what is past is prologue…
the mind of the muse
Category Archives: Social Quandaries
segregation forever?
Back in 1962, when George Wallace won the gubernatorial election and gave his inauguration day speech, he said that he was drawing the line in the sand, and saying, ‘Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.’ While most see his words today as a horrific racist stance that is far beyond the times, it’s surprising when most actually look at the city of Birmingham, and the state of Alabama as a whole.
Fast forward more than 40 years, and it’s amazing to see what progress has and hasn’t been made. Yes, the city of Birmingham has been able to break the ties of the over-the-mountain old money as leadership as replace it with its own citizens that best represent the population of the city, which is majority African-American. However, the city has become such because since the 1950s, white flight has catastrophically created a world outside the city, complete with ‘city school’ systems to maintain the status quo, leaving Birmingham without major sources of revenue (since all of the department stores, entertainment venues, etc. have all been placed outside of the city limits) to fund its educational system. As the Birmingham News reported earlier this summer, while Birmingham City Schools are making progress in test scores and graduation rates, they are far below some of the ‘city’ or private school systems put into place to separate themselves from the urban life.
The latest example? In Tuscaloosa, parents have become enraged at the process of rezoning in the high school systems. Most of the students forced to move were African-American, and they were taken from better institutions and placed in lower-performing schools. You see, segregation still has its place in our modern day society. Wallace’s words are echoing throughout the halls of the schools, ‘Segregation forever.’
While legally segregation is a violation of the constitution, loopholes have been found. It’s a new kind of segregation, based on social privilege. Some of the highest scores produced in the state come from schools that have broken away from the county school system and are funded by the state, in addition to deep pockets of benefactors and parents. Since when did your upbringing define who you would become? It would be fabulous to say that the answer is never, but the truth has reared its ugly head.
And as I am a proud southerner, I will say this as well… It’s NOT just OUR problem. It doesn’t just occur down south, where the region has continually and unfairly been subjected to stereotypical sweeping generalizations that everyone is racist, or wants the South to rise again. The subject seems much like the Biblical parable that before you can remove a speck out of someone’s eye, you should try to take the two-by-four out of your own socket.
I’ve been outside of the South, and also within its educational system. I chose to go to a more diversified high school, because I was disgusted with the racist system set up at my neighborhood school. I’ve seen this same problem… it’s all over the country. New York. Ohio. Maryland. Virginia. Washington, D.C., Michigan. The list can go on and on.
Why is it that most states have ‘gerrymandered’ districts to ensure an ethnic representative that can relate with the population? Why are magnet schools set up to attract students to inner city schools? How does an educational system that has promised to produce bright and shining students and not leaving a single child behind, falter and leave both students and teachers without results? Why is it normal for a school administration to allow nooses to be hung as a threat to other students? Why are metal detectors required at inner-city schools, and not at rural schools?
There is so much racial profiling going on within the educational system, it makes me sick. I’m very fortunate to have had the opportunities that I have had, but I’ve had to fight for every single chance… because the educational system that promises to award bright students with tuition left this student (who graduated 8th in the class, with a 3.94 GPA) without any means of support, and left my parents working as hard as they could to help me get through school and become one of the first college graduates in the family. And now, trying to complete a master’s has become an even harder task… not based on the work in school, but what it takes to pay for it and get by.
And, if I’m your average middle-class family, then how in the world will anyone else have the same opportunities with an educational system that continues to squash its promises?
caught
As a single person, I’m prone to hate weddings. Now before you judge, hear me out. I don’t hate the weddings because they are celebrating the life of those being married; in fact, I love being a part of the momentous occasion. I hate weddings because of the end of the reception: the tossing of the bouquet.
I think it’s so strange how women have evolved. When I was a teenager, I always wanted to catch the bouquet, because it meant, that just maybe, I’d meet the man of my dreams. All of the older women would tell me about how the next wedding could be my own, or how I wouldn’t just be a bridesmaid anymore. Well, even though I’ve caught the bouquet a few times as a teenager, my knight in shining armor never appeared.
Even now, as I’ve caught the bouquet once recently (thanks to Marly’s trick of combining the one bouquet to split into three), there’s a few weddings that I’ll attend before my own, contrary to all of those wives tales. As a single woman, I hate the bouquet-tossing tradition, because I hate being a part of an incredibly small (and still dwindling) group that is brought to the attention of everyone else in the room. I don’t like everyone staring you down, or feeling the transparent pity they feel for those who are ’single and alone.’
I hate how that feeling is protruded out for all to receive. Because, while I may be single, I’m not alone… or unhappy… or hoping to not only catch a bouquet, but maybe a single groomsman. I’m living my life. I’m doing what I want to do. I refuse to sit around and only hope for Mr. Right to drop in and save me from the ‘tragedy’ of the single life. Without an attachment, I can travel to D.C. on a whim, or New York City for a show. I can try new recipes and not worry if it’s horrible. Better yet, I alone have control of my TiVo remote.
eight is enough
Sassy has tagged me to share with you eight facts about myself. First of all, here are the rules:
- We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
- Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
- People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
- At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
- Don’t forget to leave them each a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Now for the facts:
- I’m in love with my TiVo… I mean, I can’t live without it.
- I believe that things/objects, etc. have a specific place where they should be… in other words, frames belong in certain rooms, my books should be placed in certain categories, and there is an order to getting ready in the morning and for bed. You may call it OCD, but I claim simple tendencies.
- I twirl my hair if it’s not out of my face… and I do it without thinking.
- I’m a serious nerd about Civil Rights and Southern history. That’s probably a well-known fact, but it’s a fact, nonetheless.
- I tend to (or want to) straighten up or clean at other people’s houses.
- I have had 14 addresses since I graduated high school in 1998 (only 2 outside of Alabama). I know, I know… it’s horrible. And, it’s not over, either.
- I’m in transition to becoming vegan. But, I admit, it’s really hard in the South.
- During eighth grade, I had 3 hospital/emergency room visits: knee surgery (2 days), a migraine attack (11 days), and a broken elbow (1 day). I was terrified to do anything for the rest of the year, although I begged my dad to cut off my cast early to play basketball (and he did) against the will of my mother. I got to play the last few games of the season, but my elbow still doesn’t function it should.
I don’t know who to tag in the blog world… so, just join in the fun and follow the rules for your own blog.
seer-suckers
If you didn’t know, today is an eventful day in the Senate. No, it’s not set in stone each year, but it’s a tradition that has been introduced by current Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS).
Seersucker Thursdays. And this year’s event falls on June 21.
Yep, seersucker. It’s been a longstanding fabric of the Deep South because of its light color and thin sturdy texture. Tradition lies on seersucker… as does a sort of southern aristocracy. And, many members of Congress have participated in this fabulous tradition. See last year’s group…
Sadly, many members of Congress don’t understand the rules of seersucker. It’s best donned with white bucks (shoes) than dark shoes… and of course, light pastel colors to coordinate with the seersucker.
If you need any additional explanation, see the description of Lott’s beloved ‘Seersucker Thursdays’ in the past years. Even the women are included in the fun… the article mentions that Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) purchased suits for women that didn’t have a seersucker suit so that it wasn’t a male dominated event.
So, join in the fun! You’ll be sucked in by the material’s ability to breathe and inability to absorb the heat. And it’s a great way to show your southern pride and flair without pledging your loyalty (for those yanks that may enjoy the South and afraid to vocalize).
They don’t call ‘em suckers for nothin’!
the beloved cool-for-my-music post
Amount of Music on Your Computer
14.78 GB on iTunes, which is the only place I keep music… and I’m a Mac snob.
Currently Listening To
Half-Life by Glen Phillips
Five Songs That Mean a Lot to You (only 5??!?!?)
“I’ll Keep the Bad Things from You” by The Damnwells
“The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan
“Let Me Be” by Marc Broussard
“By My Side” by Ben Harper
TIE: “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynard Skynard/”Rammer Jammer”… come on, I went to ‘Bama!
Top Ten Albums (btw, I changed it… there was no way I could narrow it down to 5)
1. Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers”… holy crap, I got this on tape in high school, and wore it compeltely out. There’s no great combination of songs than that one. I can still sing them all word for word, and I feel such a sense of freedom when I hear Tom Petty, no matter what it is.
2. “RENT” Soundtrack… Do I really need a reason why? How about five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred of them? I measure it in love…
3. “O Brother Where Art Thou?” Soundtrack… color me eccentric, but I love this thing. I’m not really a fan of country music, but I love some folk-style stuff. My favorite song on there is the opening chain-gang song. I still have no idea what they’re saying half the time.
4. Will Hoge’s “The America EP”… What a voice. This man can sing to me anyday, and this album put me full scale into the political world alone by its music. With songs like “Hey Mr. President” and “The Other Side,” it’s hard to not to start trash-talking. Not to mention, he sings an amazing rendition of Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” You can’t go wrong there.
5. Damien Rice’s “O”… Wow, haunting, beautiful and breathless all in one album. The vocals and acoustic music are amazing. I can’t help but think of the pain of life in contrast to the beauty of the larger picture.
6. Ellis Paul’s “Sweet Mistakes”… “I was born in a taxicab, driver cut the cord while the meter was running, a baby’s voice crying out to city lights, the paper ran the photo the next day, me and my momma and the cabby all smiling…” Ain’t it the strangest world? Yes… and Ellis Paul’s vocals and quirky yet storytelling lyrics somehow make it seem so much better.
7. Iron & Wine’s “Our Endless Numbered Days”… Something about their melodic softtones makes me want to just curl up in my papasan with a blanket and just fall asleep. It’s so comfortable and soothing. Still, you can hear the distinction of discordance at times in little notes or vocal quivers. It’s fabulous.
8. Caedmon’s Call’s “Share the Well”… This album makes me want to leave everything behind and go be a missionary in India or Latin America. It’s worldly tones and blantant lyrics make anyone want to do the same… hello social justice!!!
9. Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings”… All you have to do is hear his cover of “Hurt” to fully experience the album. How can you not be amazed with his voice? Did you know there is a new movie coming out about him? I can’t wait…
10. Pierce Pettis’s “State of Grace”… Singer/songwriter from Alabama, with melodic words and lyrics of places like Florence and tales of mannerisms and years past. Wonderful stuff, this album is.
I still have 15000 I’d like to add to this. But, I’ve got neither the time, nor the numbered spaces, as it appears. Here are some honorable mention artists, though:
Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Rilo Kiley, Indigo Girls, Josh Rouse, David Crowder Band, Joan Baez, Coldplay, Bebo Norman, Citizen Cope, The Jayhawks, The Be Good Tanyas, Joni Mitchell and David Wilcox.
Last Album Bought
Elizabethtown Soundtrack
Recent Discoveries
String Cheese Incident (yes, I know they’ve been around a while)
Imogen Heap
Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah
The baton is hereby passed to:
whoever wants to take all this time…
laid back?
If only it were possible to actually believe that maybe I took some time away to enjoy it. Oh, if only… Too bad I’ve been up to my eyeballs in everything under the sun. Don’t be fooled, the life of a full-time student, full-time employee is not and will never be glamourous. In fact, it’s pretty upsetting and on the verge of reclusive. But, I keep telling myself, it’s only until December… Breathe… it’s only until December. OK, I think I’m better now.
So much has happened since my last post. Where to start? Or should I even bother?
Well, I am a little upset to know that due to my complete out-of-it-ness, I missed the chance to hear Wesley Clark speak at Workplay on Monday night. Had I known it before 30 minutes prior to the start, I would have made arrangements to go. But, here again, I’m a ultra-scheduled freak, it seems.
Before I go on, I just have to say… GO CARDS!
“The Lion King” arrived on my list of things to do last night. Can I just say that it was fabulous??? I mean, it’s not RENT, but seriously, the costumes blew my mind. And, who could turn away from a chance to see young Simba do the worm across stage. Pure genius. I love it when shows admit they know they are shows, instead of polarizing themselves from the crowd.
This morning I was reading yesterday’s paper (yes, I had to have time to catch up to it), and I saw the following in the opinions section (grab something, you might get sick):
Moore does what he says he’ll do
Today’s politicians speak of values and convictions but tend to abandon them when it becomes politically expedient to do so. There is no better illustration of this than Gov. Bob Riley’s attempt a few years ago to pass the largest tax increase in Alabama’s history. During his run for governor, Riley bragged he has never voted for a tax increase as a U.S. Representative in Washington. Yet shortly after being elected governor, he caved to political pressures and abandoned his “conservative principles” by supporting an increased tax burden rather than trimming the fat. His promises of state financial ruin if his tax package failed were not only wrong but also revealed how he differed little from his tax-and-spend opponents.When Roy Moore ran for chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court, he promised to return integrity to our courts. He said he would erect the Ten Commandments and defend it. He kept his promise even when it cost him everything. The value of his principles outweighed the value of his office.
Perhaps the reason so many politicians fear Moore is not because of his Christian zealotry but his unwavering devotion to principle. Moore has proved he is a man whose words can be trusted. Can that be said of any other candidate in the hunt?
See, this is the kind of attitude that keeps Alabama in the situation that it is. The South in general is too concerned with the convergence of church and state. What’s worse? Alabama has the tendency to want to always side with church, regardless of the insanity of its decisions. What? Homosexuality is a sin? The Southern Baptist Church is boycotting Disney? Well, by gosh… let’s put a double ban on homosexual marriage to make sure they can feel like even less of a citizen? Why? Well, the Bible said it’s wrong. That’s why…
Sheesh, people. What about the greatest commandments that Jesus gave? Love God… love others. Hmm, maybe we should get on that.
pop-up
Every time I see them, I do a retake back to the 80s. It drives me nuts, and I just can’t for the life of me think it is remotely cool. But, popped-up collars have apprarently taken to the liking of too many.
Fortunately, one restaurant in Washington, D.C. has had enough…
i'm not dead…
<lj-cut text="and… they're in.">
<strong>COURSE TITLE GRADE</strong>
THE U.S. SINCE 1877 A
HY AMER FUNDAMENT A
ASTR OF UNIV LAB A
COMPAR POLITIC A
PHYSIC SCIENCE A
THE U.S. TO 1877 A
what does that mean? hmmm… president's list. woohoo. first time, ever. actually, first time for any list since high school. and, they'll probably wonder if something is wrong if they ever looked at my pre-UAB classes, cause they don't exactly look the same. haha. color me a braggart, but that is not my intention. i'm just excited to know that i am capable of it.</lj-cut>
so a lot has gone on since my last post. a lot.
finals weren't too bad, although i wish i had a little more time to study for them. i mean, i did fine, apparently, but still, i feel like i crammed instead of actually knowing it. i had my first final last thursday. then, it was full council at sumatanga from friday to saturday. my grandfather went into the hospital saturday morning… then drew's going away party, church on sunday, a final on sunday, and jenny's welcome back party, then back the regular insanity of work and school. final on monday and tuesday. setting up stuff for contact on wednesday night. by the time thursday got here, i didn't want to do anything, except go home and be lazy… and that's what i did.
things have been kind of crazy regarding my grandfather. he finally went home, but it has been a major stressor point for the fam. we thought he had pneumonia. turns out, he suffered congestive heart failure, with a little pneumonia mixed in. he's better now, but when he is sick, he is a completely different person. yeah, i know everyone isn't happy when they're sick, but he's been in and out of the hospital for years now… he's quickly changing; i think he's getting a bit of dementia. so, that's a pretty good reason to be stressed alone. add that in with other insane things going on, and i was at my limit.
yesterday, i had lunch with franklin and ginny. fun stuff… man, i love rojo, it's got to be my favorite mexican food, except it's not completely mexican. other than getting piping hot bean juice thrown on me when my plate was put down, it was a great lunch. during the conversation, i was trying to figure out what happened to my lj happiness. it seems when i get to busy, it's a venting board instead of a happy place. i'm working on it.
last night was art on the rocks, and it was fabulous! franklin was my date… i got called out in the bathroom by 'the other emily,' saw david on the way out of the bathroom entrances and then got to meet paige. marcus, you were the only one not in the mix, and i was sad.
is it bad that my absolute favorite part was seeing the byzantine art and 'the desert studio' again in the contemporary gallery? man, i love the bma. by the time we gawked at paintings after making what i presume to be the most hideous picture frame i've ever created, it was time to go… by 7:30 there were so many people there.
i've joked that i am totally pimping the formerly known as belkenslagon household this weekend (so is it the falkenslagon house now?). franklin was my date last night and today i'm taking brett as my date to a wedding. i know you're jealous. the wedding will prove to be oodles of fun, with my boss and her preacher hubby (he's officiating and she's a bridesmaid), jill (and maybe john!), winston (with marianna and jamie) and others in attendance. here's to ben and tracy… congrats and good luck!
now i've got some catch-up freelance work to do.