Essay 726

School daze in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The Washington Post continues its series titled, “Being a Black Man.” The latest installment highlights two star athletes and their lives in Washington’s Ballou Senior High School (pictured above). “My whole thing is to change the stereotype of people in Southeast,” said one of the featured students. “We wanted people to say that good, intelligent, athletic students come out of Ballou.” Click on the essay title above to check it out.

• Congratulations to Shaelon Wright of Queens, New York, who was selected to receive a free college education and eight years of mentoring courtesy of “The Boule” — a low-profile fraternity comprised of some of the biggest Black professional men in the country. “I don’t know why I was chosen,” Wright said. “I think it was because I am hard-working and do a lot of extracurricular activities. And I’m lucky, too.” Past members of “The Boule” include Martin Luther King Jr., Arthur Ashe and W.E.B. DuBois. So Wright’s probably being a tad humble in saying he’s lucky.

• USA Today reported a new study reveals dropout rates are up in big-city schools nationwide. The story stated, “Students in a handful of big-city school districts have a less than 50-50 chance of graduating from high school with their peers, and a few cities graduate far fewer than half each spring… Among the nation’s 50 largest districts, the study finds, three graduate fewer than 40%: Detroit (21.7%), Baltimore (38.5%) and New York City (38.9%).” Somebody needs to spend more time promoting the kids at Ballou and Shaelon Wright.

• A new report showed teens are dropping soft drinks in favor of coffee-laced refreshment, sports drinks and water. In fact, about 25 percent of teens are apparently too through with sugary soft drinks, seeking to maintain healthier, buff physiques. The other 75 percent are probably part of the alleged obesity epidemic.

• Western Union has taken heat over the years for charging so much to Mexicans making money transfers. But according to a news report, “Western Union executives will sign a contract with immigrant leaders and the governor of Michoacan in Chicago on Saturday to help bankroll enterprises in that Mexican state organized by immigrant clubs in the U.S.” It’s all part of the company’s goal to give back to its highly profitable customers, who sent about $20 billion to Mexico in 2005. But not everyone is buying it. “It’s a sellout,” said the president of the Hispanic Council in Bensenville, Illinois. “This company is trying to buy us off, but they need to make amends first by changing their fundamental business practices. That’s the only way we are going to be friends again.” Don’t hold your breath waiting for Western Union to wire a reply to that statement.

• Canada is poised to apologize to its Chinese citizens for charging a “head tax” over a century ago. Tens of thousands of Chinese were taxed to stay in the country and bring their kin — even though the people were helping to build Canada’s railroad system. The Chinese community has long sought a formal apology and compensation for survivors and their families. Just don’t ask the Canadian government to wire the cash via Western Union.