Even as we enjoy the last bit of summer vacation, we at GCP are already thinking about school's return. Today's Thoughtful Thursday offers up a student and a teacher's perspective on a day's lesson. Acclaimed Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes provides the student's perspective in "Theme for English B". Elizabeth Alexander, poet and author of the recently published (and [...]
As we approach the one year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, we present poetry old and new which references the past and present struggles for equality. "The Tradition" is by Jericho Brown, an associate professor at Emory University in Atlanta. "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes gives us an historical perspective of our [...]
Parents, here is some help with getting your sons ready for success in the coming school year: Summer Learning: www.education.com has tons of customizable and printable worksheets for students from kindergarten through high school. Print out a few from last year's grade and encourage your son to dust off the cobwebs and review the material. Or if he is [...]
Hello GCPers, It has been a while since a new post has appeared, due to a ridiculously persistent bout of bronchitis. As I have been resting and coughing over the past few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about this blog. I believe so strongly in its mission-- to aid, guide and inspire parents of boys of color-- and [...]
Greetings from London! GCP is on the road, checking in on globetrotting children. Since we are here on Thoughtful Thursday, today our focus is on Black British poets. From the many talented poets we present here just a few: Benjamin Zephaniah ("Dis Poetry") is a British Jamaican writer and dub poet who was included in The Times 2008 list [...]
The Chautauqua Institution presented a week of thoughtful and interesting commentary about the development of boys into men last week, and I was thrilled to have been asked to bring the GCP perspective to the conversation. I joined Dr. Gregory Hess, President of Wabash College in a talk with Dr. Robert Franklin, Director of Religion at the Chautauqua Institution [...]
This Friday, July 10, I will be participating in a panel conversation with Gregory Hess, President of Wabash College and Dr. Robert Franklin, Director of Religion, Chautauqua Institution and former President of Morehouse College, discussing the practical and institutional ways to support boys' healthy development. Our discussion comes at the end of a week-long examination of the theme "Boys [...]
We've been surfing the web doing research in preparation for the conversation about boys we are having on Friday with Dr. Robert Franklin and Gregory Hess, president of Wabash College, at the Chautauqua Institution (more on that in another post!) and have discovered some great articles which are definitely worth reading. We will share what we come across. "Letter [...]
Happy Independence Day from GCP! Hope you all are enjoying the day with your family and friends. May your bbq be tasty and the fireworks delightful. Have a safe and wonderful holiday. To celebrate the day, we will give the Fourth of July the Thoughtful Thursday treatment. Here are some poems from an assortment of poems about America from [...]
One of the many horrific things about the Charleston massacre is that it happened in a house of worship. As has been widely reported, the shooter targeted a historic church and sat in a bible study class for an hour before opening fire. We have always thought of a church as a safe and peaceful haven, and have encouraged [...]