today our students stood in our cafeteria refusing to attend class until we had a meeting with our principal and assistant principal. after about ten min our request was granted. we made alot of progress in our meeting. we made it so that multi-cultural week starting next year is moved to another month other than febuary. we also expressed our deep concerns on how we felt that Booker T Washington was losing its tradition. we have come up with some events and ideas to make sure this dwindling of tradition is no longer overlooked. i as a student will be doing my best to make sure the history of booker t washington high school is taught. i want incomming students to know the background facts of this school. we are also meeting with a teacher who is currently odering new books for next year's history classes. we knoe that there are books that contain a little more information about afican americans in history than just a few snippits of slavery. we hope to include these books in our class rooms next year. i will like to thank everyone who responed to my post and i hope that everyone understands, i was not knocking down Booker T Washington, i felt like there were some issues being overlooked and i wanted to get some attention to the situation to reslove the problem. and so far, everything seems to be moving as planned. i will keep an update post of the many events we as students plan to put on. we would love some help for some of you to help teach on how booker t was back in the day. we are hungry to know our history for you know, "one that doesn't know where they come from, will not know where they're going".....

sincerly, doronda mckoy c/o 07

Question:
what does the T stand for in Booker T washington? it may seem like an easy question but you would be blown away to knoe that alot of students do not know. i hope to change that.

Choices:
theodore
taliafero

 

Dear Doronda,
There must have been something in the air, because that same day, across the country in Orlando, Fl, five young women stormed my principal's office and wanted to talk to him, too. As the Assistant Principal I intercepted them for him, and we all sat at the table. I passed around a kleenex box, and let the girls speak one at a time if they were holding the kleenex box. They were very enthusiastic, and just had come questions and concerns, about cafeteria tables, and dress code. I respected their insistance to be heard. Back in the day, as you say, we as BTW students, felt a strong passion for social justice, and got involved in trying to make a difference. We were idealistic, and demanding, and probably annoying sometimes, too. But over the years, working with young people, I began to doubt if anyone feels strongly about anything anymore, except Jerry Springer, and being gansta.
We wanted to be heard, and our ideas respected when we were at BTW. It almost seems like today's youth just think they are entitled to something great without working for it, or they are free to be disrespectful to adults. Did they all learn manners from Bart Simpson? Do they care about anything besides themselves?
But, the young ladies in my office Friday gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe it will be fashionable again to care passionately about a cause again. We have raised too many self-obsorbed youth. Perhaps the new generation of BTW students will lead this movement to your community.
Just remember, there is a right way and a wrong way of doing things. I will be curious to know how your efforts paid off, so please post updates, will you?
The history and traditions of BTW are rich and indeed it would be a shame to let them fade in the name of political correctness.

Keep the spirit alive, kids.
Miss Gail, class of 78

Doronda,

Just in case you haven't joined the yahoo site there is a message for you to contact some one. They have a Tuskegee connection for you.

bookertwashingtonhornets in yahoo groups