New Black Expectations
On February 26, 2009, Dr. John Y. Odom spoke at the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the “2nd Annual Black Men’s Initiative Forum 2010.” He gave the men (and some women) of all races some great insights. He challenged them to graduate from college as soon as they can so that they can go into the “real world” and make a difference. His call for Black males to graduate and go into their communities and make the difference is such an important message.
Black men need to understand that we have to seize on a critical moment that we have to evince and illuminate our greatness. Black men have to understand that we have to do a better job of helping one another to increase, improve, and further develop our skills, talents, and knowledge. Imagine a day when Black men in America and globally are truly united with one another. This will be a day when we can work to dismantle the damaging stereotypes and stigmas that plague our progress. The struggle for Black male progress will not be fully realized until we have stronger support from Black females and higher expectations from them for Black males.
Too many Black women want a Black man who is a “thug.” Ironically, these same Black women want Black men who are educated, able to provide them with the finer phenomena in life, and who will be an excellent father for their children. This ignorance emanating from many Black females has to end if they want their Black men to be able to be the empowered leaders they so criticallly need them to be. Far too frequently do I hear Black women talking about Black men are nothing but “dogs,” “pimps,” “drug dealers,” “players,” and etc. My simple response to the name calling engaged in by many Black women is you all made them that way—for the most part. When you all are constantly giving away your bodies so easily to them—this will turn them into dogs, pimps, and players. What else did you expect?
The way that Black men and women need to correct the problems that they both face is to set higher expectations for themselves. For example, there are people who are in college at some of the finest schools in the nation—like University of Wisconsin-Madison—who think that they have to make going to college and being successful “cool” by doing phenomena that have caused those who are not in college or who are not successful to be where they are today—like getting drunk everyday, smoking weed everyday, busting slack, wearing clothes that you know does not make you look like you are striving for success, intentionally talking in an ignorant way just to demonstrate how “hood” you are or how much of a thug you are, and etc.
A new day needs to begin where Black people acknowledge that our Black foremothers and forefathers died for us to have the right to be free. In this right to be free came the right to be free from low expectations. Today, I make a solemn plea to you—Black people—to demand higher expectations of yourselves, and to fight against any barriers, people, and institutions that would try to prevent you from being the greatest person you can be. Being truly successful will demand that you not simply do traditional and popular phenomena. You just might have to upset some people, but it’s all for your betterment and the betterment of the American and global community. Until you give up doing phenomena that are always popular, you will always be a slave!
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Principle Matters
Just like the tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved. Recently, people got together and attempted to derail my efforts to pursue a fascinating opportunity. They used lies and unethical tactics to try to defeat me. While they may think that they have won the battle, I am going to win the war! Their goal was to try to destroy me and take away what is inside of me that makes me so great. Envy and jealous motivated their efforts. The purpose of this article, however, is not to give the Enemy victory, but to encourage you to stay motivated and resolved—no matter what the Enemy tries to do to you.
One of the dimensions of Antonio Maurice Daniels that I am most proud of is the fact that he will never sacrifice his principle for anything or anybody. We need more people who have the courage to maintain their principle, even when it might cost them something in the short term. When you are willing to sacrifice your principle for temporary gain, you are simply prostituting your body; that is, you are selling yourself for a quick and easy return. We have to understand that quick and easy returns have no staying power. If your life is going to matter, you are going to have to learn how to be willing to lose something. If you matter, the Enemy is going to take some things from you at some point. What will matter will not be what you lost, but how you pursued justice in recovering what you have lost.
I look forward to a day when we will rise beyond the superficial and move to the substantial. We need to move from the trivial to Truth. You cannot allow yourself to fall prey to the trivial and the superficial—you must reach beyond them. I am learning each day that the Lord will take care of my enemies. I used to think that it was necessary for me to respond to everything that my enemies did to me. Unfortunately, responding to everything that my enemies did to me was tremendously exhausting. I have adopted an approach of letting God handle them, because when I let Him handle them, they are defeated in ways that I could never have fathomed. My enemies are now restless because God will not allow them to rest on their sin. If you are one of my enemies and you happen to be reading this, please know that your current situation will not improve until you get things right with me.
I will never give the Enemy victory. I will stand up against the Enemy’s devices because I know that greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world. It never ceases to amaze me how people will go out their way to try to do harm to me. They always lose, however. I want you all to know that what God has for you—it already is!
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Being a Teacher
I understand my position as a teacher to be more than a profession–it’s a vocation, a calling to embark upon a persistent perilous quest to seek Truth and Justice. Being a teacher, for me, is a Socratic and prophetic calling. As teachers, we have to be Socratic witnesses. We have to expose falsehoods. If you are wondering if you have to be a professional teacher, that is, have a formal career as a teacher to be considered a teacher, you do not have to. We all can be teachers if we are willing to pursue and propagate paideia (education/knowledge/ instruction).
When will we reach a time when there is a willingness to challenge false appearances of Truth? When will we reach a time when there is a willingness to challenge authority and harmful dimensions of the status quo. I remain skeptical but hopeful that individuals like me will continue to hold people accountable to reach this moment and willingness.
I understand that the purpose of education is to teach you how to die. You have only a short time to live on Earth, and you must determine how you are going to use this time before you return to dirt and feces. As a teacher, I make sure that people understand the importance of thinking critically for themselves, avoiding the limitations of stereotypes, harmful prejudices, discrimination, racism, White supremacy, Jim and Jane Crowism, and bigotry. I wish that all teachers would join me in this effort. We would live in such a better world, with more peace and harmony.
In short, teaching for me is about advancing other people. This does not mean that you will not have to challenge, upset, and criticize them in the process of advancing them–you will–it means you will need to do all that is necessary to bring out the greatest potential in them. People cannot grow when they are weighed down with ignorance and falsehoods. This is the moment for us to seek Truth and Justice. In order to do this, we must do what Dr. Joyce L. Cherry once said, “Pull the hoods and sheets off your head and expose you for who you really are.”
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Introducing Me and My Blog’s Purpose
Hello, All:
My name is Antonio Maurice Daniels, Ph.D. student and Research Associate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My primary research interests are African-American male college student-athletes, African-American male students throughout the educational pipeline, and ecological sustainability in higher and postsecondary education.
For my first blog, I wanted to start with explaining the purpose of my blog. The purpose of my blog is to serve as an extension of my purpose in life: to unsettle, unnerve, and unhouse. This blog will be a venue for sharing information and ideas. If you are looking for discussions about serious issues, this will certainly be a place where you will be quite satisfied. I look forward to engaging with you on a constellation of diverse topics.
Antonio Maurice Daniels
University of Wisconsin-Madison
