Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Do Milwaukee's problems invite despair?
John Gurda, in last Sunday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, focuses on the problems of the inner city.
Unreasonable, he thinks; unless, perhaps, they're dance teachers.
If education is the way out of poverty, but we can't expect the public schools to educate the urban poor, then that does invite despair. ¶ 5/09/2007 05:01:00 PM
But too many residents are compromised by joblessness, joylessness and troubles that range from illiteracy to substance abuse. Compromised parents raise compromised children, and yet we expect our teachers to lift these young people to new heights of competence and civility.
Unreasonable, he thinks; unless, perhaps, they're dance teachers.
What to do? Again I don't know, but the Ko-Thi Dance Company has some ideas. My wife and I attended this stellar African dance ensemble's concert at Alverno College last weekend. To experience the disciplined passion of Ko-Thi is to have hope drummed into your bones.
Two spoken-word artists on the program addressed the issue even more directly. After a rhythmic reading of inner-city woes, they shouted out their answer: "Educate. Empower. Employ."
If education is the way out of poverty, but we can't expect the public schools to educate the urban poor, then that does invite despair. ¶ 5/09/2007 05:01:00 PM
