Marc Lamont Hill delivered a powerful and vital message on the state of education in the black community at the Black Male Symposium Feb. 17 in Dillard Auditorium.
The program was presented by Black Men for Change. BMC is a student organization founded in 2003 to help empower African-American males to rise above negative stereotypes and become productive citizens to their community.
The theme of the Hill’s lecture was “Get Ya mind Right.”
In front of an audience of Winston-Salem State students and faculty, Hill talked about the problems impacting education and what measures should be taken to correct them.
Hill, a professor, author, speaker and activistm has covered topics including politics, culture and education.
He has provided commentary on media outlets including “NPR,” “Essence” magazine, “The New York Times” and “The O’Reilly Factor” television news program.
He is the author of “Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy” and “The Politics of Identity.”
Hill told the audience how grateful he was to come to WSSU and how activism should be instilled in college students.
“I want to talk about the idea of getting your mind right and the educational crisis in the black community,” Hill said.
Hill discussed the reasons for an educational crisis.
He said that we are a few decades beyond the things that have oppressed African Americans.
“Black folks use to risk their lives to read books, but they said ‘we don’t want education’….‘Black folks are lazy…’ but they made us slaves,” Hill said.
“When you’re looking at education in America in 2011, you see a certain tradition.
“You see a certain reality and it represents the huge gap between what we get and what we deserve.”
Hill said standardized testing should not determine if a student has obtained knowledge of a subject.
“The idea of testing gets in the way of actually teaching something,” Hill said.
“The SAT is not going to determine whether you graduate from college or not, statistically it’s not.”
Hill said that students should not think college will provide everything for success. Personal enrichment goes “beyond what we learn in the curriculums.'”
Hill also talked about the correlation between schools and penal system.
Following the lecture, students shared their feelings about what Hill said.
“I do agree with Dr. Hill’s message because it’s not just young people that need to be involved and there are issues in our society that need to be changed said Joy Lowery, a junior rehab studies major from Charlotte.
Justin Redd, the president of BMC said that Hill’s lecture was motivational and was something that all students needed to hear.
“I just hope the lucky few who had a chance to listen were as inspired as I was,” Redd said.
“I hope goals were created, aspirations modified, and I hope to have a chance to work with him in the future.”
Hill’s final remark to his audience was a pivotal question to WSSU students.
“What are you willing to fight and struggle for?”