Cultural leadership void

Educational reform generally focuses on local school systems because as a “system” it’s easier to impact than either the larger community as a whole or thousands of individual families raising children. But education doesn’t begin when a child enters first grade and doesn’t end after graduation. It’s a long process which begins the day a baby is born, and continues throughout life.

Many parents in our poorer communities, especially those young parents whose education was cut short by the start of their own family, need guidance about what it takes to get ahead. Current cultural leaders refuse to articulate the importance of an education, the role of a strong family and unfortunately, the importance of hard work. Where are the cultural leaders reinforcing that you have to stay in school, that you will always have to be developing additional skills throughout your life, and that you have to spend more time on education than leisure.

Strong community leadership is needed to engage neighbor and friend, to show residents how to take better control of their own destiny by better educating themselves and their children. Cultural leaders are needed to reinforce the importance of speaking proper English if you want to be a success. Young people need to hear from their heroes and idols that searching for your own identity by dressing like a convict is not best way to get that job you’re after. A strong focus on self-determination is sorely needed by those at the bottom of the economic ladder, and unfortunately in today’s politically contentious times, our cultural and political icons don’t seem to willing to provide it. What a shame!