Recently, a documentary was released called “Waiting for Superman,” which looks into America’s education system – the very system that in several large cities across the US has under-delivered to many of her children.  In the movie, the director follows five children that are hoping to have a better future.  This movie not only made it to Oprah, but it has sparked many conversations from city to city as people try to figure out what they can do to help resolve this crisis.  In and of itself, this is great!… But I hope that weeks and months from now, peopled don’t lose their heart and passion to get involved with the youth.

Ever since I had Ms. Brown as my fifth grade teacher, I knew that I wanted to be a classroom teacher one day.  You see, it was Ms. Brown that saw my mathematical abilities and put me in the right places to excel in Math.  I never understood how or even when she saw my abilities, especially after previous teachers would label me as a “problem child” or someone that talks too much.  Nevertheless, Ms. Brown saw beyond all of that and pushed me far beyond where I was.  This simple act allowed me to take Calculus in high school, which in turn made college math a cake walk.  Ultimately desiring to go into the music industry as a producer, I felt my best academic course of action would be to pursue a degree in Business, but I still knew that eventually I’d go back to school for my Master’s in Education (after I’d released a few platinum records).  Well, many are the plans of a man’s heart, but only God’s purpose that prevails!  I never made it to the music industry, though I did complete the business degree.  Slowly, but surely, I moved in the directions of web development and photography after graduation, and everything was going well.

Then in 2008, I had a reality check!  There was not some life-altering tragedy that woke me up, but rather, it was CNN’s first airing of the Black in America series.  While I did not see this program as a representation of what it meant to be Black in America, I did see a disconnection between the reality I knew and lived and the reality that some of our youth experienced.  I saw teenagers choosing to drop out of school – an act that would disappoint the countless men and women from previous generations who stood while unforgiving water from fire hoses beat against their bodies until they could stand no more so that we could go to integrated schools and eat at tables with whites and other races.  I saw a problem, and I knew that I needed to do something about it.  So at that moment, I started researching schools with teacher preparation programs, and I vowed to stop my present course and get in the classroom so that I could show these youth the many possibilities that they have in life (dropping out is not one of them)!

Just as I said in my title, I’m not waiting for Superman because I realize that I am the change that the world needs!  And not just me, we all are the change that our world needs!  People continue to ask me if when I start teaching, if I will stop photographing.  My answer is always NO!  Part of what our youth need to see are entrepreneurs and real outlets for their talents!  Our youth need to see accountants and web developers.  They need to see physicians and politicians.  They need to see lawyers and engineers.  The youth need to see IT people and graphic artists.  They need to see interior designers and architects.  They need to see database administrators and accounts payable staff.  Our youth need to see all that’s out there; they need to see more options for their futures.  They need to see the real value of an education.   They need to see those who have made it, and they need you (and I) to show them how they can make it too!  The youth don’t need another hyped up Superman – all they need is all of us taking a hand and helping them come up!

I have included images below from a recent forum I went to on school reform at Bus Boys and Poets in Washington, DC.  There were legislative representatives on the panel and other noteworthy and concerned individuals in the audience.