"Hoodwinked” is a film that should be a must-see for every person of color in America. The film asks questions about long-held beliefs about black male graduation and incarceration rates and shows you why everything you’ve been led to believe is wrong. Filmmaker Janks Morton brings together the top black male scholars in the country to discuss the plight of black boys and men, thus elevating the conversation about how we can move our communities forward. The film features the following top black male scholars: Dr. Boyce Watkins, Marc Lamont Hill, Steve Perry, Jawanza Kunjufu, and Ivory Toldson. Each scholar brings his unique intellectual gifts to help viewers gain a deeper understanding of a very complex situation.
I agree with the premise of this film in that the current trend of amplifying the negative aspects of the black community can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have often said, if it is true that 50% of black children do not graduate from high school, then we need to look at fixing that problem. But, while we focus on trying to fix that problem, we can't forget to put some focus on supporting and helping the 50% that do graduate in reaching their full potential. Otherwise all the resources and attention are put towards the least performing, and the top performers are left to fend for themselves. This puts them at a grave disadvantage when they move forward to compete on a world stage. Further, this trend tends to lower our expectation of our children's capabilities as whole. Bottom line, we need to check out thinking and we need to protect our children from the propoganda of low expectations.
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