A Review Of "A Case of Race II"

If we wait until the last minute there may be no getting around the chaos that erupts when you are face to face with the kind of confusion that causes the carriage to turn into a pumpkin, and the steeds to become rats.  The whirlwind that Marcus warned about, what he said, would come, will happen in a short time. Those who have the power to see are those few who have the capacity to know, that, it is five (5) minutes Until midnight and that is why we can’t wait too.

A Review Of "A Case of Race II" 

by Ernest Donelson II

 

On Saturday July 17, 2010 the Cooper/Jones education Initiative sponsored the symposium, “A Case of Race II; Why We Can’t Wait Too” at the University Center on the campus of the University of Memphis. The hosts, Representatives Barbara Cooper and Ulysses Jones, again brought a host of individuals together to be presented with scientific and etymological evidence that “race” has played a key role in the ills of our society and that its subjective nature should be investigated by all. 

There were a host of visitors from the State Government as well as numerous other individuals, scholars and laymen, who listened with great attention, to presentations by Professor Clifford Black and Mr. Al Lewis, both have developed social-growth and learning programs that have outstanding track records. Mr. Lewis opened the presentation by showing a video, that was produced some 7 or 8 years ago that clearly defined the role of “race” as it relates to DNA.  Proof was shown where there is no DNA evidence that supports the concept of “race”.  Race does not exist at that level, which clearly identifies “race” more of a culprit than anything relevant to a society of human beings. Mr. Lewis also stated, through his presentation on the “Barriers to Learning”, how America’s public school system has all but downgraded education at the lower grade levels thus making it harder to achieve scholarly status at the next level of education. Citing studies done of students entering university educational systems and failing to make the marks required to continue, Mr. Lewis explained how this system was more or less geared to the development of low achieving individuals who could not seek the higher paying jobs that are available thus maintaining a “class separation” by proxy. Professor Black, who is a renowned scholar of etymology and epistemology, spoke of the seemly deliberate miss-education of American students in the understanding of the important role that language plays in the ability to learn. Professor Black showed how the understanding of words, at their root, can provide better comprehension.   How contextual usage and how, more times than not, individuals really do not “know” or even understand exactly what is being said to them.  Through their inter-active discussion with the audience they were able to show how our thought processes, levels of knowledge and abilities to communicate have been corrupted at the primary educational level where people should have been taught the importance of language. 

It was clear throughout the presentation that many audience members went from defiance to mystifying confusion to perhaps the beginnings of greater understanding that they may need to reassess their learning abilities. Recognizing that when it comes to thinking and believing that what we hear is what we understand, it comes down to knowing that you know and stop relying on what you've been told. This symposium, by design, is informative, educational and, by some estimates, spiritual in nature.  Mr. Lewis also presented evidence that contradicts many of the myths that some of us have used as guides to living and how these myths were created to mislead and in some cases enslave individuals for a lifetime. 

I would recommend that the next installment of “A Case of Race” be attended by everyone who thinks they have a firm grip on their knowledge and I would dare anyone who comes to be of the same mind set upon the completion of this symposium.

Ernest A. Donelson II