I’m Black and I’m Proud

I’m Black and I’m Proud

“I’m Black and I’m Proud” Those five words were first sung by the legendary James Brown in Dallas, Texas in 1968.  Wow!  We all recall and respect Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he stood up for his race in the face of terrible oppression.  I...
Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Don’t Stand So Close to Me

Although the Police’s smash hit “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” was about a school girl’s fantasy about her teacher, the point of standing too close to someone can have the same connotation along with several others. Seinfeld did a skit on the “close talker” which was so...
Uncle Toms and Wiggers

Uncle Toms and Wiggers

Who was Uncle Tom? In black author Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he was depicted as a martyr and not a sell out to his race.  His devotion to his fellow slaves was so unshakable that he suffered immensely and sacrificed a chance at freedom to...
I Can’t Hear You!

I Can’t Hear You!

When you are at a concert, a meeting, a game, or any sort of presentation, it invariably happens. “Good morning,” “Are you having a good time,” “Cheer for the team,” “Get your hands together!” “Louder!” No matter how you respond, the “cheerleader” will...
I, I, I, I, I . . .

I, I, I, I, I . . .

You know them; you hear them; you recognize them: the people who cannot have a conversation without using the first-person pronoun multiple times in a space of minutes. English teachers forbid the use of the first-person pronoun in students’ essays for several good...
Talking vs. Listening

Talking vs. Listening

The first time that I taught study skills to high school students, I was amazed to see that listening was listed as one of the most important skills to learn. I think it was the “to learn” part that intrigued me. The book that had been put out by the National...