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welcome to re teach a place where professors know the student equity gap can be closed and I willing to put in the work to figure it out. We are dedicated to our teaching, and our students were passionate about improving our classrooms and our communities. We can make a difference. We will make a difference. I am your host, Bruce Hoskins, in my mind and heart are ready to learn what's up, everyone. So this is going to be part two of the black excellent journey that we're taking. And, um, you know, and look, I'm gonna tell you what it's like this this is this isn't easy And get heart episode to do the couple of episodes that I'm doing in this space. The easy part of it is that this is this is my voice. This is how I sound. I'm in a lot of different spaces when I'm talking about black excellence and the need for it and things like that. And like I said, remember, right, there's the reason why we're talking about black excellence as opposed to just excellence is because the definition of excellence is not big enough to encapsulate the experiences of black people within it. And so therefore, when black people achieve excellence, it's true. Ah is through a much more different and more quantifiable e different experiences that were achieving excellence in which involves us carrying not only our community right on our backs, but also, with the active hand, a white supremacy pushing against us. That is the reason why we need to understand and appreciate that there is such a thing as black excellence that cannot even be understood within the context of just excellent all by itself. Because excellence all by itself is not big enough, just like history. The way that we understand history is just not big enough to understand the experiences of black people, other groups of people. So that's why we have Mexican American history. That's why we need black history. That's why we should have other types of history's in the spaces also Asian American history and things like that, because history right now as as written, is not big enough to talk about our experiences in a meaningful and productive way. Now check this. The hard part about doing this video are Excuse me about doing this podcast is that I know that my tone is going to be received by a lot of people who are listening who are so down and you are people who are even down with student equity. And yet my tone is going to be interpreted as angry versus passionate versus confident versus ah, lot of other things that could be said in this space if I were a white dude. And so I want to leave that hanging there as I continue to talk about black excellence. So excellence is Benjamin Franklin, diplomat, inventor and that do on the $100 bill. Black excellence is Benjamin Banneker replacing a burnt down Washington D C from just his memory White house in the middle of a chocolate city. White masculinity surrounded by black bodies, born free. You're intellectually arguing with Thomas Jefferson about equality. If you don't know about Benjamin batter care, you better ask somebody s o. Just not me. Not right now. Google that right? Especially during Black History Month. But when we think about Benjamin Banneker, lot of folks don't remember that Washington D c actually got burnt down at one time, right? And that Benjamin Braddock oh was one of the main people who helped rebuild Washington D. C excellence is building the transcontinental railroad. Black excellence Is Harriet Tubman conducting underground railroads would tracks made of blood? And so, if you all have a wash, Harriet Tubman to move me the movie, uh, again pauses recording. Go watch that. It's amazing movie, and I normally do not like watching movies like that. I'm gonna tell you straight up is like, I don't like watching slavery movies. I don't I don't like the punch. Nine. I don't like endings because it never ends with liberation. It always just ends with my people still in captivity and what not s So you know, I never like. I don't I don't like that, right? It's like That's That's not cool to me. That's not good. Is not It didn't make me happy to know that, you know, the guy finally won his freedom. And in 12 years, a slave did make me happy That, uh, you know the dude and I'm just odd finally won his freedom. It didn't make me happy at the end. It wasn't some triumph or anything like that. It was just yo, slavery was still happening at the end of that movie. That's what I remember. That's what I always feel. And so Harriet Tubman one the acting was amazing. She was the absolute perfect person for the part. Um, and she just she killed it. Nice straight out. She just killed that She just g did an amazing job, and it really spoke to my heart. It really spoke to my heart, her struggle right of understandings. Like here. There was this scene in the movie where she's surrounded by all these diplomats, including, I think it was like, you know, Frederick Douglass and all of this. You know, all these folks in the space in there, like, yo, we're gonna need a war. You know, we're gonna have to fight this war in order to be able to end slavery. And she's like, Yo, so what are we gonna do in the meantime, though? Because they're still people who are enslaved. My family members are still enslaved. There's people still in slavery. What are we going to do in the meantime? Yes, I get it. We need to have this war in order to be able to end slavery. But what are we going to do? In the meantime, while people are still trapped end slavery still his shackles and being whipped and beaten and all of that, What are we gonna do now? That is the part of the movie that really spoke to my soul, right? It's like, Look, when people start thinking about all the policies and things like that that need to be changed in order to be able to close these equity gaps and whatnot, I get that I get it, and I understand it at a state level on a nationwide level, like get all of those days. But what are we gonna do now in order to be because my people are not succeeding now are Pete. My people are being, you know, are failing these classes now when it's our design, or it's better teaching that it's a place a better teaching that we need to get to in order to serve our students. What are we gonna do now? That's the part of that movie that really, really spoke to my heart. Excellence is Virginia Woolf black excellence. Zora Neale Hurston knew her greatness could not be recognized in her lifetime because her eyes were always watching God, that is the struggle of all black freedom fighters is that there? They were fighting for something that they couldnt even if imagine scene. And yet they fought for it and a lot of folks died for it. They were fighting for a black president. They never got a chance to see it. I would thank God I had a chance to see it. Those are the kind of things right not being not being recognized in your lifetime. That is a struggle for black excellence all the time. Excellence is Thomas Edison, inventor extraordinaire. Black excellence is George Washington Carver inventor extraordinaire during the time when black intelligence was not a question, But the question This is something that when I think about right, it's like, this is the trauma of black people in their intelligence. All right, this is This is a very real thing, that Andi I believe that is still to this day. That we're not allowed in like the K 12 system to to test black people's like you or something like that is because of this long historical legacy of black people being oppressed because we were thought of as less intelligent than white people and, you know, researchers actually demonstrated that is like, look, of black People don't know that it's intelligence test. We do just fine. We do, just like everybody else does. I would not. But when you tell us it's an intelligence, it's something about intelligence. We tank. We do worse on what not And so this now, Like I said, I said this before on another episode, but it's like that's down into our, you know, Thio, how we've been socialized generation generational socialization into this idea that black people are less intelligent on what not and this look, I'm gonna tell you. It's like I'm bridging this into a classroom. I'm talking about how we still continue to struggle with black head coaches in the in the NFL and and what Not because it's still a question of to whatever degree, intelligence. We can even argue that there's, Ah, there's still an argument about black people in quarterbacks because it is not that there aren't more black quarterbacks because there's definitely more black quarterbacks. Is about the fact that you know black quarterback I just got finished winning multi racial black quarterback just got finished winning the Super Bowl, so I get it. And yet at the same time, it's like, What do we talk about when he wins? We talk about his athleticism versus just talking about his, his sheer intellect, of the game and understanding of the game. Like we did when when Peyton, Manny and John Elway and guys like that Ah, win eso and I get it. There was some outlet. I think Steve Young, he was pretty. He was regarded as pretty athletic, but we're still not talked about in the same way. And that is, Ah, generational, historical, centuries long thing that has been, you know, trauma that has been inflicted upon black folks. Excellence gives up his seat for women on a bus. Black excellence is Rosa Parks not giving up her seat because she knew she was a woman on that bus? So this is where I enter into a space where I start talking about feminism and how feminism at his roots did not include the experiences of black women you know and share the center of women's suffrage and and feminism and women's rights and whatnot s. So then that brings me to my next line excellence Jane Adams, leader of the woman's suffrage movement. Black Excellence. Sir George the Truth, leader of the women's suffrage movement when she found out that black women were not included in a white women's definition of equality. Right and this is again struggle in a space black. This is why black excellence needs to exist is because even when you say something like feminists, which is supposed to be big enough, right? What we find out through history is that it wasn't big enough to encapsulate the histories of black women, the histories and understandings and the social circumstances of of other you know, other women of color and things like that. It wasn't big enough in order to understand that I want it to be big enough, but it wasn't all right. Excellence. Led Zeppelin, Black excellence and W ay. Now, before you get on me about that, watch the movie again, pause this thing, watch the movie N W A and understand. Look, I ain't gonna tell you. I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. There's a whole bunch of problems in regards to misogyny and and all that kind of stuff. It is a woman hating space. It is really bad in a lot of different ways, and yet at the same time I'm gonna tell you and w. A means something revolutionary in black space. They talked about things in a way that was begging to be talked about. Yet they were demonized for bringing the narratives of their communities out into public space. That's what N W a represents in regards to black excellence. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't think that I'm not advocating for everything that they said when I'm saying is they were Trailblazers, too. Excellence. Adele Black excellence. Beyonce. I remember Adele winning the album of the year over Beyonce and an Adele. She got up there and she was like, Oh my God, you know, I feel like weird winning this album when I love Beyonce's album and you know, it was kind of like just this weird exchange of of looks in glances. And that's the space where black excellence has normally lived. And honestly, that's the space were black. Excellence still lives. It's in this space of white people who are doing excellent things, and yet it's quantifiable e not the same as black people doing those same things carrying our communities and with the act of hand of racism pushing up against you. All right, always coming back to that excellence takes care of your family. Black excellence makes families out of the tattered remains of our communities. Big Mama still lives here on an uncle's don't need to share my blood. You know, the funny thing to me is that a lot of people will critique black families and say that we that we black families need to focus more on our families and our family values in order to make sure that our kids are growing up right. And I agree with that. Yet what I want to say is that that's not the first and foremost thing because we as black families, we have the same values as white families. Do we want to keep our families together? We need to keep our families together, and we will make decisions to keep our families together. And yet we have to understand that there has been a historical legacy that still continues to this day in the embodiment of imprisonment and incarceration, but that separates black families from each other that separate us from each other. And so therefore, we have to learn how to develop different types of family structures. And so that's where fictive kin really comes in very strong. That's a rare That's a real term, and it's the real thing in the black community, it's real. That other spaces, also before black folks it is entrenched in a history of slavery is entrenched in the history of poverty is an entrenched in the history of incarceration. When we talk about black families, this is the centre. We need to really make sure you understand that it's again the active hand of racism that has separated black families and continues to separate black families away from each other versus us, not knowing and not carrying about black families excellence deals with all of his anger issues and a peaceful and thought out manner. Black excellence balances the chip on our shoulder while singing Negro spirituals at the top of our lungs and dancing in unemployment lines. I sit in my anger because you believe the pain inflicted on me is justified. I never watch cows and pigs die but enjoy the meat at dinner time. Now look, I had a student submit to me onto me on a media analysis. It was this song called White Boy. I don't know the author or like the rapper's name off the top of my head, but it was It was a song. And it was a white dude who was voicing this. This, you know, he was rapping on what? Not And he was saying, just like, Look, I'm I'm a white guy. Why are you judging me like this was in a room full of, like, people of color. Um, and what night it was like, Why are you judging me and lumping me in with other races? I'm not racist. I've never, you know, I've never put a noose around a black person's neck or something like that. Right aside, it was It was that kind of song. I really actually appreciated a song. I I liked It s so I just want to make that clear. Yet at the same time, I want to say in the same voice is at him thinking that you have to put a noose around someone's neck in order to enjoy white privilege is completely false on his face. And that's where the line comes in this life. Never watch cows and pigs die but enjoy the meat at dinner time. It's like, Look, you don't have to have ever committed. Your family has never had to actually commit any egregious acts of racism in order to enjoy white privilege and white supremacy. That's it. That's it, that's all. That's all that's going on in the space. But for people to continue to miss that mark really bothers me in a lot of different ways. And yet at the same time, I still appreciate his voice. Excellence is Stephen King, master writer of horror stories. Black Excellence. Carter G. Woodson, the father of black history Master writer of horror stories This is just me, really just telling you all that I love Stephen King. I love me some Stephen King. As a matter of fact, he's like the only fictional writer that that I read. And since he has, like over 60 books, I'm still tryingto read all of his books at least once. One time through It is what it is. But but anyway, um, but you know, when we think about Carter G. Woodson and you know, Father, black history, Master writer of horror stories. That's how I'm saying it because you know, our history is is enshrouded with these horror stories of black excellence happening and then the horror story of white supremacy coming toe wash over us. Because when we talk about reconstruction, there were black diplomats. There were black Congress, Congress, folks and senators and things like that, right? It's like and governors a what? Not a so so black people were were were ready for this and then white supremacy wins out. Right? Reconstruction is over. Um, and white supremacy wins. They start taking away all the gains. They start taking away all the games that black people got in those in those few years of that, the reconstruction time existed. Not only that, but it's like, you know, it's like I didn't even put things like Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was considered black Wall Street, and how that actually got burned down to the ground because of white supremacy. Rearing its ugly head or rosewood or other are other spaces where black people were able to achieve excellence, but then white supremacy to face the ugly face, a white supremacy came and burnt it down, literally burnt it down. Excellence wants us to read poetry, black excellence. My Angelou wrote on My Heart. Black and white paper. Don't believe in segregation. You know there's a difference between reading, poetry and hearing poetry, and I remember going to an event at Southwestern College where Maya Angelou read her poetry and I have read her poetry, and I already thought it was amazing. But hearing her at her old voice do it, it took it to an entirely different level. S. So that's to me like a really important distinction as to why I'm a spoken word poet. Why I value spoken, where poetry and why it shouldn't be a surprise, right that black people found a voice and spoken word poetry that's connected to hip hop that's connected to jazz as connected to all these spaces, because that's where our voice is. Our voices is way more important. The tone of our voice, although ah lot of people would interpret it as anger or rage are the tone of our voice is important to hear, and that can't always be accomplished on a written page. It just can't excellence. Is that old time religion, no singing, no dancing Jesus didn't liberate their feet. Black excellence. Two steps in church aisles. Soul claps on to get down celebrates on Sundays loud enough to bring down the walls of Jericho. So at the center of me is my Christianity, and I know that in a lot of space is that that's a dirty word. It's It's like it's something that shouldn't even be said when I want you to understand is that for black people, if it wasn't for our faith in a higher being, we wouldn't have made it through the way that we made it through. I understand that if you don't believe in something bigger than yourself, you don't make it through 400 years of slavery, institutional racism and white supremacy, you don't make it through that if you don't believe in something bigger than yourself. And so here's a poem from the top. There's gonna be some more words in there because I didn't talk about everything. I didn't read the whole poem to you verbatim on what not as I was going. I shorten some stuff up, so don't be surprised if there's something new in there. But anyway, before I lose my nerve Here we go. Excellence is Steffi Graf, Black excellence. Serena Williams Excellence is Captain America. Black excellence is Luke Cage. Excellence is Asgard. Black excellence is, well, Kanda excellence. Does his homework. Black excellence. Does his homework waiting for the opportunity to finally speak its mind. Excellence inspires critical thinking. Black excellence wonders how guns got into our communities when we don't own gun shops. Inner cities don't have poppy fields being black and male shaves 10 years off of my life and why black people have, ah, higher infant mortality rate even after you control for poverty. Excellence hates gang violence. Black excellence agrees. But what you call a gang is just my community, my family. But who's the most dangerous game? Us. It's the police excellence is Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. Black excellence is Jackie Robinson, Hall of Fame player in a world that did not want him but needed him In a sport where world champions don't play everyone in the world dropping em bombs on him like his skin was here. Oshima excellence stays in school and receives an education. Black excellence knows our ancestors. Learning to read was a rebellion hidden in the back corner of shacks with the scraps of newspapers off page of a book and a whole heart dedicated to understanding why we get treated this way. Excellence is running like you want to win the race. Black excellence is racing. Knowing that the entire game is rigged against you. You run two miles to their one, and yet you still try and win. Excellence is Benjamin Franklin diplomat, inventor, and that dude on the $100 bill. Black excellence is bended Been Vanocur replaced a burnt down Washington D. C from just his memory. White House in the middle of a chocolate city. White masculinity surrounded by black bodies, born free yet intellectually arguing with Thomas Jeff percent about equality. Our souls are not briefest of your plantation. Invented a clock that counted the second of our captivity has still not stopped working. Excellence is building the transcontinental railroad. Black excellence is Harriet Tubman Conducting underground railroads would track tomato blood. You can't stop. You won't stop. I will shoot you before I let you turn your back on us. I said I will shoot you before I let you turn your back on US excellence. Virginia Woolf. Black Excellence Zora Neale Hurston, who knew her greatness could not be recognized in her lifetime because her eyes were always watching God. Excellence is Thomas Jefferson event extraordinaire. Black excellence is George Washington Carver inventor extraordinaire during a time when black intelligence was not, ah, question, but the question. He invented hundreds of products while working with peanuts, sweet potatoes and pecans. So the next time you eat peanut butter, think revolution roast a peek on smell like wisdom. Sweet potato pie just taste like intelligence excellence gives up his seat for a woman on a bus. Black excellence. Is Rosa Parks not giving a perceived because she knew she was a woman on that bus? Excellence. Jane Adams, leader of the women's suffrage movement. Black excellence. Sir George the Truth, leader of the women's suffrage movement when she found out that black women were not included in the white women's definition of equality, I guess the apple of white supremacy doesn't fall that far from the Tree of patriarchy. Excellence. Led Zeppelin, Black Excellence. N. W. A excellence. Adele Black excellence. Beyonce's excellence takes care of your family. Black excellence makes families out of the tattered remains of our communities Big Mama still lives here on TS, and uncles don't need to share my blood. Slave masters sold me into a village. I have been raised by one ever since. Excellence deals with all of his anger issues and a peaceful and well thought out manner. Black excellence balances the chip on our shoulder while singing Negro spirituals at the top of our lungs and dancing in unemployment lines. I sit in my anger because you believe the pain inflicted on me is justified. Never watch cows and pigs die, but enjoy the meat at dinnertime. Excellence is Stephen King, master writer of horror stories. Black excellence. Carnegie Woodson, the father of black history master writer of horror stories Excellence wants us to read poetry, black excellence, Maya Angelou wrote on My Heart. Black and White paper. Don't Believe in Segregation. Two fingers on the pulse of Morning. She taught me why the Caged bird sings. This phenomenal woman spoke to this man alone. She refuses to die. The dust of her voice still rises from her grave. Excellence is that old time religion, No singing, no dancing. Jesus didn't liberate their feet. Black excellence. Two steps in church aisles so collapse on the get down celebrates on Sundays loud enough to bring down the walls of Jericho. Our journey into the promised land is not complete. We need toe walk in God's glory to get there. And just in case you didn't hear this clearly, excellence, that's all you. However, black excellence is all me. That's all I have for this episode, folks. I hope you learned something. Piece. Thank you for listening to this episode of Re Teach. If you want to learn more about me or my open source introduction to sociology textbook, please go to Bruce Hoskins dot com In closing, I want to leave us all with the question. If you learn something today that you think would help closure student equity gaps, how long would it take to incorporate this into your classroom? A year, A semester? Next month? Today, no matter the time table, we must commit ourselves to becoming better teachers. Our students deserve it. All of them, not just the ones that are good already good