So, I was in my hometown of Rochester, New York (Jigga Voice: "The Roc") this past weekend. There was a discussion on the radio regarding a new item added to the Rochester School District's Summer Reading list. None other than Currrrtttttiiissss Jackson aka “50 Cent” is the author of the book. Rapper 50 Cent's book, From Pieces to Weight, recounts his early life in the New York City drug trade in the same language that characterizes his music. The book was added to the reading list in an effort to increase teen reading with more "interesting" subject matter and teach on the "black experience." The conversation went on to discuss another book that made the cut a few years back, The Coldest Winter Ever by Sista Soulja.
Now as much as I LOVED Sista Soulja's book and will do a 2 step with a twist to "It's Your Birthday" for the next 20 birthdays to come...Umm, really, I wouldn't want my daughter to read those books at a young age. There are tons of MODERN books that teach of the black experience that I'd prefer her to read. This act makes me think that the powers that be feel that in order for something to be about the "black experience" it has to be something negative. As for my friends, and me we've moved beyond the Donald Goines tails and "True to the Game" books to The Help, Standing at the Scratch Line, and What you owe me. Hollywood has gone from The Mack (70s) and Menace (90s) to The Best Man, The Pursuit of Happiness and Why Did I Get Married! Let's continue to move forward is all I'm screaming :-)
Readers, now, I've been told that I have semi-conservative views at times. I just feel that there should always be SOME standard in place. If you have no rules or if you continue to stretch things from the norms it just makes room for further stretching in years to come. Twenty years ago you didn't hear curse words on TV and radio. Now you can say certain curse words on primetime TV and radio. So, when my 2 year old turns 20 you may hear the weather man say "It's cold as a B*tch outside!" :-)
So readers, what do you think? Are these types of "changes" good? Should old fashion people like me try and understand that as time changes so should our approach? Your thoughts?
Talk to me people....
About Me
- K-Swiss
- Hey, I'm Kasondra aka "K-Swiss." I'm orignially from Rochester, NY. I now live in the DC area. I LOVE the DC area. I love the people, culture, and food. I really enjoy my life and try not to let anything or anyone bring me down.
10 comments:
No, teenagers nor tweens should read any book by 50 cents. I don't understand why they would even put that on the list. This is common sense and has nothing to do with conservative ways of thinking.
You can get a kid to learn to read from a cereal box. Start with vitamins and minerals and then expand on it, lol!
If the author and/or subject matter don't align with you, your family's or your child's beliefs then don't use it. Or just wash it up remix it and serve it up to your child. The black experience, like the black skin pigment comes in all hues.
Not liking the idea of the 50 cent book at all. No way in the world that should be on the list.
However, I do think the message of the Coldest Winter Ever could be very useful to young girls, not elementary, but maybe middle and definitely high school. Especially if a parent would read and review it with their daughter. Why? because it showed her ultimate abandon of morals and standards just to achieve money, security, "love", and "respect", plus dealing with loss and abandonment. I believe it could really speak to a girl who grows up or has a friend who grew up in a family dynamic such as Winter's; that following in your family's/friend's footsteps is not always the best laid plan. If it wasn't our own life, we all have a friend who dated a drug dealer, or who's family was impacted by drug life. I actually think it's a great opportunity to emphasize that your family situation does not have to define you. Plus the book is written from the perspective of a young girl, so I think it would be a great opportunity to confront the childish thinking, and tell a young girl what that decision really means, how it can effect her life in the future(because kids never think about that), how she can be perceived based on that decision, and what other choices(better choices) are available.
Just my thoughts.
Interesting! In all honesty I am unable to make a well informed comment without having had the opportunity to read Curtis Jackson's book.
Having said that though I think it depends on the age of the students and the teacher's ability to use this reading tool as an educational piece to have a dialogue that could possibly foster a conversation about the mindset of our youth today.
Honestly speaking, with the way the world is going now, I am not quite sure if holding back on everything is the best approach these days. It's rather scary for me to say that considering I have coined myself to be from the "old skool" train of thought.
Is it best practice to have these conversations with our youth once they have formulated their opinions and mindset and then try to turn them around? I'm not so sure anymore. As a social worker, education and growth is all based on what's the best approach and best practice to making sure people have healthy lives from the moment unhealthy behaviors happen.
I thank God I had a different way of thinking when I read, "The Coldest Winter Ever", but even at the age of 21 when the book was written had I not had experienced a different life and upbringing the book would have simply been a glorified life of the streets, of which many of our youth have and are experiencing today before they reach the age of 21.
As crazy as it may sound Curtis Jackson may not be so bad after all, of course, depending upon what he has to say and what his purpose is. But isn't that what all books are about no matter what age we are and what the content might be?
Maybe we should be pushing our youth beyond the ordinary. Maybe we should be asking them questions like why is this the life you want to live and how do you remove yourself from this kind of life?
My concerns though is can we trust that our public school system teachers are equipped to facilitate a positive and productive dialogue with such material.
LOL @ you may hear the weather man say "It's cold as a B*tch outside!"
But it depends on the age of the student. Maybe high school years, and like the last poster said it really depends on how the teacher uses the book to send a message. However, knowing teens the message will be lost and they will take the book as glamorizing the street life - especially since 50 Cent is still glamorizing the street life, although he has been living a comfortable millionaire lifestyle for almost 10 years now.
Probably a better book for the college crowd where the professor will challenge the students to analyze the book more thoroughly.
I agree that these books may be fine for certain age groups. I think I stated in my blog just that. I also agree that I'd prefer to bring up the subject matter to my daughter vs. her getting it from the street. However, I do think this should be at an appropriate age. Additionally, I'd prefer if I (or her dad) bring up this subject matter, introduce this book, and follow it up with conversation..NOT the school district. By putting this book on the reading list it takes that option out of my hand. It's not the teacher's responsbility to teach my daughter about the outside world, it is mine!
I don't want my daughter intro'd to a book in the wrong way with no follow-up. If I do it, then I know it's done right. That's all I'm saying.
I'm torn here. I don't have a problem with the book being read by high school age kids only. But I don't think ANY school age should read the book because it wasn't deep enough to warrant a pass for the content and profanity. If "Push" was a choice I'd "Like button" it in a heartbeat. That story was truly fleshed out. THAT story is literature. "From Pieces to Weight" was a glossed over interview for a rap magazine that was stretched out into a novel. It almost reads as if it was a second hand account instead of a memoir.
LOL@Jay.
You read it?
I just think parents should have a choice on what they want their child is exposed to. So, if I don't want my 16 year old to read Push, then that is up to me. I don't want some teacher to read it with her and then not explain things in the way my household wants them explained. The teacher may teach her E when I'm teaching A.
When I heard about them adding 50 Cent's book to the list of Summer Reading books all I could think of is that commercial they were going to air (just in case you don't know what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlKL_EpnSp8) to encourage kids to read a book. I think it is a shame that the only things that we can get to engage the youth is through sex, drugs and cars.
I will say Sista Soulja is not a bad author to expose them to but I think her book NO DISRESPECT would have been a better choice. I think any one of the two books by President Obama would have been an excellent choices. Michael Eric Dyson has a book, CAN YOU HERE ME NOW, would also have been an excellent choice that could have struck up much discussion during class.
I would have even admired the City School District for tackling certain issues head on and had them read the book NIGGER by Dr. Randall Kennedy.
I believe that there are so many other choices that the students could have been exposed to. I think it says a lot about the feelings the powers that be have about the students and their level of comprehension and their mindset. If we ever expect them to obtain a level of intelligence we can't dumb things down for them we must raise the standards of expectations and pull them up to it!
Sonya, as always, you make me so proud! Well said
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