by Dr. Pandwe Gibson

Yesterday, New York City celebrated the opening of Capital Prepatory Harlem Charter School, funded by entrepreneurs Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and Dr. Steve Harvey.

“Great schools and great education make a big difference,” Combs told the Daily News at the new school’s ribbon cutting ceremony, “Unfortunately, too many people don’t get the opportunity to succeed, no matter how hard they try. This is leveling the playing field here at Capital Prep.”

But, for the vast majority of Black children in America, the social and economic ills of inequality cannot be cured with schools and textbooks alone.

As a 30-year-old Black woman who spent years as a teacher and started the first charter management organization in the South, which was responsible for opening 17 successful charter schools in low-income, minority communities, I witnessed the many ways the charter school movement has failed minority children and communities all across America. I was also forced to acknowledge the limitations of promoting education-focused agendas alone in economically stifled or underdeveloped communities.



The charter school-era in America was ushered in by advocates who thought education would be the cure-all for the disease of inequality. That narrative has begun to fall apart as the system battles failure in many states, and has even had a negative impact on local economies, sometimes eroding the social fabric of an entire community by displacing both children and teachers.

Among the numerous examples of charter school systems (including, but not limited to, those in Chicago, Cleveland, and Minnesota) failing their communities, the New Orleans, Louisiana experiment offers a unique case study because the city faces a number of social, economic and environmental strains which may become particularly commonplace as global warming continues to impact weather patterns and strengthen storms that can affect coastal areas.

After Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in American history which claimed over a thousand lives, the city implemented an all-charter school system (the first of its kind in American history) that was at first heralded as a success. City officials boasted a substantial decline in students attending failing schools-- from 62% to 7% post Katrina. However, deeper investigations revealed that the school system was displacing many of the city’s most vulnerable and underperforming children.

And children were not the only ones displaced by the charter school system. Black and minority teachers (and by extension parents and family members) were as well. According to the Schools and Staffing Survey, from 2004-05 to 2013-14, the percent of black teachers in New Orleans dropped from 71% to 49%. About half of this change occurred in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane when many teachers were dismissed and not rehired, followed by a steady reduction in proportion of Black teachers and an increase in the proportion of white teachers. There was also a significant decrease of hired teachers who were from or had roots in Louisiana, from 60% in 2005 to 34% in 2014.

In an effort to promote a viable charter school system, Louisiana negatively impacted the social and economic viability of the entire city. Students were kicked out of schools and parents found themselves without access to economic opportunities as teachers—who comprised much of the city’s middle class.  Education-only focused agendas may be ineffective at addressing inequality, and may exacerbate preexisting problems.

If this nation cares to level out the playing field and combat inequality on a large scale, it is important that we implement a sustainability model that affords both parents and children access to more economic opportunities. Even if education-focused programs are successfully implemented, what sense is there in teaching children the periodic table in a service-oriented economy? That is what we are seeing in cities like New Orleans where federal employment data reveal a local economy increasingly skewed to low-wage jobs, especially restaurant work, one of the few sectors now employing more people than before Katrina. No wonder the economic divide between White and Black families has grown larger than ever in the city.

Currently, there is a 1 million worker shortage in tech sector that can provide tremendous opportunities for struggling minority communities. These communities need coding training, solar panel training, more opportunities for adults to go from blue collar to green collar workers. When parents are armed with economic resources, they will be able to advocate for the culture and the knowledge that they want transmitted to their children. Economic justice is about creating an economic playing field where parents can decide what the education of their children should look like. It is not merely presenting a single, simple “schooling” solution to the complex problems of vast economic and social inequality.

It is commendable that many Americans with resources like Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and Steve Harvey continue to try to combat inequality by affording more Black children with (what they perceive to be) better education. However, the schooling-only focused method has already failed any Black communities nationwide. It is time we begin to envision better alternative. A focus on transitioning Black and minority communities from reliance on the blue-collar economy to participation in the green-collar economy may be one of them.

Dr. Pandwe Gibson is making going green cool, practical and profitable. After founding and scaling a network of highliy successful schools, she dove into the business world where she started over 20 successful companies. Through EcoTech Visions, she is guiding entrepreneurs to grow green manufacturing and combat inequality.

August 26th commemorates Women’s Equality Day. The date celebrates the passage of the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote. Facebook even created a meme depicting a diverse group of women in poses reminiscent of the Rosie the Riveter poster in front of the familiar “I Voted” sticker but declaring “We Voted.”

by Brittany Dawson


Atlanta, Georgia couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis posted a photo of them doing their daughter’s hair on Instagram last year, sharing a glimpse into child rearing in the Black LGBTQ community.

The image paints a morning routine I’m sure most parents or caregivers recognize. From the hazy glare of a child uneager to start the day to full-fledged irritation as you realize coaxing them to pick up the pace isn’t working, the Lewis’ image dispelled myths, misperceptions, and negative stigmas shrouding the community as a whole.

by Aph Ko

While discussions about racism, white supremacy, and civil rights are currently dominating public discourse, I find that it’s relevant, more than ever, to discuss the importance of black independent media. As a 25-year-old young black media producer and content creator, I’ve found that digital media can be an awesome space for merging entertainment and social justice.

I have often been asked 'Do you think you're white?'. This is usually a weak reference to my demeanor, which can be misinterpreted as 'haughty' on one end of the spectrum, and 'refined' on the better end. I stopped entertaining the question long ago, it is blatantly foolish and problematic. However, yes! In some ways I did think I was "white"- just not in the way the questioners thought.

by Tyler Young

There are few things in this life that I support more than gaining an education. Having been raised in a home where books rivaled my collection of dolls and teddy bears (trust me, I had quite the collection), I am a passionate supporter of school and learning. Recently, two news stories regarding black women and education made their way onto the national stage. In Connecticut, Tanya McDowell was sentenced to twelve years in prison for "stealing" her son's education. McDowell, who was homeless at the time, used an address different from that of her last residence to have her son attend a good school. Not too far away in Rochester, New York, 13 year-old Jada Williams was reportedly harassed out of school by teachers and administrators alike, for likening the educational system to a form of modern-day slavery.

After my anger and disgust at these stories subsided, I was able to sit back and currently reflect on what such occurrences are telling us about the current time we live in, in regards to education. The three observations that I have taken from there are:

1. According to the system at hand, we -- being people of color, particularly black people, are not supposed to have access to an education of substance,

2. We are not allowed to complain or publicly take note of it, like Jada Williams. Nor are we to do something about the barely acceptable education most of our children are receiving à la Tanya McDowell.

3. If we are to do anything mentioned in point 2, there will be consequences to pay (i.e. doing time in prison, or getting kicked out of school).

If there was ever a ripe time for communities to come together to plan a massive school reformation movement, the time is most certainly now. Our children are being marginalized and stifled in the very hands that we are entrusting with their growth and development. In a June 13, 2011 U.S. News report, it was written that national high school graduation rates for Blacks and Latinos stand at about 57%, in comparison to 78% for whites, and 80% for Asians.   And of course, most of us know of the schools-to-prison pipeline that has claimed so many of our Black boys and men, and now our girls and women (Black women are the fastest growing prison population).

The only way we can remedy this malady of society is through community efforts. We cannot simply say things like, "More Black parents need to attend Parent/Teacher meetings" or "Kids today don't want to learn." Such statements do more harm than good. Those of us who do not have children are still responsible in making sure that each child receives a great education. We all must stay involved. A community effort can be in the form of being a reading volunteer. So many of our children are not reading at their grade level; taking a weekend to read to elementary children or helping high school students with their college essays can do a world of good. We must also stay afloat of the education legislation that is being passed in our cities and states. We have to make sure our teachers and educators are being well taken care of, that there are more than enough books in classes and that students are receiving fresh, nutritious food in their cafeterias.

Our children become the testimonies we leave to the future. If these testimonies are to continue to reflect the sentiments of Jada Williams in her essay, than we as a group and society have failed miserably. Our children are our most valuable assets, and it is truly up to us to protect them and make sure that they receive the best educational care possible.


Valerie Jean-Charles is a 23 year old community servant and writer in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a BA in Political Science from Fordham University. Follow at @Empressval to join her never-ending conversations about everything and then some.