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Africentric School’s Moment of Triumph

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Royson James, Toronto Star, September 15, 2009

For the 21st straight September morn, the first day of school finds me in the halls of Crawford Adventist Academy. This year, the fourth and last of Jameses enters high school to start the beginning of the end of the cycle.

But another school tugs at the heart this day.

Over at Keele and Sheppard, a bold experiment is beginning. Can a Toronto public school tasked to engage students through the use of an Africentric curriculum, focus and culture succeed in stemming outrageous dropout rates among black students?

Seated on the gym floor in their crisp uniform of white top, black bottoms and African print vest, the 115 student pioneers are part of an extraordinary enterprise. But despite the television cameras, African drums, speeches and other embellishments, the elementary students can’t possibly grasp the importance of the enormous experiment they and their parents have embraced.

Wisely, the school board allows the media horde to record the event. And journalists get a glimpse of the ethos of the place, the spirit and verve that is to empower these students.

Trustee James Pasternak delivers a speech that likely sailed over the students’ heads. It’s worth recording because, other than Angela Wilson and Donna Harrow, the two parents who spearheaded this latest attempt at a special school for the special needs of black students, Pasternak is most responsible for this moment of triumph.

Fellow trustees fought the idea, painted it in unpalatable terms so that the public would rail against it, and finally, voted against its introduction even though school board policy says such schools are essentially a right. But Pasternak and a razor-thin majority stood firm.

“Today, we mark not so much the opening of a new school but the affirmation of an ideal,” Pasternak says.

“Our great responsibility as educators is to ensure that students who enter our system must leave with the knowledge that there are no closed doors, that there are no glass ceilings, and that they have the skills and character to set a course and define their own future.

“We reaffirm today the mission that the school board can be an engine of social change.”

Stripped of all the hand-wringing over the Africentric school, this core remains: Forty per cent of Toronto’s black kids are dropping out of school. That alone is enough for a national inquiry, extensive parental reforms and intervention, and a host of initiatives. It is a crisis unfolding before our eyes as dropouts gun down each other on our streets.

Consider this: That cute Africentric school boy yawning on the front page of the Star last Tuesday will be a much more difficult recruit for a future gang when he’s knocking on the door of a corporate boardroom.

This group of students will graduate—empowered, confident, a class of world-beaters. Why? Because they will leave this school loving themselves, respecting their community, and utterly convinced they can take on the world on society’s terms.

To see them last Tuesday is to believe this.

“You look so beautiful, you’re gorgeous, you’re precious, you’re a gift to this country, this city and the world because you’ll grow up to be leaders,” school official Lloyd McKell tells them.

That’s what Toronto should anticipate at this school. It’s what my Avi gets at Crawford. How exhilarating that it is available to students who’re at such grave risk.

[Editor’s Note: Earlier stories about Toronto’s Afrocentric high school are listed here.]

Original article

Email Royson James at rjames@thestar.ca.

(Posted on September 15, 2009)

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Comments

1 — Spartan24 wrote at 6:21 PM on September 15:

Time will tell whether or not an “Afrocentric” education will do anything for these kids. My suspicion is that they are the cream of the crop of the black kids to begin with. I know that this is not much when you know that the average black IQ hovers around 85 to begin with but maybe these kids will do better and bring other black parents around to voluntary segregation.

2 — Bandmo wrote at 6:33 PM on September 15:

Who will be administering the final exams in this grand experiment? Four years of being taught the “Great African experience” will no doubt have many future employers and colleges fighting over them.

3 — Anonymous wrote at 7:16 PM on September 15:

If an Afro-centric school can help Africans, then German-centric or British-centric schools could do the same for German- or British-American students.

Do you think that this reporter would say: “This group of German-American students will graduate—empowered, confident, a class of world-beaters. Why? Because they will leave this school loving themselves, respecting their community, and utterly convinced they can take on the world on society’s terms.

“You look so beautiful, you’re gorgeous, you’re precious, you’re a gift to this country, this city and the world because you’ll grow up to be leaders,” school official Lloyd McKell tells them.”

Of course the reporter would never say this about Whites. This type of program or praise is not allowed if you do not have the correct skin color.

4 — Anonymous wrote at 7:48 PM on September 15:

It should be noted that Royson James, the author of this article, is a black writer for Toronto Star newspaper, so his bias may show support for this black ethnocentric school.

School official Lloyd McKell’s had bold remarks where he says “You look so beautiful, you’re gorgeous, you’re precious, you’re a gift to this country, this city and the world because you’ll grow up to be leaders.”

Black kids have not been a “gift” to my country, nor to my city of Toronto, but quite the contrary. Every day of the week there are non-stop reports of black shootings, black robberies, and just black crime in general and they only represent 8% of Toronto’s population. These people are the products of bad immigration policies that allowed tens of thousands of illiterate, single mothers from the Caribbean to work as baby-sitters, nannies and other low income occupations until they gained permanent residency. Once that was accomplished, they sent for their fatherless children to join them in Canada. Once safely ensconced into our generous welfare state, more black babies meant more welfare money. Some will be working on their 3rd generation in social assistance money.

For those black immigrants who are more successful than others, we offer fast-track employment opportunities at the expense of white Canadians. In addition, we’ll promote black employees over more longer serving and more qualified white Canadians.

Racial politics worked well for a 43 yr. old Jamaican-born black man who was promoted to Deputy Police Chief over more qualified Canadian white cops this week.

This latest Deputy Chief appointment to Toronto’s police service now translates into having 2 whites and 2 blacks who now hold these lofty police positions in Canada’s largest city.

5 — Anonymous wrote at 7:53 PM on September 15:

How can anyone be so deluded to think that students graduating from an “Afrocentric” school will turn out anything different from any other type of school? When this experiment fails, what will they do next?

6 — Graham R wrote at 8:30 PM on September 15:

Ho-hum here we go again…..

Could as many Amren readers as possible please make a note for us to follow the progress of this institution for 1 year and then report back. It will make interesting reading. I do not live in North America or Canada so I can’t help with reports.

I will diarise to ask questions in September 2010.

Can’t wait for the results!!!

7 — ER wrote at 8:51 PM on September 15:

You are laughing at the “you are future leaders” remark, in fact, it may be true.

I would not be surprised if many of these “students` will be offered grants to study at Harvard and then indeed become leaders.

Their IQes don;t matter, a Harvard diploma matters and donèt forget, there are so many liberals in Canada and US.


8 — Matt wrote at 8:58 PM on September 15:

Blacks do not function well in an all-black environment. They can do their ‘best’ when they are the minority in an ideally majority-white population. As seen with public school integration in the States, as soon as blacks hit a certain percentage of the total population, say 40%, then the learning environment starts to go downhill real fast.

Well, since this is an entirely Afrocentric school, maybe this time ol’ Whitey can’t be blamed for the usual abysmal test scores among black students. Maybe, I say.

9 — Anonymous wrote at 9:02 PM on September 15:

For the benefits of AmRen’s non-Canadian readers;

First the Toronto Star is an EXTREME left-wing, ULTRA-LIBERAL newspaper. It has never, ever, met an ethnic story it didn’t like. (I can’t overstate this).

As far as blacks being a “gift” to Canada their arrival since the 1960’s (thank you Trudeau) has been an absolute curse. They have created the same conditions blacks create everywhere; crime, poverty and violence. Canada never had any problems with European immigrants. Now the number 2 cop in Toronto is a Jamaican who has ridden the racial gravy train to his very well paid position. Blacks have been nothing but trouble since they first came here. We were a THOUSAND TIMES better off without them.

10 — Anonymous wrote at 9:04 PM on September 15:

What is left UNSAID in this article is WHY blacks drop out and join gangs. A problem that doesn’t seem to affect other groups. Note how there is no Japanese or Korean-centric school. Why do blacks need more then other groups?

11 — Vercingetorix wrote at 9:38 PM on September 15:

There has never been any slavery in Canada. Why in heck do taxpayers (white people) have to pay for a special school for blacks, when all they will get in return for their investment is a higher crime rate?

12 — white advocate - Canada wrote at 9:50 PM on September 15:

We have to ask who decides which groups are to get their own schools and how the curricula is to be chosen. I’m not an expert but this has to be a version of fascism. Whenever you have the government involved in group dynamics that is fascism.

13 — q wrote at 10:23 PM on September 15:

“Black Canadian hails “Africentric” academy.”

It’s unfortunate, but academics who celebrate their stupidity is all too common anymore.

The should make sure they have it all on video tape, so some enterprising person can show it in about twenty years when the graduates have threatened to change society to an African one under the threat of overwhelming the nation with crime, riots and war.

14 — Howard W. Campbell wrote at 11:01 PM on September 15:

To Matt #8;

The only blacks who seem to do well in a white environment are those who at least have the IQ to function in said society. Dropping a group of people who are (at a minimum) 1 to 1.5 standard deviations below the average in intelligence is going to create a lot of havoc. Yes, there are some who function well, but they tend to be the exception. The (black) achievers tend to bring a lot of baggage with them in the form of dysfunctional relatives. Also, the tipping point for public schools tends to be closer to 10 - 15%, not 40. Trust me, when this school has a scandal and/or the test scores are lagging way behind, it will blamed on institutional racism. If this were Mississippi in the 1940’s, you might have an argument, but not in Canada in 2009.

“Consider this: That cute Africentric school boy yawning on the front page of the Star last Tuesday will be a much more difficult recruit for a future gang when he’s knocking on the door of a corporate boardroom.”

If this kid is knocking on the door of a corporate boardroom, more than likely he is there thanks to affirmative action (or whatever it is called in Canada). Maybe he’ll grow up to be the go to guy for marketing Malt Liquor, spinner rims, or whatever passes for must have “bling” in 2030. Realistically, those who graduate and get into a University setting at some point in their lives will probably wind up working for the government in some capacity. Here in the US, 7 out of 10 black college graduates work for some local, state, or federal agency.

15 — sbuffalonative wrote at 11:22 PM on September 15:


I want it to be a success because it would encourage separation but if the past is prologue, I give it at most three years before it becomes impossible to prop-up the charade.


16 — Kevin wrote at 11:37 PM on September 15:

I grew up in Toronto. I love that city, and I love Canada. But as one, I can surely tell you, there are no more naive people on the planet than Canadians. It is our blessing and our curse.

17 — Anonymous wrote at 12:31 AM on September 16:

I would venture a bet that ‘victim studies’ are an important part of the curriculum required to get a diploma from the place.

I wonder how those Canadian liberals would handle it if some white kid applied to get in there, claiming to suffer from “racial identity disorder”. Why turn him down? As it is, one is allowed to use the restroom for the opposite (biological) gender in some places if one has a case of gender identity disorder.

18 — A4 wrote at 1:43 AM on September 16:

What is wonderful about an all black school, is that the authorities can manipulate the standards to reflect the result that they want to see. They can lower the standards and nobody would be the wiser. Hell they can even give them the papers before the exams. This is typically what I would expect of black teachers.

19 — A4 wrote at 1:48 AM on September 16:

What is wonderful about an all black school, is that the authorities can manipulate the standards to reflect the result that they want to see. They can lower the standards and nobody would be the wiser. Hell they can even give them the papers before the exams. This is typically what I would expect of black teachers.

Then they can use the desired, manipulated results to make conclusions. One of these conclusions would be to say that as the pass rate in the black only is 100%, it proves that the high black failure/drop out rate elsewhere, is because of white racism.

Thus they will achieve their political agenda, which is to fan the flames of white guilt.

20 — Anonymous wrote at 3:24 AM on September 16:

I wonder if Canada knew what they were doing by allowing this school to appear. Of course if this fails, they will no doubt continue to blame whites.

21 — Tim Kennerly wrote at 7:02 AM on September 16:

Hey how is Oprah’s school doing?

22 — Anonymous wrote at 7:29 AM on September 16:

The real triumph will be when they take the Canadian version of the SAT’s and actually get a good grade.

23 — patriot wrote at 10:45 AM on September 16:

The Afrocenrtric curriculum guide:

Chapter 1: Whitey is the devil
Chapter 2: Whitey is at fault for all the ills of the world
Chapter 3: How to get govmint cheese, section 8 housing, and soak the white system
Chapter 4: Forget what little you learned in school: blacks discovered and invented everything
Chapter 5: We were kings and flourished in Africa until whitey came
Chapter 6: First whitey owned us, now he owes us

24 — Anonymous wrote at 11:46 AM on September 17:

The irony is that Western technology (electricity, computers, lighting, heating, A/C, multimedia…) is being used to promote African culture and civilization. What would the academy look like if only African materials and technology were used in it’s construction?


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