This is an age old question asked by everyone in this life — are you are doing the right thing or the wrong thing? There is the usual dialogue pro and con, then a decision is made.

That being said, our dilemma of urgency is public education.

There are many components to the education process. As Natchez National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch education chairman, my focus for the moment is on parent-child to student involvement.

This is also the concern of our national NAACP president Ben Jealous and chairwomen of the board Roslyn Brock. They have interacted with some of the leading educational persons in this country (African-American and Caucasian) to strategize initiatives that will hopefully challenge parent-child to student-renewed commitment to the pursuit of a good education.

That means get involved with your child or grandchild at home and at school, visit with their teachers, let them all know you care.

Now our Mississippi State NAACP president, Derrick Johnson, and state NAACP education chairman, Dr. Earl Watkins, who is the conservator of the Indianola School District, called for an education summit of affiliate branches in Jackson Sept. 21-22.

It was well attended by educators and community leaders.

We had a facilitator for the national NAACP office in Baltimore, Md.; Dr. Even Moore, who has done outstanding work in the field of education and community development across this country.

He shared statistics on the state of education nationally and comparisons internationally.

As Dr. Moore laid out his presentation and Powerpoints, it was clearly defined that the education of African-Americans in this country is in a dismal condition.

When compared to other ethnic groups, our grading is below average. But he said there is hope for tomorrow that things will get better.

Dr. Earl Watkins declared, “There is not cotton for us to pick, no corn to gather into the barn for the winter, no hogs to feed, so we will and we must excel in our efforts and desires for better education.”

This is the voice of the national NAACP; the biggest, baddest and boldest African-American organization in America.

Echoing the rallying call of our famous President Obama: “Yes we can.”

 

Rev. Clifton Marvel is first vice president of the Natchez NAACP Branch and a Natchez-Adams County School District mentor.