Girl Like Me

So what does this mean?  70 years later and we still have an identity problem?

In 1939, Dr. Kenneth Clark and his wife Mamie conducted the Clark Doll Experiment where they asked black children to choose between a black doll and a white doll. The dolls were the same except for their skin color but most thought the white doll was nicer.

In 2005, Kiri Davis did the same experiment and came out with similar results:

Black Gold

We are kicking off our racial identity development series here at Experiencing History, with Esperanza Spalding's song, "Black Gold."

Black Gold

by 

Esperanza Spalding

Hold your head as high as you can

High enough to see who you are, little man

Life sometimes is cold and cruel

Baby no one else will tell you so remember that 

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

Now maybe no one else has told you so

But you're golden, baby

Black Gold with a diamond soul

Think of all the strength you have in you 

From the blood you carry within you

Ancient men, powerful men

Built us a civilization

They'll be folks hell-bent on putting you down

Don't get burned

Not necessarily everyone will know your worth

Think of all the strength you have in you 

From the blood you carry within you

Ancient men, powerful men

Built us a civilization

Think of all the strength you have in you

Powerful, powerful men

Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can

High enough to see who you are, little man

Life sometimes is cold and cruel

Baby no one else will tell you so remember that 

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

There'll be folks hell-bent on putting you down

Don't get burned

Not necessarily everyone will know your worth

Think of all the strength you have in you 

From the blood you carry within you

Ancient men, powerful men

Built us a civilization

Think of all the strength you have in you

Powerful, powerful men

Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can

High enough to see who you are, little man

Life sometimes is cold and cruel

Baby no one else will tell you so remember that 

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

Think of all the strength you have in you 

From the blood you carry within you

Ancient men, powerful men

Built us a civilization

All the strength

All the blood

That you carry

Ancient men 

Powerful men

In you

Built us a civilization

Hold your head as high as you can

High enough to see who you are, little man

Life sometimes is cold and cruel

Baby no one else will tell you so remember that 

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold, Black Gold

You are Black Gold

Hold your head as high as you can

High enough to see who you are, little man

Life sometimes is cold and cruel

Baby no one else will tell you so remember that 

You are Black Gold

You are Black Gold

You are

You are

You are

Hold your head up

Don't give up 

You are Black Gold 

You are 

You are

Black Gold

Black Gold, Black Gold, Black Gold

"At Urban Prep, college is not a dream, it's a reality"

"At Urban Prep, college is not a dream, it's a reality"  
Tim King, Founder of Urban Prep Academies

All 167 seniors at Urban Prep Charter Academies’ campuses in Englewood and University Village are heading to college next fall. The entire senior classes of the two schools have been accepted to four-year universities.

Some of the students call their school, "Hogwarts in the hood."

Tim King

Urban Prep Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a network of all-boys public schools including the country’s first charter high school for boys. Urban Prep’s mission is to provide a high-quality and comprehensive college-preparatory educational experience to young men that results in our graduates succeeding in college. The schools are a direct response to the urgent need to reverse abysmal graduation and college completion rates among boys in urban centers. While most of Urban Prep students come to the schools from economically disadvantaged households and behind in many subject areas, Urban Prep remains committed to preparing all of its students for college and life.

Read more here:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/19148349-418/urban-prep-celebrates-getting-all-seniors-into-four-year-colleges.html
http://www.urbanprep.org/about
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/03/28/for-4th-year-in-a-row-urban-prep-sending-every-graduate-to-college/
http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/opinion/in-african-american-education-too-parents-key/article_b1109eb6-a393-11e2-9944-0019bb2963f4.html

The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole

Jamaican born Mary Seacole was a nurse who many considered to be the heroine of the Crimean War. In fact, Seacole was widely known among the soldiers of the British Army as "Mother Seacole." She documented her adventures in her autobiography, "Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands."

Read more about Mary Seacole here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/seacole_mary.shtml

Black America and President Obama.

"Some things he's done, it may not have been called 'black'. But it affected us." Rev. Al Sharpton

Whenever I see a headline referring to the idea that President Obama has not done enough for Black Americans, there are so many things that come to mind.  This article hits on some main points of both sides of the argument:  http://m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/04/has-president-obama-done-enough-for-black-americans/274699/