The Boggs Blog

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LIVING FOR CHANGE
Michigan Citizen, April 10-16, 2011
Our Journey to learn how to learn

By Cindy Fadel

A mother’s story of why she decided to home-school her son underscores the need to transform our public schools. Chapter 5 of The Next American Revolution advocates “A Paradigm Shift in our Concept of Education.” —GLB

The decision to op out of of public education and take on the responsibility of my son’s learning was not one I made lightly. I traveled from school to school, trying to find a place where he could explore and begin to understand his world.

THINKING FOR OURSELVES Detroit Counts By Shea Howell April 1-8,2011 The U.S. census report pegging Detroit’s population at 713,777 seems to have sent the Mayor and many of his supporters into shock. Their responses included, “I don’t believe it,” “It’s in free fall,” “A breathtaking drop,” “A crying shame” and “Shocking.” The numbers led to [...]

The Real Egyptian Revolution Is Yet To Come

By George Katsiaficas

Around the world, people are enthusiastically greeting the “Egyptian Revolution”—the astonishing victory won by the historic 18-day People Power Uprising. As events move more rapidly than anyone can anticipate, not only has Mubarak been deposed, his corrupt parliament has been dismissed and new elections promised within six months. People’s ecstasy in the aftermath of these great victories belies the fact that Mubarak’s authoritarian system remains intact—nay, strengthened—by the ascension of Suleiman and the military to supreme power in Cairo. While the world hails the Egyptian “revolution,” a more sober assessment of recent events would question the accuracy of that label, at least for now.

A JAMES BOGGS READER

Pages from a Black Radical’s Notebook, a James Boggs Reader, compiled and edited with a 34 page introduction by University of Michigan historian Stephen M. Ward, will be released in February by Wayne State University Press.

The Reader is part of the African American Life series, edited by WSU Professor Melba Joyce Boyd who is planning a book party Tuesday evening, February 15, at the McGregor Conference Center.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow is poised to take the helm of the powerful Senate Agriculture Committee Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45409.html#ixzz169MI5PLW Email and urge Senator Stabbenow, as chair of Senate Agriculture Committee  to add to farm bill:  $10,000.00 credit/grant for creation of  Family Farms.  Pass it on? senator@stabenow.senate.gov

  LIVING FOR CHANGE Reverberations of War By Kerry Vachta Michigan Citizen, Nov.21-27, 2010 My grandfather ran away to join the army in 1915 when he was 14. He re-upped for WWII. The army literally raised him and it showed. He was rigid, hot tempered, hostile, violent. He became one of those men – riddled [...]

THINKING FOR OURSELVES Creative Culture By Shea Howell Michigan Citizen, Nov.21-27, 2010 The mainstream media has a way of flattening ideas. It strips them of their complexity and nuance. This process is evident every time the mainstream press talks about creativity in the rebuilding of Detroit. I was excited by Richard Florida’s Rise of the [...]

The National Youth Leadership Network, an organization led by disabled youth, grieves for the lives of youth that were recently lost and calls on communities to end violence

THINKING FOR OURSELVES

Silence the violence

By Shea Howell

Michigan Citizen, Oct. 17-23. 2010

Last week’s ” Silence the Violence” town hall meeting at Mumford High School brought new energy to the civic life of Detroit. Unlike the highly orchestrated meetings held by the Mayor during the last month, this gathering of more than 150 young people, parents, teachers and community residents held the promise of serious and thoughtful change. Brought together by City Council members Saunteel Jenkins and James Tate, Detroiters talked about the kind of changes we need to make in ourselves and our communities to create a new, life affirming culture.

Council member Tate opened the meeting by reminding everyone of the two shootings that had happened just outside the doors of the building on the first day of school. He said, “If we don’t start talking about kids, we don’t have a future. We are here to start a movement that will come up with solutions.”