economy.

It’s time to man-up America, and faces the facts, if we refuse to strengthen our educational system, NOW, and close the academic achievement and attainment gaps of minority students, we’re doomed.

Stop insulting our intelligence. If it costs $25,000 to incarcerate a person (which are majority minorities), and have the average minority low-income families make $20,000 a year. This is a system we no longer can invest in. We have to stop sacrificing our fellow citizens, and focus on developing our human capital and protect our long-term interest.    

Contact: support@americafirstorlast.org, and Help Save Social Security.

 

Let’s Do It Again!

Never seen anything like it, does disasters have to happen before we can care about our fellow citizens, like a 9-11. Maybe not, we just witness during the last Presidential election, an amazing and well thought-out movement launched using grassroots volunteers and the internet via social networking, to elect a relative unknown President of the world’s most powerful nation.

If that can happen, can we gather our resources and mobilize behind a movement to rescues our failing educational system. Because, if the current system doesn’t change, more than 12 million students, are projected to dropout, during the next decade, at a cost of negative $3 trillion to the national economy.

What everyone seems to be ignoring, and probably doesn’t even want to suggest, is that 88 to 91% of the dropouts are low-income minority students, which has finally expose America’s economic structure for what it really is. And if our national leaders can’t work together, and do what needs to be done to reconnect the country.

Let’s stop listening to those so-called gas talking leaders about our children and grandchildren’s future.  What future? Tomorrow’s progress depends on today’s decisions. Stop this delusional political science nonsense, and do something. Because it’s too late, once you put the roof on and the house collapses.

We’re betting on the American people. Because we’ve seen neighbors become neighbors, races crossing race lines and everybody have a part to play in a massive campaign to create change.

Let’s do it again, behind the principle belief “one nation under God..with liberty and justice for all”. 

Join the US Educational National Team. Contact: support@americafirstorlast.org.

America’s Crumbling

In 1983, a blue-ribbon group of academic experts predicted America would fall, and lose its grip of world power…if it refuses to strengthen its educational system. It was simply called “A Nation At Risk”.

Today, turmoil is the norm, and deeper and deeper concerns for the nation’s future exist. Can we turn it around, or are we doomed to fail.

Let’s look at the findings and recommendations in 1983 to avoid our current state, and see how we stack-up:

• Content (improve secondary curriculum): No, the U.S. ranks 17th to 12^th in high school and college graduation rates.
• Expectations (proficiency in math, and science): No, the U.S. ranks 52nd globally in both subjects.
• Time (constructive usage of school facilities): No, the U.S. average school year is 180 days compared to China’s and Korea’s 221 and 225 days.      
• Teaching (more rewards and respect for the profession): No again, U.S. teachers are paid less than other non-major contributing professions in the country.

No other area is this more evident than in urban, rural and minority communities. Unless we address the widening gaps, to close this problem, we can’t move forward as a nation and regain our footing.

We need to forgo partisan politics and focus on strengthening our nation’s future on the WAR of GLOBAL EDUCATION. We must accept the fact America has fallen and can’t get back up, unless we become proactive and be doers of the work not talkers.

Come join the campaign to rise up, rise up. America, needs you and you. So join the fight to save our nation, and let’s be honest to ourselves, if America isn’t first, we’re last.

Contact: support@americafirstorlast.org