Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money
I recently heard Rodney K. Washington speak at the Critical Conversations Summit at Jackson State University. I was instantly impressed with Dr. Washington's keen understanding of the experience of the black male in America and his willingness to attack the issue head-on. Skills like those of Dr. Washington are critical in a nation where black males have been placed into a cage that leads them to kill one another and commit homicide to their own futures every single day. We also need more black male educators put in front of the classrooms of public schools and universities who have yet to embrace the difference between true diversity and cosmetic window-dressing. It is for his decision to dedicate his scholarship to helping his community that Dr. Rodney K. Washington is today's Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight on AOL Black Voices:
What is your name, and what do you do?
My name is Rodney Washington, and I am Chair and Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education in the College of Education and Human Development at Jackson State University. This comprehensive department houses teacher preparation and advanced programs at all levels of matriculation: Bachelors, Masters, Specialist and Doctoral degrees. Disciplines include elementary education, early childhood education, and reading. I provide oversight to nine faculty members and over 950 students seeking careers in the field of education. I am also CEO of a minority consulting firm called Consulting Plus.
What is the purpose of your company?
Consulting Plus provides a wide range of services to school districts around the state. Our services include professional development, evaluation and technical assistance in areas such as classroom management, student discipline, and rigor and engagement. The focus of Consulting Plus is to provide practical strategies and solutions to educators in manners that are teacher friendly and population specific. Our goal is to evoke in teachers a feeling of empowerment that makes them want to implement those strategies necessary to keep students in school. Quite often, professional development tends to oscillate between new and exciting to tedious and unnecessary; our goal is to place special emphasis on follow-up and technical assistance with an approach that is not intimidating or overwhelming. We specifically target areas in the Mississippi Delta where many districts struggle to secure resources for onsite services because of their rural locations. These areas are known as Critical Need Areas because recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers present a specific set of issues that have a tremendous impact on student learning outcomes.
What is your personal, educational and professional background?
I grew up in Holmes County, which is located in the Mississippi Delta in a small town called Lexington. My parents only completed elementary school but enforced a notion that education was not just necessary but essential. My mother passed away from breast cancer in the spring of my sophomore year of undergraduate studies, and it changed my life. I was a 19 year old African-American male who felt anger without a positive outlet to express grief. In this, I developed a passion for wanting to know why people behaved in certain ways and why a singular incident can be motivational to some people and destructive to others. Thus, began my love of life experiences that would translate into teachable moments to share with young people.
I am the proud product of Mississippi Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology from Mississippi Valley State University. I continued my studies at Jackson State University completing a Master of Arts degree in criminology and justice services with an emphasis in rehabilitation counseling and a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in early childhood education with a cognate in guidance and counseling.
I began my career as an officer in the juvenile justice system for almost five years which I believe has given me a perspective that drives my approach in working with youth today. I have worked as a correctional counselor in a training school and a correctional administrator in an adult facility. However, it was my position with the City of Jackson under the administration of Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. (the capital city's first African-American Mayor) that I would find my niche. A new department was launched during his first term called the Mayor's Youth Initiative which allowed for collaborative projects with local school districts. I was responsible for securing funds to implement innovative programs to serve at-risk student populations from disadvantaged neighborhoods. The project grew from serving initially 25 students to over 560 students across the district in everything from mentoring to after-school enrichment. During this time I served as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Urban Studies. After completion of my doctoral studies, I began a faculty appointment at Jackson State University in 2001 and was appointed Chair in 2007.
Do you have any advice for parents who want to see their own children succeed?
There are so many angles from which to tackle this simple yet comprehensive question as success by definition is deciphered by individuals in so many different ways. However, I would say to parents:
o. Communication: Have honest dialogue with your children and hear what they have to say about the things that are important to them. Young people should learn early how to express themselves through verbal exchanges and those skills begin in initial conversations at home.
o. Exposure: Parents should not pass their inhibitions on to their children; those moments can be new and exciting for both. Reading new books, learning a new language, or trying a new sport can break down those walls of intimidation for an adolescent causing them to feel that there is nothing they can't do!
o. Involvement: Actively engage your child's academics and activities. It costs absolutely nothing to volunteer at their school, build relationships with their teachers, visit college campuses (vision trips) and local businesses. Let young people see and meet local business owners and people in the community that media rarely highlight. Parents can provide a roadmap for their children by creating a major goal that is filled with mini plans to get there. The time will be well worth it!
Why are so many black boys not succeeding academically? What are some solutions?
Sadly enough, as I have observed during my interactions with young males, it is not socially acceptable to show strong academic aspirations. A significant percentage of African-American males are not exposed to a large percentage of male teachers who look like them. Accordingly, the socialization patterns that are shared have to be "filtered" in order for them to use what they think they will need from the messages they are given. A large segment of male teachers will become administrators (principals, asst. principals) shortly after their appointment to a district. And our males see them more as enforcers of regulations or disciplinarians compared to the consistent nurturing role usually representative of the female teacher. Disciplinary issues are another major challenge to the success of young African American males. Educators have to understand the challenges of teaching today's youth with new and innovative approaches to planned instruction that suits their learning style and allows creativity and positive exchange. The frequent use of suspension of young African-American males for incidents without implementing programs to address this area only contributes to a vicious cycle of frustration and powerlessness. These students deemed as chronic behavior problems move from in-school suspension to out-of-school suspension which exacerbates their academic condition. With mandated high-stakes testing it becomes nearly impossible for recuperation.
Early intervention is essential to change this dynamic. Early childhood programs with an emphasis on self-concept and positive images can begin to level the field on academic perceptions of African-American males. Parents have to approach the education of their young boys with the same tenacity as they would their young girls (most times there is a difference).
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
I had the opportunity to hear and speak with Dr. Boyce Watkins when he visited Jackson State University for the Summit on African-American Male Achievement. I felt like a student all over again, his passion for this cause is inspiring, and his message simply challenged us all to take an active part in this process for change. I am certain that through his work and others like him, we can begin to move in a positive direction on this worthy topic.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.
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As the first African-American to serve in an integrated unit, Jones is one of the close confidantes to Sergeant Nick Fury, who would later become the head of the organization S.H.I.E.L.D. Jones would later join him as an agent.
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