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High fives to BPS students
By adamg on Tue, 09/08/2015 - 8:35am
Across the city this morning, scores of black men lined the entrances to Boston public schools to welcome kids on their first day of school this year, in a program thought up by former state Rep. Carlos Henriquez - after reading about it being done in other cities. Here, kids enter the Dearborn STEM School in Roxbury:
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Comments
In All Fairness
Were men or women of other races invited? Boston Public Schools are supposed to practice non-discrimination on school grounds.
The actions of these men is great but it seems we have a little Tuesday morning click bait here. Too bad no one was on a bicycle in the line, the heat from the sanctimony would have melted steel.
Could you STFU please?
Holy white fragility Batman. There is no discrimination here. A group of residents sent around emails encouraging Black men to get out and welcome school children. The emails did not say that this group or BPS would be forbidding non-Black non-males from standing around outside schools, nor were there any reports of any such thing happening. If you actually knew any Black people, you'd have seen the emails and social media plans, status updates from your friends who were participating, etc., and you would know that this was a nice (and needed) gesture, not some conspiracy to oppress white people, if that were possible.
And FWIW, I'm white.
Typical liberal response,
Typical liberal response, when you say something that doesn't agree with their agenda, they tell you to Shut the Fuck Up.
Listen, there's only so much
Listen, there's only so much racist bullshit one can put up with before breaking out the vulgar acronyms. If I thought anyone here was being anything other than a complete (racist) troll, I'd respond in better faith.
You could have done the same thing
Gone to your local school and high-fived incoming students.
I knew about this, by luck of following the right people on Facebook and Twitter, I guess. No, I didn't do it - was too busy driving our daughter to school for her first day (we've always done that, no reason to stop now).
But basically, what you're saying is: Sure, black men get blamed for everything, so let's try to find something to blame black men for when they attempt to do something good and uplifting.
Adam, If you knew about this,
Why didn't you let everyone know yesterday? I use this site as a portal for Boston news way over the Globe or that other "paper". You knew a really positive thing was happening but held back on it and then framed the lede in a way that made point of the men's race almost as much as their actions.
As far as going to a school and welcoming back kids all you haters, I pulled my son's middle school yearbook earlier this year and saw I knew 90+ of the 280 odd kids in his class by name and make it a point to greet them each time I see them and almost each time I see them encourage them to stick with sports, schoolwork, and good behavior. However, with some schools today standing outside and greeting them as they come in may get you carried off owing to our perverse security / stranger danger culture.
Get over it
Bussing wasn't the fault of black people, and white people aren't special.
It's busing.
I know kissing wasn't the fault of black people and perhaps a lot of white people probably can't kiss that well either.
Try putting some xylocaine in your shorts
It may help with the persistent case of self-inflicted butthurt. My god but you are a piece of work.
Yes, I failed again
I probably should have posted about it yesterday.
And I bet your reaction would have been exactly the same, because while this was not a question of excluding other races or ethnicities, it was organized by a group of black men, and I would have noted that.
Well
That's been the way racial oppression has worked for the past four centuries. Why should it change now?
I know, right?
I wonder how many times this guy has complained that black people don't do anything about their own? And then, when they do something about their own, its all "BUTTTTTT What about WHITE PEOPLE?????? NO FAIRRRR".
Uch.
you must be a lot of fun at
you must be a lot of fun at parties.
I took my kids to the bus stop
On Dot ave.....Also, what is the significance of the color of their skin ?
The point is to cheer on boys
The point is to cheer on boys of color and make them feel inspired on their first day of school. And yes, anyonere was welcome to participate.
Although not just boys got high fives
At the Frederick School (may take a moment to come up):
White privilege
As a white person, you have the luxury of acting as if race doesn't matter. (And of apparently not knowing the difference between race and skin color. Black people come on many colors.)
White Privilege?
Has nothing to do with bringing your kid to school or a bus stop on their first day of school. It called being an adult, and adults come in many colors.
Very nice derail attempt
Very nice derail attempt there, artful dodger.
White privilege??
"Across the city this morning, hundreds of black men lined the entrances to Boston public schools to welcome kids on their first day of school"
And I asked what their skin color had to do with anything.
White privilege my ass.
Reading comprehension
It has been explained several times. Are you simply choosing not to read the explanations? That sounds like a stubborn mean spirited wish to disparage something good that someone else is doing. What's that about?
Reading comprehension
No, you can't comprehend my question to Adam, he wrote "black men" not me.
And where did you read I don't think this was a god thing?
My question is why Adam chose to point out the color of their skin, which is irrelevant to their actions.
Um...
...he wrote "black men" because it was black men who did it, and it wasn't some random thing.
Not really (nor do i care)
He wrote if for obvious reasons. If its was just for observational purposes then should this be titled;
White man, acting as a good father teaches son to fish.....
http://www.universalhub.com/2015/fishing-lessons
Adam once titled an entry "Guess that race"
Background
A bit of background:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/09/06/flint-pastor-l...
http://aplus.com/a/100-men-color-greet-kids-MLK-school-first-day
Very innovative
Wherever did he get this idea?
http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-first-day-school-0...
Yes, and he didn't say he came up with the idea all by himself
My apologies if I made it seem like that. He started the ball rolling by saying something about how he'd read about this in other cities and how it would be a great thing to do in Boston. So, no, the basic idea wasn't his, but he was the one who thought to try to do it in Boston (I'd link to his Facebook posts, but they seem to be friends-only).
the event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/943582135712508/
He stated that Hartford was
He stated that Hartford was one of the inspirations for doing it here.
Is that a problem somehow? God forbid people do something nice.
Revised my original post
To make it clear Henriquez wasn't taking credit for coming up with the original idea for this.
Thanks for clarifying
I quickly read the brief, and assumed he was taking credit for the idea. By the way I think its a great idea no matter who came up with it.
I Think It's Wonderful
I'm sometimes first in line to complain about ANYTHING based on race or other qualifiers that exclude, but this is just fine by me. As a matter of fact, it's wonderful.
A common conception of black families has become one of Mom or the grandparents raising children when a young black man has abandoned his responsibilities. Whether true or not for any specific family unit, this shows the kids - and society in general - that there are many black men who do the right thing, work hard, want to be there for the children, etc., and those doing the right thing should always receive appreciation. I think anything that strengthens family ties is swell, too.
Beyond that, how could kids not like being applauded? And to receive that applause for going to school? Great stuff.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Role Models are Important
This is a great event and I'm so glad to see a group of people organizing to provide role models and set the tone off right for young kids returning to school so that kids can see their successful futures before them. For those who complained- why not sign up yourselves and organize a group to do it? All kids need cheerleaders and it could be just as powerful to see people of other races cheering them on too.
Great Idea Carlos
Do you think Carlos came up with this idea while spending a few months in time out in the Middlesex HOC? Great to see he is trying to do the right thing, but he is still a woman batterer.
http://www.wbur.org/2014/01/15/carlos-henriquez-convicted
#stillonprobation
Why do you want repeat mistakes?
Maybe if he had better male role models in his life ...
I'm with Suldog, this is fantastic!
It's a great statement to make to young people that we as adults value what they are doing, and support them in their studies. I would love to see more of this kind of thing spreading across the city.
Bravo
Saw last week that this was happening in other communities and cities. Delighted to hear that someone took it upon themselves to organize it here in Boston. Bless every man who showed up this morning to cheer the community's children on as they entered school, sending them the message that education is a wonderful and powerful thing, and that they deserve appreciation. Marvelous.
What a lovely gesture! I'm
What a lovely gesture! I'm glad that someone took it upon themselves to organize it. Indeed--this is what community looks like. We need to see more stories like this. Take note, hashtag activists.