Growing Up African American Essay Example for Free

Growing Up African American Essay I am a member of the African American group and I would like to tell you a bit about the group of when I am a part of. Let me start by saying that my African American group originated from Africa and growing up in America can be tough for people of my race, the African Americans. My group’s history is wide ranging spanning for many years and varying from region to region within the United States. I remember when I was young I use to talk to my mother a lot and asked her many questions like â€Å"Why am I called an African American? † She went on to explain that our race originally comes from Africa and we were part of a slave trade. From my mother I learned that we were slaves until a law was passed to give us freedom. I use to wonder when I was young if there were other people similar to me all over America. I also remember something my father told me once that African Americans live all over the country. My father told stories of how he used to go to an all black school could vote or sit in the front of buses. Being African Americans have faced several kinds of creation and consequence situations in the years they have been a part of the United States. In some places cheaper labor, longer work hours and terrible living conditions. Many people of the United States have made it almost impossible for groups of another race or Ethnicity to strive and live full happy lives. I have seen over the year’s situations of extermination in some parts, as well segregation, and expulsion. In school from some of my teachers, in social interactions like just walking through a store, and especially in the work place when they’ll even give me the chance to work because it doesn’t matter I go to get a job out here. There are some racist, even the Uncle Tom’s. I’ve done everything they ask and still I either get denied the job or they hire me and treat me like Growing up African American 3 trash until I quit, or they try to find a reason to get rid of me. Since, I don’t give them much reason to get rid of me due to my strong work ethic and performance; they usually try to break me down. Education plays an important role for most African Americans; however we are still way behind when compared to the White American which probably has a lot to do with the way some of us was brought up or our background. Regardless of the contributions made by the forefathers of black people, there is a hesitation of acceptance of the race that has been a focus of many groups the strive for freedom and justice for all, that has not yet been rectified. The same group of people was good enough to built the country is not always seen as good enough to live in the house next door. I believe because this country is made up of many different races and ethnic groups that are steadily growing in numbers. If different races are toco exist peacefully in the U. S. , it is vital that we all become educated on the history and culture of different races and ethnicities. According to the 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS the total population for 2000 were 2,025 male 965 and female 1,060 square miles 2. 45. Race: white (635); black or African American (1,362); American Indian and Alaska Native (1); Asian (13); and two or more races (14); and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) (40) (Fact finder Census 2000). Birthplace facts from the 2000 census data in Lexington born in the same state (1,706); born in another state (269); born outside the US (0); naturalized citizen (14); and foreign born, not US citizen (10). Some more 2000 census data in educational attainment population 25 and older was 1,206 in Lexington: high school graduates (299); some college, or associate’s degree (349); bachelor’s degree (111); and master’s, professional or doctorate degree (60). Some enrollment population 3 years and over Growing up African American 4 enrolled in school was 627: preschool and kindergarten (83); grades 1-12 (446); and college (98) (2000 census data). Growing up African American 5 References Factfinder Census 2000 Census data for Lexington, MS My mother and father.

Leadership and Management Reflection Essay -- Leadership Model, Person

Introduction In this essay we will be introduced to a leader who holds a high place of authority in the military and gain some personal insight on leadership and management. Then will look at this writer’s own personality traits and what leadership model the personality traits best match. Then look at the tenets of motivation and how this writer’s personality suites these tenets. Also look at the relationship between effective communication and motivation. Then finally we will look at some thoughts of what it takes to be an effective employee, successful manager, and an exemplary citizen. Interview The first part of this week’s assignment was to look was to interview a manager/leader that we admire and seek their insight on management. But before we discuss the interview let me introduce you to who I selected as my interview subject. Chief Master Sergeant Smith is the Chief Enlisted Manager of the 235th Operations Group, 15th Wing, Air Combat Command. The group consists of an HC-130 squadron, an HH-60 squadron, an operations support squadron, and a Guardian Angel squadron (paramedics that parachute into bad places). He is responsible for matters concerning the health, welfare, morale, professional development, utilization and combat readiness of more than 400 military and 50 civilian personnel. Additionally, he advises the commander on operational matters, enlisted issues, unit standards, planning, programming and mission readiness. Chief Master Sergeant Smith entered the Air Force in October 1993. After completing basic military training, he graduated from technical school as a Pararescueman in 1995. His assignments include bases in Japan, Kentucky, New Mexico and Georgia. He has also deployed numerous times in support o... ...cation and motivation. Finally shared some thoughts on what are effective employees, successful managers, and exemplary citizens. Works Cited BusinessDictionary.com (2013) Definition of organizational structure retrieved from http//www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-structure.html Lazarus, C. (2011) Simple Keys to Effective Communication retrieved from http//www.psychologytoday.com/blog/†¦/simple-keys-effective-communication Learning-Thories.com (2013) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs retrieved from http//www.learning-theories.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs.html MindTools (2013) McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory retrieved from http//www.mindtools.com-team management Robbins, S., Decenzo, D., & Coulter, M. (2013) Fundamentals of management: Essential concepts and applications (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Thomas Jefferson Essay

Thomas Jefferson was a very peculiar man. He was a wealthy aristocrat from the colony of Virginia and was a Democrat in the government. His ideas were very inconsistent with the life he lived. Many of his ideas contradicted his own life which made him a consistently inconsistent man. Thomas Jefferson’s political philosophy contradicted Jefferson’s own life and allow for the less fortunate colonists to prosper. Thomas Jefferson lived a very prosperous and comfortable life in which his political philosophy was the opposite. He was the son of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph. His father was a self-made man but his mother came from a distinguished Virginia family which assured the social position of Thomas. In 1575, Thomas’s father died leaving him with over 2,700 acres and a large number of slaves. This privilege Thomas had allowed him to write about human liberty which was supported by the three generations of slaves he encountered. With Thomas writing about human liberty, he was contradicting his own beliefs because he had over 200 slaves himself. Also, under the leadership of Jefferson, Virginia reformers abolished primogeniture. The policy of primogeniture however was the basis of Jefferson’s social and economic success. If the policy of primogeniture was not in place, Jefferson would not have succeeded to the position he had because he would not have received the land his father had after his father passed away. Jefferson also represented a number of different groups in politics that were very different. In American politics, he became the leader of the yeoman farmers and was also the leader of great planters. These two groups were exact opposites which revealed the nature of Jefferson’s political basis- befriend the poor and the wealthy. Jefferson was also the head of a popular group that went against the commercial interests of the nation but the group was also a popular group with economic goals of its own. Jefferson believed that society should keep the agricultural basis but he believed in progress. Jefferson was a very impulsive man. His familiarity with many different countries and nations allowed him to absorb and relay the most abstract ideas of his time. He believed in these abstract ideas and changed them in order to become prevalent in the American society. However he was not quick to break these rules in try to fulfill them. Jefferson lived an unusually long life for a person living during his time and saw many changes in society. This resulted in his ideas varying based on the circumstance. Jefferson was a very inconsistent man but his ideas allowed for the basis of the American government. Jefferson’s inconsistent ideas laid a basis for the American government and allowed the poorer citizens to prosper. Jefferson’s ideas laid the basis for the constitution and the Bill of Rights. When he was part of the Virginia government, Jefferson helped the Virginia reformers lay a base for freedom of thought and religion by disassembling the Anglican Church and forbidding legal or political disabilities for religious dissent. This is the basis of the first Amendment of the Constitution. In 1774, he wrote a very daring treatise in which he applied the natural right doctrine to the controversy in the colonies. This treatise brought immediate attention to Jefferson and gave him the reputation of a literary genius which gave him the job as the draftsman of the Declaration of Independence. After drafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson refrained himself from expressing his more unacceptable ideas in public because his ideas guided the direction in which society should be guided. Jefferson greatly affected the poorer society in America which allowed him to become a man who had a perspective of each side of society. He sided with the Agrarians but he also sided with the wealthy. Thomas Jefferson greatly affected American society as a whole by expressing his ideas which were widely accepted and including everyone in society. Thomas Jefferson’s political philosophy contradicted Jefferson’s own life and allow for the less fortunate colonists to prosper. Thomas Jefferson lived a very prosperous and comfortable life in which his political philosophy was the opposite. Jefferson’s inconsistent ideas laid a basis for the American government and allowed the poorer citizens to prosper. Thomas Jefferson was a very consistently inconsistent man who greatly affected American society.

The Good and Bad of a School Principal Job

I love being a principal of a school. There is nothing else that I want be doing at this point in my life. This does not mean that I enjoy every aspect of my job. There are certainly aspects that I could do without, but the positives far outweigh the negatives for me. This is my dream job. Being the principal of a school is demanding, but it is also rewarding. You must be thick skinned, hard working, diligent, flexible, and creative to be a good principal. It is not a job for just anyone. There are days that I question my decision to become a principal. However, I always bounce back knowing that the reasons I love being a principal are more powerful than the reasons I hate it. Reasons I Love Being a Principal of a School I love making a difference. It is fulfilling to see the aspects that I have a direct hand in making a positive impact on students, teachers, and the school as a whole. I love collaborating with teachers, offering feedback, and seeing them grow and improve in their classroom from day to day and year to year. I enjoy investing time in a difficult student and seeing them mature and grow to the point that they lose that label. I am proud when a program I helped create flourishes and evolves into a significant component of the school. I love having a larger impact. As a teacher, I made a positive impact on the students I taught. As a principal, I have made a positive impact on the entire school. I am involved with every aspect of the school in some way. Hiring new teachers, evaluating teachers, writing school policy, and establishing programs to meet school-wide needs all impact the school as a whole. These things likely will go unnoticed by others when I make the right decision, but it is satisfying to see others being positively impacted by a decision I made. I love working with people. I love working with the different groups of people that I am able to as a principal. This includes other administrators, teachers, support staff, students, parents, and community members. Each sub-group requires me to approach them differently, but I enjoy the collaboration with all of them. I realized early on that I work with people as opposed to against them. This has helped shape my overall educational leadership philosophy. I enjoy building and maintaining healthy relationships with the constituents of my school. I love being a problem solver. Every day brings about a different set of challenges as a principal. I have to be adept at problem solving to get through each day. I love coming up with creative solutions, which are often outside the box. Teachers, parents, and students come to me on a daily basis seeking answers. I must be able to provide them with quality solutions that will satisfy the problems they have. I love motivating students. I enjoy finding entertaining and unusual ways to motivate my students. Over the years, I’ve spent a cold November night on the roof of the school, jumped out of an airplane, dressed like a woman, and sang Karaoke to Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe in front of the entire school. It has generated a lot of buzz and the students absolutely love it. I know that I look crazy while I am doing these things, but I want my students to be excited about coming to school, reading books, etc. and these things have been effective motivational tools. I love the pay check. My gross salary was $24,000 the first year I taught. It is hard for me to fathom how I survived. Luckily, I was single at the time, or it would have been difficult. The money is certainly better now. I am not a principal for the pay check, but I cannot deny that making more money is an enormous benefit to becoming an administrator. I work extremely hard for the money that I make, but my family is able to live comfortably with some extras that my parents were never able to afford when I was a kid. Reasons I Hate Being a Principal of a School I hate playing politics. Unfortunately, there are many aspects of public education that is political. In my opinion, politics dilutes education. As a principal, I understand that it is necessary to be political in many cases. There are many times that I want to call parents out on when they come to my office and blow smoke about how they are going to handle their child. I refrain from this because I know that it is not in the school’s best interest to do so. It is not always easy to bite your tongue, but sometimes it is best. I hate dealing with the negative. I deal with complaints on a daily basis. It is a large part of my job, but there are days when it becomes overwhelming. Teachers, students, and parents like to gripe and moan about each other continuously. I feel confident in my ability to handle and smooth things over. I am not one of those that sweep things under the rug. I spend the necessary time to investigate any complaint, but these investigations can be time daunting and time consuming. I hate being the bad guy. My family and I recently went on vacation to Florida. We were watching a street performer when he picked me to help him with a part of his act. He asked me my name and what I did. When I told him I was a principal, I got booed by the audience. It is sad that being a principal has such a negative stigma associated to it. I have to make difficult decisions every day, but they are often based on mistakes of others. I hate standardized testing. I loathe standardized testing. I believe that standardized tests should not be the end all evaluation tool for schools, administrators, teachers, and students. At the same time, I understand that we live in an era with an overemphasis of standardized testing. As a principal, I feel that I am forced to push that overemphasis of standardized testing on my teachers and on my students. I feel like a hypocrite for doing so, but I understand that current academic success is measured by testing performance whether I believe it is right or not. I hate telling teachers no because of a budget. Education is an investment. It is an unfortunate reality that many schools do not have the technology, curriculum, or teachers necessary to maximize learning opportunities for students due to a budget shortfall. Most teachers spend a significant amount of their own money to buy things for their classroom when the district tells them no. I have had to tell teachers no, when I knew they had a fantastic idea, but our budget just would not cover the expense. I have a hard time doing that at the expense of our students. I hate the time it takes away from my family. A good principal spends a lot of time in his office when no one else is in the building. They are often the first one to arrive and the last to leave. They attend almost every extra curricular event. I know that my job requires a significant investment of time. This investment of time takes time away from my family. My wife and boys understand, and I am appreciative of that. It is not always easy, but I try to ensure a balance of my time between work and family.