Under the baobab: Health of a community can be measured by how it treats children
The health and well-being of a society or community may be measured in how it treats, nurtures and educates its children. The recent student walkouts and demonstrations indicate that many of our young people believe that we prioritize the privilege to personally own military designed weapons of mass destruction over their right to being safe from murderous attacks in their schools. They may be right. Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, two Tennessee state lawmakers, were expelled for leading a protest for gun-control from the House floor just days after six people, including three children, were shot and killed at a Nashville school.
Those of us of a certain age remember duck and cover drills from the Cold War in the ‘50s, which scarred our collective consciousness with the possibility of a nuclear Armageddon. Our children and grandchildren presently live with their own nightmares — mass shooter drills — which reminds them of the possibility of being slaughtered in their seats by AR-15s. We need to put an end to this madness. We need enlightened leadership and community commitment that puts our children first, again.
Accomplishments & events
Congratulations to Curtis Johnson (CJ), the newly appointed State College Area School District superintendent. CJ is a PSU alum (1991) with a masters in education. While at PSU he was a member of the basketball team that made it to the NCAA tournament and was in the final four in the NIT. He is the first person of color to hold the position of superintendent. He has been in the SCASD system for 20 years as an administrator and principal. Under his leadership State High launched its International Baccalaureate degree program, successfully made it through the COVID crisis, and developed a more inclusive and diverse climate.
Congrats also to Sukainah Mohammed Aldarweesh, David Pearce and Gabrielle Swavely, who were awarded as this year’s three Outstanding Adult Student Learners by Leslie Laing, director of adult learner programs and services at Penn State. Mike “the Mailman” Herr has been chosen as this year’s Lion’s Paw Medal recipient.
WPSU held its second annual Multicultural Fair under the direction of event coordinator Tamra Fatemi-Badi and sponsored by Allied Milk, PennAEYC, Penn State Outreach & Online Education and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Council. Over a thousand people, mostly children, were entertained, fed and provided educational games. They learned about the various cultures from residents and citizens of 15 countries and territories: Botswana, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Romania, Bulgaria, Korea, Japan, China, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Every child had a “passport” so that when they visited the various countries or organizations, they got their “visas” stamped. Every child also went home with their own multicultural book and snacks from various countries. Entertainment was provided by Tir na Nog Irish Dancers, Chinese Children’s Dancers, Mexican Folkloric Dancers, Shannon Bishop of Black Cat Belly Dance, North by Southwest (John Ochoa and his wife), Ady Martinez and Eric Ian Farmer.
This week, the School of Theatre opens “Emilia,” a “witty reclaiming of the of 17th century poet and feminist Emilia Bassano,” thought by some to be Shakespeare’s dark lady of the sonnets.
And this past Friday State College was treated to readings from two internationally recognized South African Poets, MoAfrika A. Mokgathi and vangile gantsho. They read from their works, “My Tongue is A Rainbow” and “Red Cotton” which “invoked the memory and knowing of Black women while connecting the divine Black feminine.” It was an evening filled with joyful sorrow.
“I am burning, Mama, I’m burning in a box, Set on fire while I slept. I slept, Mama.
A girl faced the bullets head on. She caught a bullet in the eye. She is blind, Mama”
-vangile gantsho, “Red Cotton”
Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lion’s Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
