Poor Children Left Behind?

Currently over half of public school students in the US are living at or below the poverty line. This leaves the vast majority of those children at a disadvantage in school because academic success is the least of their worries. The Washington Post informs us that “Of the 27 states with highest percentages of student poverty, all but five spent less than the national average of $10,938 per student.” With programs like Head Start on the chopping block, one understands why the gap of academic achievement increases as the school-to-prison pipeline lives on.

Continuing to expect children who live in poverty to perform just as well as privileged children seems to have become counterproductive.  While increasing the amount of funds allocated to public schools would be helpful, what would be even more helpful is establishing programs that give disadvantaged children an extra push to level out the educational “playing field”. Training teachers to be able to access the needs of each student is imperative. Additionally, after school programs, learning tools that can be taken home, clean clothes, and toiletries for each child who goes without would help them to feel normal if only during the school day.

Making a point to become aware of the lack of resources within impoverished communities of color, Julius Rosenwald would more than likely have given a sufficient amount of funds to each school. This individualistic approach would allow each school form a unique plan tailored to the needs of their students, unlike No Child Left Behind that ultimately does not help to narrow the achievement gap. The Rosenwald Fund encourages independence and self-reliance while financially assisting each person/program, which are what educational systems in the US desperately need to help disadvantaged students flourish.

To read the Washington Post article, click here.

Erica Marshall, Winter Intern

Building It All Back

Art collector and community activist Peggy Cooper Cafritz has been described as “resilient and so voracious.”  Five years ago, a fire destroyed her home, as well as her collection of contemporary African and African-American art.  The collection contained works from the likes of Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, Hank Willis Thomas, and Jacob Lawrence, who received a Rosenwald grant in 1940.  The collection had over 300 works and was worth millions of dollars.  Instead of dwelling on her tremendous loss, Peggy decided to continue collecting art that she loved.  Her new condominium is saturated with artwork, so much so that it can be hard to find the furniture.

To find out more about Peggy Cooper Cafritz, click here.

Selma snubbed in 2015 Oscar nominations

Ironically on the same day of what would have be Dr. Martin Luther King’s 86th Birthday, Selma is ignored in most categories for Oscar nominations, only getting nominated in the Best Song and Best Picture categories. David Oyelowo is not recognized for his exceptional portrayal of Dr. King and all were surprised when Ava DuVernay did not become the first black woman to be nominated in the Best Director category.

David Oyelowo, photographed on the set of ‘Selma’

Photo Source: www.independent.co.uk

The 87-year old awards show is historically known for having very little diversity amongst the list of nominees as a result of who is allowed to vote. The 6,000 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are over 90 percent white and over 70 percent male. Most serve life terms, leaving little hope for a multicultural list of nominees in the future.

Despite AMPA votes, this film still stands as the most politically influential of the year, addressing concerns of whether the fight for racial equality is over or if there’s still much more work to be done. Debuting at a very necessary time with the current protests against police brutality, Oyelowo represents Dr. King very well and served as an inspiration for  civil rights activists new and old.

For a list of all of the 2015 Oscar nominations go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/15/2015-oscar-nominations-complete-coverage/

Erica Marshall, Winter Intern

Discovering Antarctica’s Mount Rosenwald

On a National Geographic-Liblad cruise, Stephanie Deutsch got the chance to see Antarctica, where there is a mountain named after Julius Rosenwald.  The mountain “forms a distinctive landmark between the heads of the Baldwin and Gallup glaciers in the Queen Maud mountains.”  It was discovered by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd in 1929, who named it after Rosenwald.  It is an example of how Rosenwald’s influence can be found all over, or, as Aviva Kempner likes to say, “all roads lead to Rosenwald.”

Click here to read more about Mount Rosenwald on Stephanie’s blog.