Vegas Sculptor’s Blog

Prior to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s education was defined by the term “separate but equal”. This was a fancy name for segregation.

The idea was that it was possible to have a school for white students and another for black students. Everyone was happy because they were going to neighborhood schools with other students from their neighborhood. If the schools were funded the same, the reasoning was, they would be educated the same.

It always seemed to me that this worked well, especially for minorities, because they were taught by African American teachers, from an African American viewpoint, subjects that were important to African Americans.

But after the desegregation lawsuits of the 50’s and the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 the all black schools were closed. Students, of all colors, were bussed to schools in various parts of town to achieve racial balance.

Whether this has resulted in a better education for anyone is debatable, but the fact remains, separate schools based on ethnicity is against the law, at least in the United States.

Now I see where trustees with the Toronto District School Board have voted to approve an “operational model” for an Afrocentric school. An article at CTV.ca called it “…a controversial plan to help struggling black students in the city’s education system”.

“‘The strategies developed by our staff following consultation with our communities, will hopefully more effectively address the needs of youth who have historically struggled in TDSB schools,’ John Campbell, chair of the board, said in a press release late Tuesday night.”

So basically what Mr. Campbell is saying is that black students can’t keep up in white schools, and that black communities want to segregate the schools based on race. Isn’t this the same argument whites used in the ‘50s to justify keeping black students in their own schools?

Now if one were prone to “conspiracy theory” it might be argued that desegregation came about, not because government was concerned about the education of blacks, but because a system run by blacks could not be controlled by whites.

Think about this, if you have black teachers and black administrators you can teach your children your view of the world and government. This would result in students who were more attuned to the problems facing them in their communities. They could then, after graduation, go back into the community, and start businesses and careers that would strengthen and build their communities.

When the white government of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s desegrated the schools was it because they were concerned about the welfare of the blacks, or were they afraid of blacks establishing their own economy and society? Were they afraid of what blacks might learn if left unsupervised?

After the civil rights movement broke down the barriers, many of the historic all black clubs, restaurants, hotels, and amusements closed. Blacks were liberated and chose to go to formerly all white establishments thereby destroying the fledgling economy in their neighborhoods.

Blacks chose, were encouraged in fact, to move out of areas that were traditionally black. This further diminished the black communities by removing any wealth that might have been there. Those that could afford to move did. Traditionally black neighborhoods became war zones of poverty, gangs, drugs and murder.

So what do we make of the move back toward segregation in Canadian schools? Is this a step backward that should be fought by everyone who believes in equality, or is it a move forward by blacks toward reestablishment of control over the lives and education of their children?

Don’t you love to watch kids fight? One child will be playing with a toy and a bigger, stronger child will take it away. Then a third child will take the toy and the victim will cry that the toy was his and he wants it back. He fails to mention that he stole it in the first place.

Unfortunately, these kids grow up and become the leaders of countries where they can continue their bullying and crying on a global stage!

I read on Yahoo News where Spain has filed suit against the American company Odyssey Marine Exploration, over their salvage operations. The Florida based treasure-hunting company found a wreck at the bottom of the Atlantic said to be worth around $500 million.

Odyssey is keeping the location and identity of the wreck secret, but it is widely believed to be the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, a Spanish galleon sunk by a British warship off Portugal in October 1804.

“The established principles regarding sunken ships in which the kingdom of Spain has an interest are that the treasure hunter has no right to salvage them, anything that is recovered has to be returned to Spanish custody and that there is no compensation,” Spain’s Washington-based attorney, James Goold said.

The Yahoo article went on to say, “Spain also temporarily seized the company’s ships last summer, and the Spanish media have portrayed the Americans as buccaneers plundering the nation’s cultural heritage. On June 6, El Pais, Spain’s biggest newspaper, ran an editorial headlined ‘Pirates of the 21st Century.’”

“‘Almost as if it were back to the times of corsairs and freebooters, the new pirates of this century continue to besiege our galleons despite the fact they have been lying at the bottom of the seas for centuries immersed in an eternal sleep,’ it said. ‘How is Spain to defend itself against such a violation of its archaeological and historic patrimony?’”

I’m reminded of Arlo Guthrie, in the song Alice’s Restaurant, where he says “You gotta lot o damn gall”. “I mean.. I mean..” Didn’t Spain have all this gold to be shipping all over the world because they stole it from the native inhabitants of the Americas???

How f’ing stupid is it to claim that gold you stole, and then lost for 200 years, should be given back to you because someone else went to all the work and expense to find it again?

If you were the leader of a Central or South American country, wouldn’t you file suit to claim the treasure from Spain? I say make Spain pay the American company a huge fee for recovering the treasure, then give it back to the rightful owners!