The Sport of Embracing Failure (part 2)

[fmcneillii]

Africans aren't necessarily kicking AA's ass.

[martezmc]

I agree so much with you man!!! Preach my brother!!! 

[Kalydosos]

ForChangeMovement excellent video thanks for sharing.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

thank you for the message my friend, it is vital to so many.

[Steadno]

Many folks believe that education=white=weakness.

[suboreo]

I agree with you that black students are mostly there in college so they can have a better paying job. But so is everybody else who wishes to attend college, Americans in particular.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

Why is it in today's society it seems like the only way to achieved happiness is through education. Education, high test scores, degrees are over reated. Intelligence is over rated.

[ForChangeMovement]

LOL! So what qualities & traits should be highly rated in your humble opinion EAB? I take this response to mean that you are in school just to get a job and not to internalize what you have learned or to pick up better critical thinking skills huh? Thats a shame brother. & you have made my point with this statement alone.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

Look all I'm saying education doesn't determine your bliss. I'm in school because of the experience and the "possible" benefits I can achieve. Why is it that majority of unindustrialized countries are of the Africa continent and the Carribeans, yet they're overachievers.

[ForChangeMovement]

Right education doesnt determine your bliss. Other countries see opportunity hear and go hard to get those opportunities. The question I am asking is, "why dont we see those same opportunities or take advantage of them?"

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

We do see them. It's a fact that the black middle class is growing every year. Theres other ways to sieze "opportunity" other than going to school.

[ForChangeMovement]

Yes it has increased but the achievement gap isnt decreasing in terms of education which is an issue that should not be brushed under the rug. For you to say that this isnt an issue we should focus on is crazy...

[DearRafiki]

I cant agree with you more! Most of us are there for better paying jobs or just to get a job. We dont strive for the best or go for the Deans list. Why? Why? There is so much more to gain by attending college. And still we cant get past our own ignorance to see education for what it is, a great opportunity!

*Brooklyn*

[ForChangeMovement]

Exactly. Just a few days ago a classmate of mine explained to me that she didnt like her major. I asked why even go through all the headache if it wasnt something she liked. Her answer was simply, "MONEY." She went on to tell me how the job she wants to get would allow her to do nothing other than sitting behind a desk all day playing on the computer.

[RepresentativeEAB]

I think it's our lack of maturity. Some of us take things for granted until we hit rock bottom.

[lajablesse]

EastAtlantaBoy2, you find that because of "the Brain Drain". Industrialized nations such as the US and the UK are more or less recruiting "the brains" of these regions. They want the top Caribbean, Indian, and African doctors, engieneers, etc working for them. In addition they can also cash in their diversity points at the same time with foriegn minorities. If they are at the top of their class, the major companies start hounding them even before they graduate.

[RepresentativeEAB]

What's the "Brain Drain?"

[lajablesse]

The "brain drain" is when a large number of people with intellectual and technical skill and knowledge leave one country for another. One example is that many people from the West Indies go to the US and UK for college however when they graduate they opt to stay there rather than return to the West Indies, be it for opportunities, safety, or material luxury. This negatively affects the development of a country. How can a country develop if it has few engineers, scientists, economists, (cont)

[lajablesse]

and so on. The brain drain is a MAJOR concern for developing nations all over the world.

[Kalydosos]

I agree...

[Kalydosos]

Good point I agree!

[no1butmenotu]

Honestly...i agree with you about the school part. Personally i cant stand school but i'm doing it because i dont want to work dead end jobs for the rest of my life. I personally look at it as a big money scheme as expensive school is. Tuition should not be that expensive but what are you going to do? Sadly it is just the way that it is right now.

[TheDreamReborn]

One reason Caribbean kids do better than AA kids in school on average is because Caribbean parents expect more than average from their children. When I was in Standard 4(10 years old) in Trinidad, I remember the teacher reading our grades out loud from our Finals Tests. Out of a class of ~35 children, only ~4 of us got under a B grade. I got an A. :) Those kids feared going home after getting those grades. Some of the kids whose averages went down a few percent were crying although they got As.

[ForChangeMovement]

Thats interesting. I have a friend from Pakistan. Or his family is from Pakistan anyway... When we were in elementary school I remember laughing at hi when he told us that his father would not accept anything less than an A from him. Now I only wish my parents had done the same...

[lajablesse]

TheDreamReborn, remember the pressure "to come out first in tests". I remember there was the looming punished if I ever came in anything less than 3rd in tests. My parents used to go through my homework and check for any mistakes. If they found any they would make we redo it right then and there. I remember having my mom grill me on times tables and maths. She made practice penmanship so I wouldn't have chicken scratch handwriting. And of course there were the uniforms....memories!

[sexysyfy]

AMEN! Let's have church on You-tube, and I don't like to go to church, you are speak truth my brother!

[TheDreamReborn]

LOL, I love to see comments like this. It breathes new life into me when I am exhausted from all the BS on here.

Thank You.

[MissLady212]

This is great. I have no oppositions, and I believe that most Blacks would work their hearts out on a basketball court rather than in education because there is an instant reward. In basketball, there are people cheering, watching in admiration and yelling out words of encouragement. Our culture doesn't embrace education as strongly as others. Someone joining the NBA would get more respect than a person graduating from college...this being the reason why education comes secondary to sports.

[MalcomAP]

EXACTLY misslady

[MalcomAP]

SHIT!!! you laid it downnnnnnnnn CHI 5* stars great video No matter what anyone says ALL your video's are facts ALL your video's

[ForChangeMovement]

Id like to also point out the fact that about 2/3 of Harvard's black graduates have been of West Indian or African immigrant decent. If not they were mixed with white. To me that tells us something. It tells us that it is culture and not race that is the leading problem. The problem is what we are choosing to believe.

[mzsuzuki]

When I looked at Oprah's special about her school and saw the children who wanted to learn soooooo badly. When I looked at a special with JayZ on MTV where the children were sooo happy to get running water in their school and then I look at the children here. I can agree that it is culture. I know it is not race because we are descendants of kings and queens, scientists, mathematicians, etc.

[blackberryjuice1]

damn, in at least *one* of your videos can you say something positive about black people? According to you, we're just shiftless, lazy, excuse-making trifling pathetics...

[ForChangeMovement]

I never said any of that. Thats your negative interpretation. There are plenty of positive brothers & sisters out there. Its been my point(even in this video) that we arent paying them any attention. Many of us are calling them sell outs & uncle toms...

[blackberryjuice1]

There you go again. Who are the "positive" black people that the negative black people are calling sellouts and uncle toms? Have you ever asked why they might be labeling these people as such? Reasons would vary. You speak in the same bland generalities that have been used to defame, degrade and dehumanize us for the past 389 years. I suspect that you define "positive" as one who achieves American capitalistic success, and thus people like Bob Johnson should be above criticism...

[blackberryjuice1]

There you go again. Who are the "positive" black people that the negative black people are calling sellouts and uncle toms? Have you ever asked why they might be labeling these people as such? Reasons would vary. You speak in the same bland generalities that have been used to defame, degrade and dehumanize us for the past 389 years. I suspect that you define "positive" as one who achieves American capitalistic success, and thus people like Bob Johnson should be above criticism...

[ForChangeMovement]

No. Success is having reached your goals. Success is being happy with your accomplishments. Its not all about money.

Barak Obama has been called a sell out. Thomas Sowell.

I will ask you why they have been called these names... Why?

[TheDreamReborn]

He never said all AAs are underachievers.

On average, the African American population are underachievers though. There is a lot of proof to back up that statement. And don't assume that by me making that statement, I look down on African Americans. I will never generalise AAs because they are a diverse people. AAs in New York have different cultures and attitudes than AAs in the California. 1 group of AAs fucking up should not be the de facto for the entire population.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

Only a fool who's African American would agree with you that on average the AA population are underachievers. So would you say that on average the Carribean population are underachievers?

[MissLady212]

Somehow I knew you would say something to spoil the message. It's not HIM that's stating that African-Americans are the underachievers. Statistics (which are facts), proves this. This is not someone's opinion, this is what is being recorded based on African-American's performance in the academic fields.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

He just stated on average the African American population are underachievers. That was his opinion. You believe in "statistics" but dont believe in (you know what)? lol

[MissLady212]

I doubt he would blatantly say that on average African-Americans are the underachievers without having factual proof, because then he would be assuming. What is funny though, is that you actually took his opinion as fact...something you should NEVER do without doing your own research.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

I didn't take his opinion as fact though, you assumed I did. I got the message MissLady.

[ForChangeMovement]

Are you saying that I stated that AA's on average are underachievers? I never used those words at all. I stated that we are doing poorly in education and that fact is well known. You can choose to believe that I am lying or the stats are false or whatever you wish... But that in and of itself would be quite FOOLISH... Take a look at the first link I posted. It sums up the immigrant vs. black American subject. There is a crew of black Harvard grads tackling this issue in the article.

[bluecomet05]

Statistics and polls have an "margin of error". So their not always FACT!

And then you have to look at who is providing these statistics. There is a possibility of error because the producers of these, statistics, so called "FACTS" can be biased.

PEOPLE: It's time to break the statistics. let's learn how to not to fall into the negativity that society and numbers can produce.

[ForChangeMovement]

I think Americans on a whole are not reaching their full potential. Thats why immigrants come through here running circles around us. Their cultures embrace education. American culture supports wars, ignorance, sex, partying like rock stars, and $! Money that we wont keep if we arent educated. Our economy is in trouble and we are outsourcing jobs overseas where the economy is booming. Patterns in history will show that ruling societies only rule as long as they have a hold of education & trade.

[lajablesse]

So very true. And another thing i really noticed today was that the economy is in a slump and jobs are being cut yet people are being told that what they need to do is to spend more and buy more stuff (most of which is manufactured over seas. I've notices that in places with booming economies now, consumerism isn't a major

[lajablesse]

aspect of their traditional cultures. The learned consumerism and "spending for show" mainly from American culture.

[ForChangeMovement]

Yeah with American Television taking a stronghold overseas its no wonder how these places have embraced consumerism. Then people say that TV and Music doesnt influence people. LOL

[ForChangeMovement]

I think Americans on a whole are not reaching their full potential. Thats why immigrants come through here running circles around us. Their cultures embrace education. American culture supports wars, ignorance, sex, partying like rock stars, and $! Money that we wont keep if we arent educated. Our economy is in trouble and we are outsourcing jobs overseas where the economy is booming. Patterns in history will show that ruling societies only rule as long as they have a hold of education & trade.

[EastAtlantaBoy2]

Your going from education in institutions to education in the economy.

[ForChangeMovement]

Man. Im just talking about education and the affect that education has on society...

[LIBERATIONUNIT]

let him go FCM. stick to the script and they'll catch up later. no defense is necessary.

[TheDreamReborn]

That's the problem with you people. If you believe there is a lack of YouTubers who speak about positive things in the black community, why don't you make some videos and change the landscape? It's very easy to do.

[Hyvaerinen]

Hmm, I don't think anyone ever called Charles Hamilton Houston "Uncle Tom" ... of course, this was decades ago when most black educators and lawyers were highly-valued members of their communities.

I think the important question here is what is happening to American culture in general? Is it getting even more anti-intellectual? Which tv channels do the people watch the most? Which programs? ... I know PBS is not on the top of list and all the BBC documentaries ;)

"Panem et circenses"!!!

[ForChangeMovement]

Latin huh? LOL. Bread & Circuses.... Do you think its the government who makes people want to watch negative TV rather than positive TV?

[Hyvaerinen]

Let's put it this way, ladies and gentlemen: The junk "we" are mainly watching on television sure does not make us any smarter. The more "the people" watch MTV instead of PBS and 'educational programs' the better the result is to the power structure ... This issue could be debated for days ... Glad to notice this topic stirs responses. Shows the importance of such videos.

[LIBERATIONUNIT]

that's the same channel and all my children are allowed to watch. pigglywinks is on right now. we're going to catch on. the "right thing to do" is not always obvious. i left dora and spongebob alone last year. my kids don't mind. they can't watch their movies all day either.

[ImScars]

I added a video I video I did. Thanks for doing this one.

[ImScars]

It's nice to see you back at full speed.

[ForChangeMovement]

Well im on break from school. I was swamped with school work for a while. Couldnt focus on videos.

[BusTraveller]

I made a video that makes reference to a lot of issues you have raised on our forwardunity channel. Its 48 mins long, I suggest you set aside the time to watch it.

I just think most of us are just lazy and feel that we are owed something, but thats just my opinion

[ForChangeMovement]

Whats the name?

[forwardunity]

Ill assume your talking about the video.

"on becoming a black man I..."

Its on the forwardunity channel

[trappedwarrior]

Neville is right. I think the problem is laziness and a sense of entitlement.

[mzsuzuki]

In regards to the maturity level of the students in your class, this is why I brought up the kindergarten and a half on the other video. You went back to school when you were ready and mature enough to know the importance of being there. Most college students are in college because that is what you are supposed to do after high school. People who go back to college, law school, etc after experiencing life usually have a different mindset.

[rnstyle]

Gotta watch part 1. Nice vid though!