King Collection to be at Morehouse College

Sotheby’s Auction House will be canceling their June 30th planned sale of the King Collection. As reported in this article on CNN.com, the King children will receive an undisclosed amount of money from an anonymous group of people, and the King Collection will be housed at Morehouse College, King’s alma mater. The collection will be on display at Sotheby’s in New York until June 29, 2006.

So, it seems as if the City of Atlanta rose to the challenge issued by former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, when he stated that Atlanta would be “…a cheap city if it does not come up with the enough money to keep that heritage here” when talking about the King Collection.

I’ve been following this story on the blog and you can see previous postings from June 9 and from June 11. There were comments about what should happen to the King Collection, and I was surprised that the King family didn’t originally leave the collection to Morehouse College or add it in as a part of the exhibits with the King Center. With the collection now slated to come back to Atlanta, that will extend the depth of King memorabilia in the city- which is his hometown- but it would also put a huge monopoly on access to this information. As it stands now, you can get the “all you need to know about Martin Luther King, Jr.” just by coming to Atlanta.

While it’s great that the city has a lot to offer in terms of information and history of Martin Luther King, for people who might never come to Atlanta, they could miss out. I’ll maintain that I would have loved for this to be a traveling exhibit- perhaps going around to different colleges and universities so that other people would have access to this information too. Not that I don’t think that Atlanta is a great place to have the information; it’s not that Atlantans aren’t appreciative and proud of the King Center and the other King memorabilia that exists in the city. However, I feel that the power of knowledge lies in the fact that it can enlighten others- and that happens when it is shared between individuals and institutions. I suppose I just want others outside of Atlanta and the South to see this information too. And yes, I do understand that this information, among other things, makes Atlanta marketable and draws in lots of tourists from other areas. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until the year 2000 when ALL 50 states celebrated the MLK Holiday, which implies that we still have some work to do on achieving King’s dream. And what better way to do that than by sharing the information within his collection with others?

Note: Articles similar to the one on CNN.com can be found here, courtesy of MSNBC.com, and also here, courtesy of the AJC.com

What Lies Beneath

Something for us all to think about-

The majority of the damage done to the Titanic by the iceberg was caused by what was lying beneath the surface. Likewise, we will be destroyed, not by what people can see on the exterior, but by what exists inside of us.

We should all ask ourselves what it is that lies beneath the surface that has the potential to destroy us- and then strive to fix it. There’s always room for improvement- it’s the biggest room in the house.

thoughts on Father’s Day

As we all know, yesterday was Father’s Day. On this day, we celebrate and appreciate our fathers- and the other men in our lives (uncles, grandfathers, godfathers, etc.)who have helped to shape our world into what we know it to be. For Father’s Day, we usually see lots of sales on electronic goods and hardware. And there aren’t nearly as many varieties of cards for Father’s Day. It was so difficult for me to find the perfect card for my father, my godfather, my stepfather, and my pastor.

The issue of Father’s Day is sort of touchy for me; and those who know me well would probably have a good idea why. While I was privileged to have my father be especially invovled in my life for the first 15-16 years, his involvement dramatically decreased following my parents’ divorce…and subsequently our relationship went downhill. It took me a long time to get to a point where I truly forgave my father for things that took place- and there are still things that occur that frequently test that. That said, I could truly relate to what Nat Irvin (the beloved father of my old roommate, Jovian) said in his Sunday column published in the Winston Salem Journal.

You can read Papa Irvin’s article here, but I’ve included an excerpt:

“Being a good father to your child can be one of the greatest joys in a man’s life…On this Father’s Day, I am thankful that I had and still have a father who understands that being a father is more than just some kind of biological accident. It is a statement of commitment to your children – and if you stay with it, they will bring a lifetime of happiness. I feel sorry for the men who are fathers by biology only. They not only deny their children a father who is involved in their lives; they also deny themselves one of the greatest joys that life can offer.”

And so…that inclined me to think about some things. While I’m truly grateful that I was privileged to have my father in my life for some period of time, it’s also frustrating. Sure, he made all the big events: graduation from high school/graduation from college. But what about seeing me off before prom? Or what about being there to inquire about the behavior of the guy that I was dating? Or what about helping me move into my apartment? I’m saddened that my father has missed some of these smaller events in my life that have also helped form me into who I am today.

For the past couple of days I’ve been trying to decide if I feel it’s worse to never have your father involved in your life- or to have him invovled for a while and then not be involved at all. What I realized is that it’s not anything that can be compared, and that it there are different situations and circumstances that allow for each. And in some ways, it’s choosing the lesser of two evils.

All that said, this past Father’s Day was one of realization. I realized the many ways that my father positively impacted my life and how I was grateful for that. I realized the power that lies in forgiveness, and the importance of forgiving others. I realized that I have been blessed with many other men who have been fatherly- Dr. Ervin, my pastor, my godfather, my stepfather, along with several uncles- and who have also helped to make a difference. I realized the value in having a father around, and the difference that it can make. And most importantly, I was reminded that ultimately my life is about God’s glory- and things that happen in my life are all purposed by God.

Jay-Z Boycotts Cristal

I love Jay-Z. Plain and simple. I’m one of the people who WILL NOT download his music, nor will I accept downloaded copies from anyone else. I’m at the midnight sales for his albums, or at the local Best Buy on the first day the album is released so that I can continue to show my support. Jay-Z and I have had the longest standing rap relationship, starting back when I was in 9th grade and my best friend Amy (who, ironically enough) was white bought me “In My Lifetime- Volume 1″ for Christmas. Since then…we’ve been 2 peas in a pod…

Today while reading CNN, I found this article:

“Jay-Z Leads Cristal Boycott”

So apparently, Jay-Z feels that comments made by the managing director of Cristal were racist, and he has vowed to stop purchasing Cristal for his own personal use, as well for use in his establishments (The 40/40 Club). And with Jay-Z now serving as president and CEO of Def Jam Records, I’m sure that this boycott could have a trickle down effect.

It is no secret that a lot of companies don’t identify and/or support the hip-hop lifestyle in which they are celebrated in. Cristal was originally made for Tsar Alexander II- I wonder what the original Roederers (the family that owns and produces Cristal) ever imagined that it would be celebrated in such a way. Similarly, does anyone remember when Busta Rhymes boycotted Burberry because they said that he didn’t support the image for which Burberry was created?

While I think that this could cause a major impact on the Roederer company, I imagine that it won’t. Think of what could happen if ALL rappers/people who spend extreme amounts of money on Cristal backed Jay-Z up on his boycott? That would definitely send a message to the company; however, I think that there would be too much discord- or too many people saying “it didn’t happen to me, so that can’t possibly be how it is”…

At any rate, in the event that I were to purchase and/or consume champagne, it WOULD NOT be Cristal…partially because I can’t afford it…and partially because my affinity and allegiance has always been to cheap champagne. Perhaps one day when my feelings about the consumption of alcohol change, as well as the depths of my bank account, I’d reconsider. Or maybe not.

Who are my celebrity sisters?

Your Celebrity Sisters Are Beyonce and Solange

Talented, sexy, and sassy. You’ve got a star quality that everyone notices

Who Are Your Celebrity Sisters?

Which Sex and the City Vixen am I?

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You’re quirky, flirty, and every guy’s perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It’s tough for you to find the right match – you’re more than a little picky. Never fear… You’ve got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You’ll fall for someone this year… Totally different from any guy you’ve dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Who will get the dream?

As I posted on June 9, Sotheby’s will be auctioning the Marting Luther King, Jr. Collection on beginning on June 30. That said, I was not surprised to read this article in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution which discusses the potential buyers for the King Collection. Former Atlanta mayor, and personal friend of King, Andrew Young has pretty much issued a challenge to the city of Atlanta to purchase the papers, saying “This is a cheap city if it does not come up with enough money to keep that heritage here.”

I was actually surprised to find out that the collection hadn’t been left to Morehouse College (King’s Alma Mater) or added to the items that are kept at the King Center. Where the collection will end up; however, remains to be seen.

Photos of some of the items in the collection can be viewed here. Readers, where would you like to see the collection end up?

Girls will be Girls and Boys will be Boys…

…in separate classrooms. This article talks about the growing trend of same-sex classrooms, and outlines some of the arguments for and against it.

I saw the same sex classrooms at work while doing a summer program with the Sunflower County Freedom Project. At first I was uncertain as to how well it would work, but it worked very well, particularly with the middle-school aged students that we were working with. As we all know, the adolescent/pre-teen/early teen age group is one that is just a bundle of emotions with hormones in overdrive. In my opinion, having the students separated allowed them to focus more on their work, and not trying to impress their boyfriend/girlfriend/prospective boopiece while in class. After seeing it in action, I was very impressed, and I would definitely support it in other classroom settings (ie: the public school arena).

So, what do y’all think? How would you feel about same-sex classrooms?

Selling the Dream

Sotheby’s to auction MLK Collection

On June 30, Sotheby’s will auction the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, which includes nearly 7,000 handwritten items, including a draft of the notorious “I Have a Dream” speech. The money from the auction is slated to go to the King estate, which is struggling financially.

The King estate hopes that the collection will be sold to an institution, rather than an individual; and I hope that also. There’s a wealth of knowledge within that collection that should be properly preserved and available to the public. I suppose we’ll see what happens on June 30.

To go or not to go?

One of the first things that my cooperating teacher told me when I met with her about my student-teaching assignment was that there was a strict policy regarding students having to use the restrooms during class. Generally, they were only supposed to be allowed to leave class to use the restroom 3 times during the semester, and after they reached the limit, we (teachers) weren’t supposed to permit them to go.

I thought the rule was dumb. I mean, how are you going to limit the number of times that someone may use the restroom- and then say that they are in high school and that they should be treated like young adults? That doesn’t make sense to me. I always felt that having to use the restroom and being forced to hold it would be a large distraction to their learning than leaving class for a few minutes and going to use the restroom. Additionally, sometimes students just need a break to get themselves together. So, I allowed my students to go as needed. I guess that’s me getting my start to bucking the system in education.

Apparently, Winder-Barrow High School, where I did my student teaching wasn’t the only school having this problem. I read this article on MSNBC.com which talks about how some schools are docking points off of the final grade for students who exceed the restroom usage limit during the course of the semester.

What is the real issue here? Are we trying to make sure that students are getting the most of their time in schools? Seriously- we all know that trying to use the bathroom during the change of classes can be downright impossible in some schools; so why punish students for leaving class to take care of it? I know that it can be excessive, in some cases. And I also know that in some schools going to the restroom can be pretty dangerous, but is this really the way of taking care of those problems?

Y’all help me out- tell me what you think…