To add, I think literacy should be for the sake of the empowerment of those
acquiring it, for literacy is nothing if it is not used as a tool. Literacy
for literacy's sake is a great idea, but for most people growing up in a
world that requires an end goal to everything, tangible result from most
actions, it can be hard to place literacy in and of itself as a worthy. By
situating literacy as a way to overcome those very obstacles you speak of,
by demanding their voices be head in those self-serving board meetings, we
can hopefully use literacy as a weapon. Only through education can we truly
begin to challenge a world that systematically denies people education for
this very reason. It is not mistake that the segments of our country that
are poor have horrible educational institutions (for the most part).

My question to you, is what do we do about it? (I am not being sarcastic or
cynical, I truly want to know) I would love to develop a system that enables
the disenfranchised to use education as a tool in alleviating circumstances
not in their choosing. However, trying to get federal funds (or corporate
funds) to enact a program that truly addresses the problem is next to
impossible because our system is designed to keep those very people
powerless.



On 10/25/07, loujyesnola at netscape.net <loujyesnola at netscape.net> wrote:

>

>  Enough Already!

>

> What, pray tell, is it going to take for all of these well intended folks

> to "get it".

>

> As my grandmother often said, "the road to hell is paved with good

> intentions."

>

> The Boggs National Center for Community Literacy itself was built on a

> lie!

>

> Millions of dollars said to benefit poor folk residing in public housing

> actually went into building the library building that the center is

> currently housed in.

>

> The original Boggs Center Board of Directors had seats for the resident

> leadership from public housing and when they "smelled a rat" in the process

> and stopped attending the board meetings where their voices were ignored, at

> best. They quit attending the board meetings and believe it or not those in

> control of things sought to remove them, the very folks the whole thing was

> ostensibly about, from the board. Why you ask? Because they quit attending

> board meetings that in their view were little more than a farce!

>

> What in the world does the earlier stated "to operationalize community

> literacy and reclaim the lives and hopes of local people through workforce

> literacy and economic development strategies" mean to the average low

> level adult in and around the City of New Orleans? Absolutely Nothing! And

> that is exactly my point. For far too long very little has been done along

> the lines of doing things that mean something to low functioning adults!

> Much in the way of dollars and lip service continues to be directed to meet

> the desires,needs and wishes of the haves as those same things for the

> have-nots continue to go, pretty much, ignored!!

>

> Literacy should be for literacy's sake and not the enrichment of a few on

> the backs of those less able!

>

> "The end of all education should surely be service to others!" - César E.

> Chávez

>

> NOT! The exploitation of some for the benefit of others!!

>

> Marginalization must end! If not now! When? If not you! Who? If it is to

> be. IT IS UP TO THEE & ME!

>

>  UNITED BY OUR ENDEAVORS

>

> Lou C.

> ----

> Lou C. Johnson

> Senior Program Director

> River Parishes YMCA

>

> We build strong kids, strong families and strong communities!

>

> P.O. Box 311

> Destrehan, LA 70047-0311

> 504-722-7207

> 985-331-9069(Fax)

>

> Member, South Central Literacy Action Board of Directors-Past President

> Member, ProLiteracy Worldwide Board of Directors-Executive Committee

>

> Literacy And Justice For All!

>

> "We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and

> prosperity for our community...Our ambitions must be broad enough to include

> the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and our own."

> --- César E. Chávez

>

>

>  -----Original Message-----

> From: Daphne Greenberg <ALCDGG at langate.gsu.edu>

> To: RaceWomen and Literacy Discussion List The Poverty <

> povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 1:46 pm

> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 1387] follow-up to discussion on literacy Post

> Katrina

>

>  Remember the discussion we had on literacy Post Katrina? Petrice Sams-Abiodun

>

> (from Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy & Literacy Alliance of

>

> Greater New Orleans), Rachel Nicolosi (from Literacy Alliance of Greater New

>

> Orleans), Ben Johnson (from Greater New Orleans Foundation), Tanya Shuy (from

>

> the National Institute for Literacy), David Rosen (from Newsome Associates),

>

> Margaret Doughty (from Literacy Powerline), and I (from Georgia State

>

> University) had a conference call a few weeks ago to discuss some of the next

>

> steps that were shared on our discussion list. The main issue that was discussed

>

> was the need to operationalize community literacy and reclaim the lives and

>

> hopes of local people through workforce literacy and economic development

>

> strategies.

>

>

> The question posed was, 'What can outsiders do to support the literacy goals of

>

> the Alliance?'  There are several literacy groups offering help.  Sandra Baxter,

>

> from NIFL, will address the Alliance board in October and discuss possibilities.

>

> A partnership between COABE, ProLiteracy, and the Center for Literacy Studies

>

> will provide training in February 2008.  Other questions discussed were: How

>

> will today's discussion help to inform others and how will we collaborate on

>

> activities to maximize support?  How can we harness the expertise and resources

>

> of the broader literacy community to support the New Orleans literacy agenda?

>

> This could include any requested support to the Casey initiative, the scale up

>

> of the Bridge Project and the developing Regional Workforce System initiative.

>

> The system is focusing on two strategies 1) system reform and 2) resources

>

> to sustain the effort.

>

>

> The key needs identified include the following:

>

>  *  ESL system development

>

>  *  Additional 'hands' and 'voices' to be available at the various

>

>  discussion tables

>

>  *  Advocacy support (including legislative wording and waiver

>

>  possibilities)

>

>  *  Resource development

>

>  *  Reading and Assessment Center

>

>  *  Regional Workforce Initiative Support

>

>

>  There is a plan to meet in New Orleans in late November to develop specific

>

> action steps to support the Alliance in one or two key issue areas mentioned

>

> above.

>

>

> Daphne

>

>  ------------------------------

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-- 
Daniel Rizik-Baer
Family Literacy Coordinator
Children Youth and Family Collaborative
(818) 442-4407 cell
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