Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Re: REBUTTAL: Afrikan Origins of Fraternities & Sororities 1997 Video

Light bulbPeace & Hotep!
 
I have been observing a decent portion of the discussion of this subject
matter- As some of you all may be aware, back in September of 1989
I penned "THY KINGDOM COME: Dispelling the Greek Myth in the Black
Fraternal System", and then"TAKE A SECOND LOOK (My Sister)" in
December of 1992. Both books, respectively, on the Black Fraternal
system, and the Black Sorority system, decodified the symbol(s), signs
and (public) ritualistic action of the orders, showing their commonalities,
the root of their origins, and the direction in which they should be headed.
Since, circa winter 1989, I have been on lecture circuit speaking at colleges/universities,
mosques, lodges and other venues up and downt he east coast, and some what out \mid-west, as well.
In short, I have dealt with this subject matter from the base of the Life-Giving Teachings
of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, as (now) taught by the Honorable Minister Louis
Farrakhan. Light bulb
 
I have even done joint lectures with Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad (May Allah Be Pleased
With Him), Bro. Steve Cokely, Professor Griff (of PUBLIC ENEMY, the world renown rap
group), etc. As recent as November 15th (2011) I did a (VH1 film screening), and discussion
@ Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY (my alma mater).
 
One of the main points that I denoted in my literary work on this particular subject matter is
that what is "known" as the "Greek" alphabet is, in Truth, the Phonecian alphabet, a
(mathemtical) chart that was/is utilized (was used by the Ancient Masters of Kemet,
Ancient Ethiopia, etc.) to solve scientific problems, etc. The GOLDEN SECTION of the
Great Pyramid of KHUFU (KHUTI), which resonates the Phi-function {.618, an extremely
signficant figure w/ universal, cosmic implications}  is indeed a strong indication that the so-called
"Greek" symbols/letters do indeed have very, very important value- So, in short, we mmust
be very careful not to throw out the baby and the bath water. (smile)
 
"PHI", the 21st 'Greek" symbol/letter, when turned sideways closely resembles the Ancient
Kemetian Eye of Horus, which also relates to the All-Seeing-Eye (pictured on the back of
the American $1 dollar bill). Our Planet Earth weighs six sextillion tons, which is a unit
(number) (six) followed by twenty-one (21) ciphers (zeros). Scientists have found that
the flight pattern of the bumble bee is in accord with the Golden Mean (.618), that the
proportions of a human's facial features also resonate "Phi", that the symmetry of the
Univere vibrates on this tone. There is much to this. In physics "Phi", the symbol, is
used to represent MAGNETIC FLUX. Western, Indian and other scientists, who have
been a bit behind the eight-ball in dealing with REALITY, are now realizing that this
magnetic flux is the same energy used to fuel the WHEELS that some of us see flying
(zipping) through the friendly skies above our heads. SmileLight bulb
 
Peace,
Shahid M. Allah
Shahid M. Allah < sma103@hotmail.com >
 
 
 

 



REBUTTAL OF THE AFRIKAN ORIGIN OF FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES
My understanding of the information presented in the video indicates that, with all due respects, it does not prove its the case for the African origin of fraternities and sororities.
Although not germane to the discussion, the libation ceremony at the beginning of the video was not in keeping with Afrikan ancestral libation precepts because there was no liquid poured into the earth or a living plant.  The word libation itself refers to a pouring of a liquid that can range from water to schnapps to liquor as attribute to the ancestors.
More on point though, I believe it was stated that ancient KMT had 27 Black dynasties. Actually, many Afrikan scholars who study KMT, including some of the ASCAC scholars, only recognize 15-20+/- Afrikan dynasties of the 30 dynasties allegedly identified by the early KMT priest Manetho, which are KMT dynasties 1-12 (in which many of the signature KMT monuments including the pyramids were constructed, as well as the founding of KMT, development of its wisdom schools, etc. was  put into place), Dynasties 18 - 20 (in whole or part), Dynasty 25 called the Last Great and Mighty Walk, by Dr. Clarke, and a few others, more or less, but certainly not 27 Black dynasties. Other Afrikan scholars claim a few more, but most seem to agree that there were at least 7+ non-Afrikan dynasties starting with the 2 Hyksos dynasties, the Saite dynasties, the Persian dynasty, the Tanite dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty as well as the dynasties  in which rule was split between the KMT and others.
But back to the central issue at hand. My understanding of the video is that it is equating KMT craftsMmasonry systems during the legendary Imhotep's time with fraternities.
Merriam Webster-dictionary define fraternity as –"Men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters." 
Definitionally, KMT  cradts masonry cannot be equated with fraternity because KMT crafts masonry was not identified by Greek letters!  We know this because Imhotep lived during the 3rd KMT dynasty, approximately 4,700 years ago. Greece as we know it did not exist then, so KMT masonry could not have had Greek letters! Dr Ben said that Greece came online not much before 3,000 years ago. We know that the precursor city-states and territories that would later be considered pre-Greece existed, such as Crete which was regularly visited by Afrikans from  then-Black Libya and Carthage, who were a part of the early population base ("Egypt Revisited" & "African Presence in Early Europe".) That early Afrikan presence in pre-Greece, for this purpose, has no real impact since it was a part of the ancient Afrikan travels that took them to early pre-Spain, Britain, Asia, Russia (then called Colchis), pre-America over 40K years ago [U.Ca-Riverside 'pygmy skulls},  the Pacific Islands and more. But, when Greece came on the world scene, roughly 3,000 +/- years ago, it was a majority non-Afrikan -white state.
Further, KMT masonry was not a repository of college students in the western sense. In fact, KMT masonry is not even reflected accurately in European freemasonry.  KMT crafts masonry was predicated on 360 degrees of wisdom/knowledge (full circle, traditional Afrikan holistic concepts) while euro-based masonry only ascends to 33rd degree. What we are seeing in the claims that fraternities and/or euro freemasonry are  reflections of KMT crafts masonry is what Dr. Ben has called "distorted history".   This distortion of ancient KMT history takes many forms. For instance, it has been demonstrated by Dr Ben and others, that the Christian "cross" symbol has been distorted from its original meaning in ancient KMT.  This symbol is carved in stone in the Tomb of King Teti, founder of the 6th KMT dynasty over 4, 50 years ago {at least 2,000 years before Christianity} and it symbolizes the King's metamorphosis/transition into the spiritual realm (symbolic of the KMT concept of moving from life to life).  In Christianity, the cross is a symbol of death on a tree!  Even if we concede, for the sake off conceding, that KMT masonry had some similarities to fraternities, (secrecy/oaths, etc) that concession would in essence be meaningless since similar things are not the same things, any more than an elephant which has many similarities to humans, such as a head, eyes, mouth, skin, ears, feet, legs, etc, but it can be readily seen that the two creatures are vastly different. But, KMT masonry of Imhotep's time  could not  have had Greek letters as pointed out above, and there were  other differences between KMT masonry and fraternities as we will show.
If we went even further  just for the sake of illustration, and agree that fraternities had a KMT origin, what would it mean? Probably little.  Because to do so would mean that Greek letter frats came from Afrika after Greece itself came into existence approximately 3,000 +/-years ago. At that time KMT was essentially old and decaying and had been invaded by foreigners several times with a consequent deterioration of its traditional Afrikan-based culture. This cultural shift mitigates against the Afrikan authenticity of practically anything that comes out of Afrika after this point so that we would have to carefully examine its cultural norms to determine if the claimed event truly reflected traditional Afrikan/KMT cultural concepts or if they had been tarnished, corrupted by the invaders culture.
Continuing, anything that comes out of Afrika after it was invaded by the Hyksos, approximately 3,700 years ago, {which includes the time frame for Greece's beginnings 3,000 +/- years ago}must be viewed for authenticity through the lens of traditional KMT/Afrikan culture that existed prior to the invasion! We know that KMT changed in many ways from its traditional Afrikan/KMT cultural value system after it was first invaded by the Hyksos foreigners in the 15th dynasty. Manetho, the ancient KMT priest said that the Huksos "easily overpowered the rulers of the land, " Some scholars maintain that the Hyksos lived among the KMT people in the Delta area of lower (northern) KMT, infiltrating KMT traditional culture to the point that when they mounted their invasion, it was accomplished with little difficulty. KMT had changed!  The Hyksos ruled in the low lands (north) while the remnant of the KMT leadership and people retreated  up south, back home.  There , one of the kings took as a part of his Heru ("royal") name, the title "Whmy Msw" (Carruthers, Hilliard) which means "repitition of the birth'' as a means of rallying the defeated KMT people by challenging them  to return to the source, Afrikan origins, to the traditions, to their ancient culture, that made KMT the greatest and longest-lived  nation on earth. He recognized that KMT had strayed from its indigenous cultural, social, spiritual ways which led to its defeat.  He was motivating the KMT people to a renaissance, a return to its roots. After rallying the people, they were able to defeat the Hyksos and drive them from the land and then they established the Black  18th KMT dynasty.  But still, the foreign influences had set in. So that over 700 years+/- later and after several other foreign invasions, when Greece came on line and it also invaded KMT, we can not assume that even if KMT was the source of fraternities, that it really reflected true, traditional Afrikan culture that existed prior to the invasion of the Hyksos, or could such changes have been merely the passing on of distorted foreign cultural trash?
Now we know that in the education of primarily the KMT Priesthood in what is called the mystery system, that the priests and selected other initiates were carefully screened, tested, observed and sworn to secrecy prior to them being admitted to their studies.  The secrecy requirement was necessary because of the very high level of the knowledge that they would be exposed to. Diop said that the selection process focused primarily on the very exceptional person who were screened extensively especially to determine whether they could be trusted with the very advanced knowledge they would receive. Particularly, the chief priests wanted to be very certain that the priest/students would not use this advanced knowledge in any inappropriate way.  The knowledge according to James/Ampim was not only very high level training in the hard  physical sciences, but also included training in the metaphysical/occult science arena, what some call "magic", psychic phenomena, dream engineering, etc. so we can readily see the need for security in the dispensing of this type of world-ruling knowledge, particularly during the very early  period when many non-Afrikan cultures still believed the earth was flat!  But, in contrast, what profound knowledge are Greek letter Black frats protecting that swears them to secrecy?
Parallel to, and perhaps a part of the KMT priestly training system was the education of the high level crafts/masons who built the various mastabas of Imhotep's period and later the follow-on pyramids.  One such "grandmaster mason/craftsman" was Mereruka who lived during the 6th KMT dynasty period, approximately 4, 350 years ago. These masons/craftsmen/priests also typically trained for 40 years reaching 360 degrees of wisdom/knowledge/enlightenment. Here we see the depictions carved on the walls of the tombs and temples of KMT of the crafts masons wearing the apron, sitting on the square, or walking with left foot forward,  all depictions that euro masons from George Washington on attempt to copy.  Like Mereruka, all craftsmen overseers/master masons/priests were sworn to secrecy due to the very high level of education that they were entrusted with.  This secrecy was evident as late as 1978 when Japanese engineers tried without success to replicate the building of a pyramid in present day Egypt using what they thought were the techniques the ancient KMT civilization used over  4,600 years ago. The Japanese utterly failed to build a very small 30-foot tall pyramid in the very early stages of attempting to cut stone from the quarry without power tools as the ancestors did. (Browder)
However, according to Carruthers, in KMT, the typical non-priest educational system was either crafts/skill based or scribe-based. The scribes were educated to a level approaching today's Ph. D level.  They not only learned the Mdw Ntr writing/language system but also were taught history, math, science, engineering, botany, metallurgy and so forth. When they wrote the language in stone or papyrus and depicted an animal, for instance, that drawing was not a generic one, but botanically correct of the species they were showing. From the scribal level, student could progress on to be diplomats, doctors, engineers, government officials, etc.  They were not typically sworn to secrecy nor took an oath.
 Thus, the KMT general education/college system did not approach the system of the euro –based Greek letter fraternity. And further, despite the euro masons use of aprons , and the fraternities use of sworn oaths/secrecy and perhaps  other symbols of ancient KMT crafts masonry,  they are NOT the same.  KMT masonry was not a socially-oriented/party-phi-harty system with secret handshakes and the Greek letters of a culture that hadn't even begun, and which would later invade, enslave, devastate and plunder the enormous wealth and immense knowledge of KMT for its own devious and greedy purposes! KMT crafts masonry had a much more profound purpose, a much more spiritual orientation. Indeed they were as the ancestors said, "building for eternity", replicating in their structures on earth the spiritual essence of "as above, so below,  and as below, so above."
It appears that, despite some of the Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities societal contributions and educational activism, a prominent reason that they catch hell is because of their obedience to the Greek letter tradition they inherited from the first US white Greek letter fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. The history behind the choice of Greek letters revolves around the euro perception that early Greece was the fountain head of both the world's first civilization and educational supremacy.  Both perceptions are totally false, when one examines the accurate historical record of the world. There was no civilization genesis that preceded Afrkan civilization, none, period!.  There was no education genius prior to Afrikan educational intellectualism!  The Afrikan TWA people of southern Afrika are regarded widely as the very first humans on the planet and had the world's first civilization that still exists today. ( T'Shaka). They traveled widely, including visits to what is now Europe, Asia and are credited with having a role in the building of Stonehenge in England (Churchward), and visited pre-America over 40,000 years ago (Dr. D. Imhotep ). The ancient people of what is now Botswana in southern Afrika were the first to smelt iron over 40,000 years ago. Uncivilized and uneducated people would not even have the scientific understanding to know that they could obtain a hard metal from stones, and use those metals to make tools and implement to assist them in farming and other purposes. The people of what is now the Congo area  had developed a mathematical calculating tool analogous to a slide rule over 25,000 years ago known as the Ishango Bone. Of course, the pre-KMT Afrikans of ancient Kush/Nubia had developed the very early civilizations along the Hapi (Nile) River thousands of years prior to their birth of KMT (without a doubt the world's highest civilization. All of these civilization s and educational developments by indigenous Afrikans happened before Greece or Europe, as Dr Clarke has said,  "had a shoe to wear or a house with a window in it". Later, the KMT culture would provide the higher education for many of the early Greek scholars including Pythagoras (apprx. 2,700 years ago {Rashidi}), followed by Euclid, Thales, Plato  (James) ,and many others. It is said that every Greek who could afford it, traveled to KMT for their higher education (James), and that those who could not come to KMT altered their educational credentials to show that they also had studied in KMT (Hilliard).  KMT was so many light years removed from Greece in both civilization and educational prowess that KMT called the Greeks "children" in educational attainment. Further, the KMT priests told the Greek Herodutus (the so-called father of history) that there was not anything under the sun that KMT did not know! (Diop) 
There is so much more documented KMT/Afrikan history that we can bring to bear on this issue if we choose to do so. But, given this summary background, it becomes even more unlikely that KMT would have generated a Greek letter fraternity tradition!   It may be understandable, in consideration of the racial bias of Europeans, that they  would look to Greece as their source of civilization and educational enlightenment, even though the early Greeks  called the euros "barbarians." But, KMT Afrikans, or present day Afrikans–In-America revering Greece and following their white Greek letter frats is absurd!
By following the lead of the euros, they are seen as mere imitators, rather than creators, and are not only on the wrong side of history, more seriously, they are disgracing their own people, their own great history, their own elders, and them selves. Instead of training to be leaders, they are already acclimating themselves to follow their euro oppressors traditions without question. What does it take to drop the Greek letters? As an oppressed people, we are always changing to seek identification, Kugichagulia (self-determination).  From nigger to colored, to Negro, to Black, to Afrikan American.  We changed our personal names from European ones. We've changed the name of Thanksgiving, we are even changing the name of 'mentors', we no longer talk of the ghetto, we changed our politics from the party of Lincoln (the so-called Great Emancipator) to the Democrats and some are changing back, and even some previously Black Greek fraternities and sororities have seen the light and have changed their Greek letters for Afrikan–based nomenclature.
We hear of a Black non-Greek letter fraternity called "KMT" that was formed by Dr Charles Finch in the 1980s that had chapters at several colleges. As well as the "Order of Kush", formed in 2005.  Both of these Black fraternities are steps in the right direction.
Kwasi
In a message dated 11/21/2011 10:45:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, imanifoundation@yahoo.com writes:
Brother Seko Varner, formerly of the Imani Foundation of Hamton Roads Virginia speaks to students at Norfolk State University in 1997 about his research on the African Origins of Frats & Sorors. This event was sponsored by the men of Alpha Phi Alpha from Norfolk State University. This is a speech originally developed for Seko's fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, in 1994 for an Achievement Week Lecture explained Brother Seko.
 
Seko Varner was contacted prior to the internet posting of this video on 11/12/2011 obtaining his reluctant permission. Seko wishes to emphasize that this lecture was done in the "youth of (his) consciousness."; While he would present the same information today if asked, (he) "would change language to better reflect the times and current enviroment of our great country America. There ar e some things that will be taken out of context when viewed through the lens of the ultra-politically correct and overly sensitive paradigm of our so-called 'Post Racial" America." Seko further emphasized that while many of his "Conscious" and "Christian" peers have gone to reject affiliations with their Greek Lettered Organizations, he has chosen to remain active in Conscious, Christian, and Greek Lettered organizations - much to the dismissal of many of his former peers. "It's a bit sad to have backs turned upon you, but as my 'Calling'-'Incarnation Objective'-'Placement'-'Mission", whatever one wants to call it becomes clearer to me. I know I am going to have some disown me. The goal, My Goal is Improvement. Black Improvement, American Improvement, World Improvement, Self Improvement........ not amassing a group of peers."
 
Seko also admitted that this was one of his worst lectures and he wishes he could do it over to better provide correct i nformation and clarity. Seko is now involved in the promotion of a concept he calls "Black Improvement" which he considers an extension of the fight against White Supremacy and Black Inferiority.
 
 
 
Sister Imani Virginia
 
 


 

Africans in Early Europe - Runoko Rashidi 2002

Runoko Rashidi presents for The Imani Foundation (of Virginia) in 2002 a slide lecture revealing his research into the African presence in Early Europe.
 
 
Imani Virginia

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

REBUTTAL:[TCC] Afrikan Origins of Fraternities & Sororities 1997 Video

REBUTTAL OF THE AFRIKAN ORIGIN OF FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES

My understanding of the information presented in the video indicates that, with all due respects, it does not prove its the case for the African origin of fraternities and sororities.

Although not germane to the discussion, the libation ceremony at the beginning of the video was not in keeping with Afrikan ancestral libation precepts because there was no liquid poured into the earth or a living plant.  The word libation itself refers to a pouring of a liquid that can range from water to schnapps to liquor as attribute to the ancestors.

More on point though, I believe it was stated that ancient KMT had 27 Black dynasties. Actually, many Afrikan scholars who study KMT, including some of the ASCAC scholars, only recognize 15-20+/- Afrikan dynasties of the 30 dynasties allegedly identified by the early KMT priest Manetho, which are KMT dynasties 1-12 (in which many of the signature KMT monuments including the pyramids were constructed, as well as the founding of KMT, development of its wisdom schools, etc. was  put into place), Dynasties 18 - 20 (in whole or part), Dynasty 25 called the Last Great and Mighty Walk, by Dr. Clarke, and a few others, more or less, but certainly not 27 Black dynasties. Other Afrikan scholars claim a few more, but most seem to agree that there were at least 7+ non-Afrikan dynasties starting with the 2 Hyksos dynasties, the Saite dynasties, the Persian dynasty, the Tanite dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty as well as the dynasties  in which rule was split between the KMT and others.

But back to the central issue at hand. My understanding of the video is that it is equating KMT craftsMmasonry systems during the legendary Imhotep's time with fraternities.

Merriam Webster-dictionary define fraternity as –"Men's student organization formed chiefly for social purposes having secret rites and a name consisting of Greek letters." 

Definitionally, KMT  cradts masonry cannot be equated with fraternity because KMT crafts masonry was not identified by Greek letters!  We know this because Imhotep lived during the 3rd KMT dynasty, approximately 4,700 years ago. Greece as we know it did not exist then, so KMT masonry could not have had Greek letters! Dr Ben said that Greece came online not much before 3,000 years ago. We know that the precursor city-states and territories that would later be considered pre-Greece existed, such as Crete which was regularly visited by Afrikans from  then-Black Libya and Carthage, who were a part of the early population base ("Egypt Revisited" & "African Presence in Early Europe".) That early Afrikan presence in pre-Greece, for this purpose, has no real impact since it was a part of the ancient Afrikan travels that took them to early pre-Spain, Britain, Asia, Russia (then called Colchis), pre-America over 40K years ago [U.Ca-Riverside 'pygmy skulls},  the Pacific Islands and more. But, when Greece came on the world scene, roughly 3,000 +/- years ago, it was a majority non-Afrikan -white state.

Further, KMT masonry was not a repository of college students in the western sense. In fact, KMT masonry is not even reflected accurately in European freemasonry.  KMT crafts masonry was predicated on 360 degrees of wisdom/knowledge (full circle, traditional Afrikan holistic concepts) while euro-based masonry only ascends to 33rd degree. What we are seeing in the claims that fraternities and/or euro freemasonry are  reflections of KMT crafts masonry is what Dr. Ben has called "distorted history".   This distortion of ancient KMT history takes many forms. For instance, it has been demonstrated by Dr Ben and others, that the Christian "cross" symbol has been distorted from its original meaning in ancient KMT.  This symbol is carved in stone in the Tomb of King Teti, founder of the 6th KMT dynasty over 4, 50 years ago {at least 2,000 years before Christianity} and it symbolizes the King's metamorphosis/transition into the spiritual realm (symbolic of the KMT concept of moving from life to life).  In Christianity, the cross is a symbol of death on a tree!  Even if we concede, for the sake off conceding, that KMT masonry had some similarities to fraternities, (secrecy/oaths, etc) that concession would in essence be meaningless since similar things are not the same things, any more than an elephant which has many similarities to humans, such as a head, eyes, mouth, skin, ears, feet, legs, etc, but it can be readily seen that the two creatures are vastly different. But, KMT masonry of Imhotep's time  could not  have had Greek letters as pointed out above, and there were  other differences between KMT masonry and fraternities as we will show.

If we went even further  just for the sake of illustration, and agree that fraternities had a KMT origin, what would it mean? Probably little.  Because to do so would mean that Greek letter frats came from Afrika after Greece itself came into existence approximately 3,000 +/-years ago. At that time KMT was essentially old and decaying and had been invaded by foreigners several times with a consequent deterioration of its traditional Afrikan-based culture. This cultural shift mitigates against the Afrikan authenticity of practically anything that comes out of Afrika after this point so that we would have to carefully examine its cultural norms to determine if the claimed event truly reflected traditional Afrikan/KMT cultural concepts or if they had been tarnished, corrupted by the invaders culture.

Continuing, anything that comes out of Afrika after it was invaded by the Hyksos, approximately 3,700 years ago, {which includes the time frame for Greece's beginnings 3,000 +/- years ago}must be viewed for authenticity through the lens of traditional KMT/Afrikan culture that existed prior to the invasion! We know that KMT changed in many ways from its traditional Afrikan/KMT cultural value system after it was first invaded by the Hyksos foreigners in the 15th dynasty. Manetho, the ancient KMT priest said that the Huksos "easily overpowered the rulers of the land, " Some scholars maintain that the Hyksos lived among the KMT people in the Delta area of lower (northern) KMT, infiltrating KMT traditional culture to the point that when they mounted their invasion, it was accomplished with little difficulty. KMT had changed!  The Hyksos ruled in the low lands (north) while the remnant of the KMT leadership and people retreated  up south, back home.  There , one of the kings took as a part of his Heru ("royal") name, the title "Whmy Msw" (Carruthers, Hilliard) which means "repitition of the birth'' as a means of rallying the defeated KMT people by challenging them  to return to the source, Afrikan origins, to the traditions, to their ancient culture, that made KMT the greatest and longest-lived  nation on earth. He recognized that KMT had strayed from its indigenous cultural, social, spiritual ways which led to its defeat.  He was motivating the KMT people to a renaissance, a return to its roots. After rallying the people, they were able to defeat the Hyksos and drive them from the land and then they established the Black  18th KMT dynasty.  But still, the foreign influences had set in. So that over 700 years+/- later and after several other foreign invasions, when Greece came on line and it also invaded KMT, we can not assume that even if KMT was the source of fraternities, that it really reflected true, traditional Afrikan culture that existed prior to the invasion of the Hyksos, or could such changes have been merely the passing on of distorted foreign cultural trash?

Now we know that in the education of primarily the KMT Priesthood in what is called the mystery system, that the priests and selected other initiates were carefully screened, tested, observed and sworn to secrecy prior to them being admitted to their studies.  The secrecy requirement was necessary because of the very high level of the knowledge that they would be exposed to. Diop said that the selection process focused primarily on the very exceptional person who were screened extensively especially to determine whether they could be trusted with the very advanced knowledge they would receive. Particularly, the chief priests wanted to be very certain that the priest/students would not use this advanced knowledge in any inappropriate way.  The knowledge according to James/Ampim was not only very high level training in the hard  physical sciences, but also included training in the metaphysical/occult science arena, what some call "magic", psychic phenomena, dream engineering, etc. so we can readily see the need for security in the dispensing of this type of world-ruling knowledge, particularly during the very early  period when many non-Afrikan cultures still believed the earth was flat!  But, in contrast, what profound knowledge are Greek letter Black frats protecting that swears them to secrecy?

Parallel to, and perhaps a part of the KMT priestly training system was the education of the high level crafts/masons who built the various mastabas of Imhotep's period and later the follow-on pyramids.  One such "grandmaster mason/craftsman" was Mereruka who lived during the 6th KMT dynasty period, approximately 4, 350 years ago. These masons/craftsmen/priests also typically trained for 40 years reaching 360 degrees of wisdom/knowledge/enlightenment. Here we see the depictions carved on the walls of the tombs and temples of KMT of the crafts masons wearing the apron, sitting on the square, or walking with left foot forward,  all depictions that euro masons from George Washington on attempt to copy.  Like Mereruka, all craftsmen overseers/master masons/priests were sworn to secrecy due to the very high level of education that they were entrusted with.  This secrecy was evident as late as 1978 when Japanese engineers tried without success to replicate the building of a pyramid in present day Egypt using what they thought were the techniques the ancient KMT civilization used over  4,600 years ago. The Japanese utterly failed to build a very small 30-foot tall pyramid in the very early stages of attempting to cut stone from the quarry without power tools as the ancestors did. (Browder)

However, according to Carruthers, in KMT, the typical non-priest educational system was either crafts/skill based or scribe-based. The scribes were educated to a level approaching today's Ph. D level.  They not only learned the Mdw Ntr writing/language system but also were taught history, math, science, engineering, botany, metallurgy and so forth. When they wrote the language in stone or papyrus and depicted an animal, for instance, that drawing was not a generic one, but botanically correct of the species they were showing. From the scribal level, student could progress on to be diplomats, doctors, engineers, government officials, etc.  They were not typically sworn to secrecy nor took an oath.

 Thus, the KMT general education/college system did not approach the system of the euro –based Greek letter fraternity. And further, despite the euro masons use of aprons , and the fraternities use of sworn oaths/secrecy and perhaps  other symbols of ancient KMT crafts masonry,  they are NOT the same.  KMT masonry was not a socially-oriented/party-phi-harty system with secret handshakes and the Greek letters of a culture that hadn't even begun, and which would later invade, enslave, devastate and plunder the enormous wealth and immense knowledge of KMT for its own devious and greedy purposes! KMT crafts masonry had a much more profound purpose, a much more spiritual orientation. Indeed they were as the ancestors said, "building for eternity", replicating in their structures on earth the spiritual essence of "as above, so below,  and as below, so above."

It appears that, despite some of the Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities societal contributions and educational activism, a prominent reason that they catch hell is because of their obedience to the Greek letter tradition they inherited from the first US white Greek letter fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. The history behind the choice of Greek letters revolves around the euro perception that early Greece was the fountain head of both the world's first civilization and educational supremacy.  Both perceptions are totally false, when one examines the accurate historical record of the world. There was no civilization genesis that preceded Afrkan civilization, none, period!.  There was no education genius prior to Afrikan educational intellectualism!  The Afrikan TWA people of southern Afrika are regarded widely as the very first humans on the planet and had the world's first civilization that still exists today. ( T'Shaka). They traveled widely, including visits to what is now Europe, Asia and are credited with having a role in the building of Stonehenge in England (Churchward), and visited pre-America over 40,000 years ago (Dr. D. Imhotep ). The ancient people of what is now Botswana in southern Afrika were the first to smelt iron over 40,000 years ago. Uncivilized and uneducated people would not even have the scientific understanding to know that they could obtain a hard metal from stones, and use those metals to make tools and implement to assist them in farming and other purposes. The people of what is now the Congo area  had developed a mathematical calculating tool analogous to a slide rule over 25,000 years ago known as the Ishango Bone. Of course, the pre-KMT Afrikans of ancient Kush/Nubia had developed the very early civilizations along the Hapi (Nile) River thousands of years prior to their birth of KMT (without a doubt the world's highest civilization. All of these civilization s and educational developments by indigenous Afrikans happened before Greece or Europe, as Dr Clarke has said,  "had a shoe to wear or a house with a window in it". Later, the KMT culture would provide the higher education for many of the early Greek scholars including Pythagoras (apprx. 2,700 years ago {Rashidi}), followed by Euclid, Thales, Plato  (James) ,and many others. It is said that every Greek who could afford it, traveled to KMT for their higher education (James), and that those who could not come to KMT altered their educational credentials to show that they also had studied in KMT (Hilliard).  KMT was so many light years removed from Greece in both civilization and educational prowess that KMT called the Greeks "children" in educational attainment. Further, the KMT priests told the Greek Herodutus (the so-called father of history) that there was not anything under the sun that KMT did not know! (Diop) 

There is so much more documented KMT/Afrikan history that we can bring to bear on this issue if we choose to do so. But, given this summary background, it becomes even more unlikely that KMT would have generated a Greek letter fraternity tradition!   It may be understandable, in consideration of the racial bias of Europeans, that they  would look to Greece as their source of civilization and educational enlightenment, even though the early Greeks  called the euros "barbarians." But, KMT Afrikans, or present day Afrikans–In-America revering Greece and following their white Greek letter frats is absurd!

By following the lead of the euros, they are seen as mere imitators, rather than creators, and are not only on the wrong side of history, more seriously, they are disgracing their own people, their own great history, their own elders, and them selves. Instead of training to be leaders, they are already acclimating themselves to follow their euro oppressors traditions without question. What does it take to drop the Greek letters? As an oppressed people, we are always changing to seek identification, Kugichagulia (self-determination).  From nigger to colored, to Negro, to Black, to Afrikan American.  We changed our personal names from European ones. We've changed the name of Thanksgiving, we are even changing the name of 'mentors', we no longer talk of the ghetto, we changed our politics from the party of Lincoln (the so-called Great Emancipator) to the Democrats and some are changing back, and even some previously Black Greek fraternities and sororities have seen the light and have changed their Greek letters for Afrikan–based nomenclature.

We hear of a Black non-Greek letter fraternity called "KMT" that was formed by Dr Charles Finch in the 1980s that had chapters at several colleges. As well as the "Order of Kush", formed in 2005.  Both of these Black fraternities are steps in the right direction.

Kwasi

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/21/2011 10:45:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, imanifoundation@yahoo.com writes:
 

 
Brother Seko Varner, formerly of the Imani Foundation of Hamton Roads Virginia speaks to students at Norfolk State University in 1997 about his research on the African Origins of Frats & Sorors. This event was sponsored by the men of Alpha Phi Alpha from Norfolk State University. This is a speech originally developed for Seko's fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, in 1994 for an Achievement Week Lecture explained Brother Seko.
 
Seko Varner was contacted prior to the internet posting of this video on 11/12/2011 obtaining his reluctant permission. Seko wishes to emphasize that this lecture was done in the "youth of (his) consciousness."; While he would present the same information today if asked, (he) "would change language to better reflect the times and current enviroment of our great country America. There ar e some things that will be taken out of context when viewed through the lens of the ultra-politically correct and overly sensitive paradigm of our so-called 'Post Racial" America." Seko further emphasized that while many of his "Conscious" and "Christian" peers have gone to reject affiliations with their Greek Lettered Organizations, he has chosen to remain active in Conscious, Christian, and Greek Lettered organizations - much to the dismissal of many of his former peers. "It's a bit sad to have backs turned upon you, but as my 'Calling'-'Incarnation Objective'-'Placement'-'Mission", whatever one wants to call it becomes clearer to me. I know I am going to have some disown me. The goal, My Goal is Improvement. Black Improvement, American Improvement, World Improvement, Self Improvement........ not amassing a group of peers."
 
Seko also admitted that this was one of his worst lectures and he wishes he could do it over to better provide correct i nformation and clarity. Seko is now involved in the promotion of a concept he calls "Black Improvement" which he considers an extension of the fight against White Supremacy and Black Inferiority.
 
 
 
Sister Imani Virginia


--
Posted By The Imani Foundation to TCC at 11/21/2011 07:45:00 PM

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Monday, November 28, 2011

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan - November 23, 2012

FinalCall.com News
The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
On "Connect the Dots" Radio Show
*** Listen to the Interview Replay *** 
This email is sponsored by StoreFinalCall.com - Where Knowledge is the Key!

Bro. Robert and Minister Louis Farrakhan (FinalCall.com) - Brother Robert Muhammad, host of "Connect the Dots" radio show on 90.1 KPFT FM in Houston interviewed The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for one hour on Wednesday, November 23.
 
Minister Farrakhan delivered analysis of national and international affairs in light of history, scripture, and prophecy for the radio listeners and those tuning in nationwide via internet.
 
No technical disruptions. No commercial interruptions.  
 
 
 
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The Divine Value of Women
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"9-9-9: The Movie"

Nov 28, 2011: "9-9-9: The Movie"
 
DONATE NOW
Dear Patriots and Supporters,

My "9-9-9 Plan" will put Americans back to work and jumpstart this economy.

I am proud to announce that my campaign has just released "9-9-9 The Movie" to help spread the simple message of my "9-9-9 Plan" to every voter in America.

Click here to be one of the first to watch "9-9-9 The Movie".  

Please consider contributing to my campaign to help spread my movie around the internet.  Your donation of $25, $50, $100, $500, $1000 or more will be used to pay for advertising around the web.  It is imperative that every American watch my new movie!

Americans know that the current tax system is broken. It suffocates American business growth and is a leading cause for our slow economic recovery over the past few years.  

So, what would happen if we scrapped all 82,000 pages of the current tax code and simplified things with my "9-9-9 Plan"?  

With the "9-9-9 Plan" the economy would accelerate faster than Barrack Obama on his way out of town.  

We would add two trillion dollars to GDP, and create six million jobs.  

Business investment would increase by a third.  

Wages would go up 10%, at the same time federal revenues would go up 15%.

In addition to paying for web advertising to promote "9-9-9 The Movie" your donation will also pay for my sequel movie which is scheduled to debut next week.

Please donate whatever you can today... 

          ...and tell your friends on Facebook, followers on Twitter, and everyone in your address book about my new movie! Help spread the word and help us get America working again!

Thank you for your support. 

Sincerely, 
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Herman Cain
 
 
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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Pray the Devil Back To Hell !

Subject: Pray the Devil Back To Hell, Earn Ron Brown Scholarship; DeVry Offers Free Classes to high School Juniors and Seniors; The More Math You Take, The More Money You Make; Rev. Catherine Jackson's Women's Leadership Conference.
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Pray the Devil Back To Hell!!!
Help end the war of youth violence that is killing our children in the streets of America.  If the women of Liberia can end violence by praying and acting, so can we.
 Join the women of Chicago as they pray the
devil of violence in Chicago back to hell.
Pray The Devil Back to Hell!
on
Monday, December 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2011
Film: 6:30 pm 
Discussion and Prayer: 7:30 pm
at 
The Black Star Project
3509 South King Drive, Suite 2B
Chicago, Illinois
$5.00 for members - $10:00 for non-members.  Space is limited. You must RSVP and arrive at least 10 minutes before film time to be guaranteed your seat. All seats will be sold starting 10 minutes before film time. Please call 773.285.9600 to RSVP your seat.
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Being sick and tire of being sick and tired is not enough!  You must pray and you must act. On Monday, December 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2011, the women of Chicago will gather to see the powerful movement and documentary of women that brought peace to war torn Liberia, Pray the Devil Back to Hell.  And the women of Chicago will work to pray the devil of violence and despair that is in Chicago back to Hell! Join them.
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African American High School Seniors
Can Apply for Ron Brown Scholarships 
by January 2012
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Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown
This program seeks to identify African-American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society.

Applicants must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. The applicant must be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card. Current college students are not eligible to apply.

Recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States.

Ron Brown Scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline. More than 200 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars since the inception of the Program.



Award Amount:
$10,000

Deadline:
Usually in January

Click Here to apply.
Join Rev. Catherine Jackson
for Her Leadership Conference
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 Chicago High School Workshops
for Juniors and Seniors
2011-2012
 Free College Level Courses for High School Students
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Health Information Technology Day and Showcase
Thursday, October 20, 2011, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Discover a field that works with administrators, physicians, nurses and other clinicians to achieve total health information solutions for patients and service providers. Hands-on activity and an employer panel.  Includes lunch.

ACT Prep Review
Saturday, December 3, 2011
9:00 AM to 3:30 PM

The review session will help prepare students to take the ACT.  Math and Science sessions will be taught by DeVry professors using official ACT review materials.  Each student will receive an ACT review booklet, free of charge.  Includes lunch.

Scholarship Workshop
Saturday, December 10, 2011
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Discover how to develop plans for financing your education.  Gain an understanding of Federal Aid Programs and how to complete the FAFSA process.  Learn how to find and apply for scholarships.  Includes lunch.

Forensic Accounting Workshop
Friday, January 20, 2012
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

DeVry University, its Keller Graduate school of Management and Becker Professional Education invite you to attend the forensic accounting workshop where your students can discover the educational requirements, career paths, and participate in a hands-on experiment from experts in the forensic accounting field.  Includes lunch.

Electronics / Engineering Day and Showcase
Thursday, February 23, 2012
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

DeVry's degree programs in the electronics field are based on the fundamentals of the technology driving today's systems.  Through hands-on activities, students will explore basic electronics, telecommunications, biomedical technology, and controls and instrumentation. Includes lunch.
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Careers in Networking and Computer Information Systems Day
Thursday, March 29, 2012
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Explore opportunities in technology careers. Students discover telecommunications and computer technology in hands-on sessions.  Includes lunch.

HerWorld
Thursday, March 15, 2012
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Women are strongly suited for careers in business and technology.  Explore the reasons why by viewing the multimedia presentation, participating in activities, and hearing advice from the panel of female professionals.  Includes meal.

Imagine Showcase-Web Graphic Design
Thursday, May 10, 2012
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Be part of a hands-on workshop and showcase that provides information on web site creation using design elements such as color, form, function and perspective.  Discover more about graphic design career opportunities. Includes lunch

net.builders
Monday, June 25 through Saturday, June 30, 2012
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

net.builders is a six-day summer scholars program that focuses on technology, career awareness and business skills.  Students will experience technology by exploring the Internet and learning to create a web site.  Professional skills are enhanced by learning and applying presentation skills. 

Finale includes lunch.

Other Offerings 
Passport2College is a tuition-free program offered by DeVry University for qualified high school juniors to earn college credit in pre-approved business and technology courses.  Call 773-697-2002 for more information.

Visit the Campus
For an interactive workshop and tour or Crash a Class, please call 773-697-2002 for information.  Pre-registration required for all programs.  For more information contact: Karin Kushino at kkushino@devry.edu or 773-697-2002.
We Need Teachers of Color
"Increasing the number of teachers of color is not only a matter of a philosophical commitment to diversity in career opportunities. Teachers of color provide real-life examples to minority students of future career paths. In this way, increasing the number of current teachers of color may be instrumental to increasing the number of future teachers of color. And while there are effective teachers of many races, teachers of color have demonstrated success in increasing academic achievement for engaging students of similar backgrounds."
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Few Minority Teachers In Classrooms, Gap Attributed To Bias And Low Graduation Rates 
 
November 11, 2011

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Photo provided by The Black star Project
Minority students will likely outnumber white students in the next decade or two, but the failure of the national teacher demographic to keep up with that trend is hurting minority students who tend to benefit from teachers with similar backgrounds.

Minority students make up more than 40 percent of the national public school population, while only 17 percent of the country's teachers are minorities, according to a report released this week by the Center for American Progress.

"This is a problem for students, schools, and the public at large. Teachers of color serve as role models for students, giving them a clear and concrete sense of what diversity in education--and in our society--looks like," the report's authors write. "A recent review of empirical studies also shows that students of color do better on a variety of academic outcomes if they're taught by teachers of color."

Using data from the 2008 Schools and Staffing Survey, the most recent data available, researchers found that more than 20 states have gaps of 25 percentage points or more between the diversity of their teachers and students.

California yielded the largest discrepancy of 43 percentage points, with 72 percent minority students compared with 29 percent minority teachers. Nevada and Illinois had the second and third largest gaps, of 41 and 35 percentage points, respectively.

In a second report, the CAP notes that in more than 40 percent of the nation's public schools, there are no minority teachers at all. The dearth of diversity in the teaching force could show that fewer minorities are interested in teaching or that there are fewer minorities qualified to teach.

"Increasing the number of teachers of color is not only a matter of a philosophical commitment to diversity in career opportunities. Teachers of color provide real-life examples to minority students of future career paths," the researchers write. "In this way, increasing the number of current teachers of color may be instrumental to increasing the number of future teachers of color. And while there are effective teachers of many races, teachers of color have demonstrated success in increasing academic achievement for engaging students of similar backgrounds."

This large discrepancy between minority teachers and minority students can be attributable to low graduation rates among many minority groups, according to the report. While high school graduation is a minimum requirement for the teaching profession, just over half of black, Latino and Native American students finish high school. College entrance and completion rates are similarly low -- with only 56 percent of black students and 64 percent of Latino high school graduates going on to college. Less than half of both black and Latino students finished college in 2007.
In addition, the high cost of college also drives many minority students away from pursuing higher education.

In an August Huffington Post report, Enrique Murillo, a professor of education at California State University, San Bernardino, said the disparity "has created a cultural and linguistic gulf" that especially hurts students who take English as a second language. Murillo is also commissioner of the California Student Aid Commission and executive director of Latino Education and Advocacy Days.

"There's so few of us in general in the educational pipeline, so the pool is really small," Murillo told HuffPost. "It stems from the overall crisis in Latino education. The main crux here is that there's a mismatch between school and home, and Latino educators are bridge builders that help close that mismatch."

CAP's paper reports several case studies of initiatives that aim to increase teacher recruitment and retention among those groups, including Teach for America and The New Teacher Project-Fellowship Programs.

Among the center's recommendations for closing the teacher-student diversity gap:
  • Increasing federal oversight of and increased accountability for teacher preparation programs. This is the first step in ensuring that minority teachers emerge from teacher preparation programs with the skills needed to be effective teachers. The federal government can also take the lead on requesting programs to report on diversity efforts.
  • Creating statewide initiatives to fund teacher preparation programs aimed at low-income and minority teachers.
  • Strengthening federal financial aid programs for low-income students entering the teaching field.
  • Reducing the cost of becoming a teacher by creating more avenues to enter the field and increasing the number of qualified credentialing organizations.
  • Strengthening state-sponsored and nonprofit teacher recruitment and training organizations by increasing standards for admission, using best practices to recruit high-achieving minority students, and forming strong relationships with districts to ensure recruitment needs are met. 
The More Math You Take,
The More Money You Make!
 
Higher Math in High School Means Higher Earnings Later 
 
Research Brief - JULY 2001 ISSUE #48
 
There is a well-established correlation between years of schooling and labor market success. However, it stands to reason that it is not just years of education that affect future earnings. The curriculum-the kinds of courses a student takes-certainly must have an effect. For example, it seems reasonable that students who take more-advanced math courses in high school should be more likely to pursue postsecondary education and to have higher earnings. For a number of reasons, it is important to understand whether this is true.

First, if high school curriculum does affect educational and labor market outcomes, policies aimed at encouraging students to take a more-advanced curriculum may be a way of increasing both college attendance and later earnings. Second, with the recent elimination of affirmative action programs in California, minority access to postsecondary education may have suffered. If so, this would have severe implications for income inequality between different ethnic groups. Encouraging minority students to take more math might improve their chances of enrolling in college. Third, if a more rigorous curriculum does affect the probability of going on to college and having higher earnings, perhaps more money should be spent on improving curriculum, as opposed to other options, such as spending designed to reduce class size.

In Math Matters: The Links Between High School Curriculum, College Graduation, and Earnings, Heather Rose and Julian R. Betts find a strong relationship between taking advanced math courses in high school and earnings 10 years after graduation. For their analyses, they used data collected in the High School and Beyond survey of a representative sample of students who were in grade 10 in 1980. This survey includes detailed data from the students' high school transcripts, information about the highest educational degree the students attained, and information about earnings nearly 10 years after students should have graduated from high school. The survey also contains rich demographic data, as well as information about students' families and high schools, which allowed the researchers to account for many non-curriculum factors that may also be related to college graduation and earnings.

Course-Taking Behavior and Long-Term Implications

There was a great deal of variation in the course-taking behavior of the 1982 senior high school class. Twenty-six percent of students completed only vocational math courses and nothing more before leaving school. Another 8 percent stopped taking math courses after completing pre-algebra. Thirty-one percent took an algebra or geometry course, but nothing beyond, and 31 percent took a more-advanced algebra course. Only 4 percent completed a calculus course. This variation in course-taking behavior had long-term implications for these students, affecting how much education they obtained overall and how much they eventually earned in the labor force.

Correlation or Causality?
 
Although the level of math courses a student takes is correlated with college graduation rates and earnings, correlation does not necessarily imply causation. To net out the true effects of curriculum, the researchers took into account as many other potentially contributing factors as the data would allow: the student's demographic characteristics, including ethnicity and gender; measures of student motivation and ability, such as grade point average; family background, including parental education and income; and high school characteristics, including school size, teachers' education level, and the percentage of disadvantaged students at the school.

Through a series of statistical models, the researchers "washed out" each of these contributing factors until they had a pure mathematics effect. They found that the higher the level of the math course taken in high school, the greater the probability that a student would graduate from college.

Math and Earnings

The researchers' statistical models demonstrate that part of a math course's effect on earnings can be explained by its effect on the student's ultimate level of education. However, part is also explained by a cognitive effect that makes a student more productive. For example, students who take more-advanced math classes learn skills that may be directly applicable to certain jobs. They may also learn logic and reasoning skills that indirectly make them more productive.  Skills acquired through learning advanced math may also teach students how to learn, so that once they are on the job, they are promoted to more demanding and more highly paid positions than those who have acquired fewer "learning skills."

Again accounting for all of the variables noted above, the researchers show-for each level of high school math course-how much of the total earnings increase results from the "cognitive effect" and how much from the "educational effect." For example, after controlling for the student's demographic, family, and high school characteristics, one extra course in algebra or geometry is associated with 6.3 percent higher earnings. Of this effect, 3.1 percent derives from the student's ultimate education level and 3.2 percent appears to be related to the direct cognitive effect.  Of this cognitive effect, 3.0 percent remains even after controlling for the student's ability.

Conclusions and Caveat

The main message of this study is that math matters. Another principal message is that it is not simply the number of math courses a student takes that is important; what matters more is the extent to which students take more demanding courses, such as advanced algebra and geometry. That said, the authors note that for a number of reasons it would be a mistake to suddenly require that all students take advanced courses such as calculus. Such a mandate might well need to be preceded by improved teacher training as well as curriculum intervention in middle schools or even elementary schools, so that high school students are prepared to undertake advanced coursework.

In addition, it is likely that policies that force highly advanced math courses on students would increase dropout rates or result in watering down the work required to complete such courses.  What the authors do argue is that their statistical models show that the effect of math courses on earnings does not appear to vary much with respect to student or school characteristics and that a rigorous math curriculum at any school can benefit students of any type. Hence, it is important that schools have the resources to provide all students with an equal opportunity to take some of the more advanced math classes, and students should be encouraged to do so.
Occupy The Hood from the Heartland - Columbia, Missouri
Black Star Logo 
Columbia residents invited to
'Occupy the Hood' event 
BY Hilary Niles
Friday, November 18, 2011  
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COLUMBIA - Tyree Byndom wants everyone to know that while the "Occupy the Hood" gathering that will take place Saturday at his downtown home is about solidarity, it is even more so about action. 
 
"It's a little different from Occupy Wall Street," said Byndom, a longtime Columbia resident and, increasingly, community activist. He said his three central questions for those who come to the open meeting will be: "What do you want to do? What do you need? And how do you want to get it done?"

Nationally, Occupy the Hood is an off-shoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has gone global in the two-plus months since it took root in New York. Generally speaking, Occupy the Hood's aim is to integrate the burgeoning social movement with the faces and concerns of people of color, co-organizer Malik Rahsaan, a New York-based substance abuse counselor, told the Huffington Post.

To Byndom, "it means the empowerment of po' folk." He said he wants to help people escape their lethargy, entropy and disenfranchisement to become active participants in the community. He learned of the movement from Philip Jackson, executive director of the Black Star Project out of Chicago.

"Black people are used to suffering. So now that (other) people are stepping up to say, 'We're suffering,' it's a little different," Byndom said.

He has once visited the Occupy COMO protest that has been ongoing at Liberty Plaza in front of Columbia City Hall since late September, and has invited its organizers onto his community radio program Kore Issues, which airs Saturdays on 89.5 KOPN. But, he suggested, Occupy COMO is not a forum that fits everyone who might otherwise like to join the movement. 

"One of the things I've seen is that culturally, that's not something black people are going to do a lot," Byndom said, referring to his observation that Columbia's black population has not gotten involved in the protest.

Byndom plans to cook "a big old pot of spaghetti," and invites others to bring their own culinary specialties and non-alcoholic drinks. He also plans to carve out a 30-minute block of time for meditation, prayer and poetry.

He said he expects 30-40 people will show up, but that his house can hold 100.
Anyone who cannot attend in person is invited to visit Byndom's Facebook page, where he has
listed information about the gathering. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 501 N. Providence Road, across the corner from Douglass Park.
 
We need your support to continue our work.
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Our fundraising goal for this membership drive is $50,000 by January 31, 2012.

All of the funds raised will go toward supporting the Saturday University and our programs to support Black men and boys. These initiatives need your support as a community of concerned citizens to continue the important work.

If you value our efforts to reduce violence, rebuild families, and improve academic achievement, will you become a member today?
   
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And you can win prizes!!!

This week there are two ways to win:
1) The first 5 people to become members will win 4 passes to see Shrek Live the Musical on Stage at the Rosemont Theater on
Sunday, November 27th at 1:00 pm

5400 North River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018


2) The raffle
. For every $50 you donate before Sunday, November 27th at midnight, your name will be entered into a drawing. We will conduct the drawing each Monday and announce the winner and the next week's prize through an email on TuesdayThis week's prize will be 5 hours of free tutoring or test preparation through The Black Star Project.  
 
 
The winner of the autographed Chicago Bears football was Andris Baltins.  Mr. Baltins generously asked that the football be used as a prize for an essay competition among the participants in our Warrior, Healer, Scholar Mentoring Program. 
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