Beyond The Bricks Trailer

Beyond the Bricks follows African-American students Shaquiel Ingram and Erick Graham as they struggle to stay on track in the Newark, NJ public school system. Weaved into the boys stories is commentary from some of the countries foremost scholars and experts focused on African-American boys and their education including Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and Schott Foundation President Dr. John Jackson, among others. Through these two students personal stories, the film looks critically at the circumstances that are plaguing African-American communities overall, and offers up examples of people who are successfully combating these challenges.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• newark
• new
• jersey
• cory
• booker
• al
• sharpton
• ivory
• toldson
• john
• jackson
• beyond
• the
• bricks
• washington
• koen
• pedro
• noguera

[hopedawg86]

what many people are expressing here is the primary problem with western society. We're ALL about the individual. we don't give 2 cents if it doesn't benefit our own lives. YES, parents have much to do with the upbringing of their children but the community also plays an important role. As the African proverb states, "it takes a VILLAGE to raise a child." ever hear of "ubuntu"? "i am because we are." the spirit of community is what help us thrive as people regardless of color, class or creed.

[simrnchokolat]

Our parents must be educated advocates who are willing to do whatever it takes to prepare their children for a world that is not preparing for them. I know Black high school educated parents who birthed college-educated children. This reveals that some of our families have to work harder than others and our black men need to be present and relevant in our community!

[MsLeeLee2500]

@sexiiblackbarbie92 Not rude, realistic. That's no excuse, ma'am.

[sexiiblackbarbie92]

@MsLeeLee2500 thats rude some parents work to much to try and give thier children a decent life and they rely on the school to do there job.

[Mongo76]

@Mongo76 Take this example. Brad is going to college. His dad is a regional mgr of a big company and is able to pay for his tuition. Then take Leroy who''s parents received substandard education and wasnt prepared to go to college so they only job they could get was a low paying service job. Leroy is less likely to be able to go to school because his parents income is limited by their education due to the effects of racism , segregation and discrimination of years past.

[Mongo76]

@Mongo76 With such education, comes job opportunities and wealth building. We still have people whose parents didnt go to college so they dont, or they have no one to emphasize the benefits of school or encourage them to go. Its more complicated than just because our civil rights are recognized we are all equal. We wont be equal until we have that generational wealth built up comparable to whites so we are starting out on equal footing. and example.....is cont....

[Mongo76]

@BullyMusik Many of our parents didn't get to go to college simply because they couldnt afford to. Whites have always had more opportunities due to the built up wealth in their families. Our parents didn't have that same wealth so they had to start from scratch. It takes generations to build such wealth. As such, we have a ways to go. Where as a white person my age likely has a family of college educated people stretching back 8 or 9 generations, many of us are still the firsts in our families.

[Mongo76]

@BullyMusik People also kill me acting oblivious to the obvious racial inequality thats till exists. They feel thayt because integration is over and black can go to schools of choice and there is an effort to hire minorities in numerous industries, it means racism and civil rights issues are over. My mother and father went to a school where they passed down old faded band uniforms and instruments from the white school. They passed down old outdated txtbooks whent he white schools got new ones.

[Mongo76]

@BullyMusik I agree with you. I have stated before that racism is something that will never go away because it is imbedded in the very foundation of the country. It can be said that one of the principle foundations of the country is racism via slavery. The whole society is built in such a fashion that ensures control will always be concentrated within the majority. Also we must remember we are only one generation from blatant racism and disenfranchisement made able by the govt.

[uzzleman]

@JMARKISS00 So I say to you, when you say "we need to emulate Asians", be clear on what it is that you claim we need to emulate, especially when there is evidence that what you are trying to emulate, was set up to confuse people into doing exactly what your saying we need to do. Tell you what, imagine the tables being turned, and African Americans being in the white peoples position, do you thing you wouldn't hear the same argument from whites? I'm pretty sure you would.

[uzzleman]

@JMARKISS00 You cant ignore that type of logic, it's like building a foundation on sand, but sitting at the top and wondering why it fell over, well, check the foundation.

[uzzleman]

@JMARKISS00 I see, now I understand exactly where you may be coming from and why you are not understanding my comments. For one, I'm going back further than 40-50 yrs.Second, the reason why I am going back that far is because those are the building blocks on American culture and society, it is because things where set up the way they were back then that things are the way they are now.

[JMARKISS00]

@uzzleman again, you are going back 40-50 years. Let's talk about today. Let's talk about standardized test scores! Let's talk about how Asians have to score higher than other minorities and even majorities on college entrance exams to get into certain universities. how do you explain that? how do you explain why universities have to make it more difficult for Asians to gain admittance just so that other minorities get a fair shot. That's not very fair to them! result of model minority?

[JMARKISS00]

@uzzleman so there it is... A conspiracy by the Man to pull the strings behind the curtain. But his plan backfired so much that he inadvertently allowed Asians to be more successful and better at achieving "the American dream" than himself. You've cracked the case!

[JMARKISS00]

@uzzleman Check out the results from the census bureau (2000). Also, the results of 2010 will probably reflect the same thing. These stats started to change roughly after WWII. during a time when americans still shouted "Jap or Chink" to anyone of asian decent. I'm not talkiing 200 years ago. I'm talking right now! when it's really important.

[uzzleman]

@JMARKISS00 Ultimately, Asians where given preference over ALL other minorities, not just African Americans, and it has been that way since their immigration to this country. So after 200 years or so of gaining oppressive whites preference, of course you will excel beyond other minorities. I know that they have even excelled, in some instances, beyond some whites, which is why when they date outside their race, in most circumstances, it will be with a white person as a sign of social status.

[uzzleman]

@JMARKISS00 I see what you mean, but what you have to understand is the history of minorities in American culture. Were the statistics that you talk about done during the beginning of Asian immigration? If so, once again, you will find that when they immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life, yes, they where discriminated against, but where still preferred over African Americans on the basis of nothing more than to prevent blacks from achieving a higher social status in America.

[JMARKISS00]

@slavesblood you're right, there are problems from the past that affect us today. but instead of facing the adversity of today many black people choose to harp on the atrocities of the past and we can never move forward as a people. We really need a "cultural re-awakening" but i fear it may be too late.

[JMARKISS00]

@uzzleman I agree that yoke of slavery has embedded a certain image of black people in the minds of everyone in this country but i was alluding to the cultural differences between asians and blacks in America. If you study the statistics, asian students perform better academically than all other demographic groups. Preference has nothing to do their academic performance. They are more likely to be upstanding, law-abiding citizens than any other group in America. We need to emulate that!

[JMARKISS00]

@BullyMusik you contribute the success of Asians in this country to the fact that they don’t pay taxes? are you also arguing that if black people didn’t have to pay taxes they would be as successful As Asians? that makes no sense. Not all Asians are born abroad. There are 2nd, 3rd generation Asians in this country who have to pay all the same taxes as we black folks. What is your answer for the success of those who aren‘t receiving that “hand-out? the answer is not economic. It’s cultural!

[slavesblood]

@BullyMusik depend on one another to thrive here in the USA. Every group, that is except black folks..we don't get that today. Please read my posts from 2 days ago for further analysis. Let me know what you think. Peace.

[slavesblood]

@BullyMusik revolutionary zeal, even if they didn't agree w/it! We make fun of that time now. But we called each other "brother" & "sister" then. It was the LOVE that people saw we had for one another and the unity that inspired respect. Blacks today have bought into the uniquely American perspective of "rugged individualism", get mines & f**k everyone else! It's ok for whites to think this way cause they created the system to work for them. But every other group understands that they have to

[slavesblood]

@BullyMusik strength. I agree, that segregation had it's benefits. However, we didn't have a choice then but to be segregated. Now we have choice and we choose to run away from us when we "make it". All we have to do is choose to be united. But we won't 'cause we don't love/respect ourselves. And if we don't, why would anyone else? Look at how in the 60's & 70's w/all that "black pride" & "black power" & love. We had everybody trippin! White folks were trying to grow afros and admired our

[slavesblood]

@BullyMusik be forced to respect us! They may not like us, but they'll say, "Damn, those n*****s are really doing something!" After a couple of generations pass, seeing that then the consciousness of the general population will shift. Will we ever be totally rid of racism? Probably not, but we would get a whole lot further not worrying about who is doing what to us because that's out of our control. We need to be about our business together & that will give us the needed political & economic

[slavesblood]

@BullyMusik part of town where we'll be the only blacks there. Why? Look, racism in this country is real but it's not our biggest problem. You heard me right, racism is not Black folks #1 issue! Our most important & obvious obstacle is the lack of unity & a togetherness mentality. We have money & resources..we have blacks in high positions of govt.(mayors, govnrs, police chiefs & a president). But we don't do much together when it comes to economics & politics. When we do that, then people will