The Parent is the First Teacher

 Written by Mali Davis

  For the first 9 months of life mom's job is to nurture, feed, protect and make sure the child in her womb is growing healthy and protected. That job as a parent never really stops. As parents it's our job to give our children what they need to be physically, spiritually,  emotionally, and mentally happy in this changing world. We are their first teacher. They imitate us and until they learn to develop their own personal identity. 

In my article Agendas Against Children I touched on School to Prison Pipeline and why literacy is important before a child is in third grade.

"The new pipeline to prison is if a child is not able to read by third grade.  It has been shown that children who aren't reading at grade level have a low self confidence,  will struggle more with learning in all subjects and will eventually drop out of school. I need to digress for a minute here and say that as parents you are the first teachers. Teachers and parents need to work as partners to help the child get to where they need to be. For a young child books should be ample in your home. They need to be read to to help increase their vocabulary and comprehension.  Here are  literacy rates for each U.S. state. Read to your babies. 

Here are more articles if you are interested in learning more about this issue.

History of the Prison Pipeline

Michigan Releases Report Identifying School to Prison Pipeline

The Relationship Between Incarceration and Low Literacy

Now to continue."

Let's talk a little about the Executive Function of the brain and why literacy is important to a child between the ages of 0 to 9.  They teach us as teachers the most important ages for a child is 0-5. I think it's 0 to 9.  Children develop differently. They don't all develop at the same rate. One child may be ready to physically read at 3 and another not until they are 7.

Reading to your child is still important. When a child is ready to read words let them read according to their interest. If it's the comics, a comic book, a book about sports. It's still literacy and it's their interest. For younger children I like picture books with no words or very little words like, Good News, Bad News. It let's your child describe what is happening in the pictures. Most may say this is not reading but it is.  The pictures are telling a story and they are describing what they see.

What is literacy? Literacy is the exploration of words. When we as parents read to our children it helps to increase their vocabulary and comprehension of words. 

The Executive Function of the brain is the development of the prefrontal cortex, a.k.a the the front part of the brain. This part of brain deals with working memory and inhibitory control. It helps with working memory, self-control, and mental flexibility.

This part of the brain starts to develop while we are babies and helps in play. You showing a baby an object and then hide it. Even though they can't see it they know it's still there.

During socializing babies learn through the gestures and expressions you may use. This is how they learn to communicate.  By imitating you.

The Executive Function of a child works as:

The child can clean their room.

The child remembers chores that need to be done and does them. 

Reading and applying what you learned.

Finishing a project. 

Working in a group.

Waiting in line for your turn.

Working undistracted

Solving problems

Getting along with others even when they are upset.

Cooking.

Children use this function by talking with friends to solve problems. They can manage their time properly, keep School work organized.

As they get older they can organize plans with friends and follow through on those plans.

Parents can help their child by:

Engaging in creative thinking, painting with your child and talking about what they creating.

Developing routines. These have to be done daily.  Anything done for 21 days straight us considered a routine.

Take them on errands and talk about what your going to do when you get there. Give them a list of things to look for as you shop.

Teach them to talk through their emotions when they become upset.

Focus on the good behavior.

Give babies age appropriate toys.

Talking to your child. I understand as a parent we have those moments when we are being touched on our last nerve.  This is where you show by example how to talk through your emotions.

Sourcekid

I touched on Executive Function so that one can understand that a child's brain is still being developed. It doesn't stop when the soft spot in the crown of head is fully covered. According to research, " Keep in mind that the human brain takes around 25 years to fully develop. So, even at 18 years, or what we consider “adulthood”, the brain continues to develop… with the most notable developments happening in the frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive functions!"

The Childhood Collective

As parents we are the first teachers to our children. So, pour into them what you need them to have to grow into the adult you want others to experience as they journey through life.   Work along with their teachers. This is a partnership.

Agendas Against Children

 Written by  Mali Davis 

In 1988 a group called NWA came out with a single called Straight Outta Compton. The song was a hit, and this began the start of what we know now as gangsta rap.  Attached with the start of gangsta rap came an agenda no one knew was coming. This agenda went after young black boys. It was an agenda that glorified drug dealing, money, guns and violence as a way of life.  The agenda no one saw coming was prison.  

It was the beginning of the start glorifying a growing culture that had some parents worried. It led the way for movies like New Jack City, Juice, Menace 2 Society, Fresh, which helped to "normalize" this new drug, gang culture that was perpetuating itself.

With the new culture led to private prisons. This meant no bodies in the jail cells no income for the prisons coming in. Bob Barker the host of the Price Is Right was one of the biggest sellers of goods to prisons. Robert Barker, Jr., now owns the company.

The new pipeline to prison is if a child is not able to read by third grade.  It has been shown that children who aren't reading at grade level have a low self confidence,  will struggle more with learning in all subjects and will eventually drop out of school. I need to digress for a minute here and say that as parents you are the first teachers. Teachers and parents need to work as partners to help the child get to where they need to be. For a young child books should be ample in your home. They need to be read to to help increase their vocabulary and comprehension.  Here are  literacy rates for each U.S. state. Read to your babies. 

Here are more articles if you are interested in learning more about this issue.

History of the Prison Pipeline

Michigan Releases Report Identifying School to Prison Pipeline

The Relationship Between Incarceration and Low Literacy

Now to continue.

This letter has been floating around the internet for years. Hiphopisread.com has it posted on their page.

"

"The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation"

This anonymous letter landed in my inbox about a minute ago:

Hello,

After more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.

Between the late 80's and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen.

The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn't seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn't find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the “unfamiliar” group collected the agreements from us.

Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of “decision makers”. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didn’t know what a private prison was but I wasn't the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, we’d be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, we’d also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn't dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, “Is this a f****** joke?” At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the “unfamiliar” group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing we’d want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, “It’s out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement.” He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.

A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I'd like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn't talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn't remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized I’d probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn't willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didn’t uncover anything about the music business’ involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged.

As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.

I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a “quiet” life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90’s, having the internet as a resource which wasn't at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how they’ve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.

Thank you." 

This agenda now needed to expand. It was playing out like it was meant too.  Prior to all this in a group called Too Live Crew had a song release in 1989 called Me So Horny.  Women were disgusted because it objectified and was the start of over sexualizing women.  There were female rap groups that came on the scene such as Hoez with Attitude and Bitches with Attitude.  These female groups would fall off, but the sentiment of women referring to one another as bitches would later down the line reign it's head once again. 

There were female rappers that presented women as being great lyricist just like their counterparts. They represented united among women not the division that was trying to fed to women.   Then on the scene Lil Kim and Foxy Brown were given to us. The music industry used women to help women ease into being objectified. To this day it worked.

Too Live Crew became controversial but popular among the youth. 

Now as we come into the new age of hip hop we have new female rappers who are now overtly sexual with their lyrics. For grown folks who want to listen to this its their prerogative.  It's another thing when you have your children listening to this and twerking and baby girl can't even spell her name.

The new agenda I see them coming for the girls.  For the boys it was prison. For the girls it's going to be insight that prostituting yourself for material things is alright. It's not looked at as prostitution,  it's called being "a boss". A real "boss" not going to flaunt that, it just is.

There are so many agendas against the black community. Male against female. When we do need each other. Stop saying we don't. 

This agenda is happening against all children on this planet. This agenda was created to touch everyone. When you bother the children by exploiting them, abusing them in any form you will rile the adults who truly care. This is what is being done.