And Yet, We Still Stand

By Millicent Thomas, PhD

And yet, We still stand is the second book in the Move Mountain, African-American, single parent series. Book two takes you on a political, social and economic journey from Washington (DC) to Walmart; from the top of the heap to the bottom of the pit and from a strategic agenda of disenfranchisement to its execution in the political, economic and social arenas.
We move from impersonal to the personal and from the macro to the micro aspects of the impact on families and children. As the reader travels through the pages, we examine the shadow side of human nature from a political perspective. The descending and ascending order of events that impact the lives of African- Americans is exacerbated among single parents.
Hypotheses, reasons, and justifications are put forth with relation to the why and how target groups are treated. We move back in time before the days of the Mayflower to answer the why inquiry and move forward stopping to visit the infamous communication of Willie Lynch to answer the how. Because education is vital to African Americans, we take a critical look at public education on all levels and ask, Are the strategies and techniques used to educate our children by design? Or, are those who develop educational materials using a system of miss education and, or selective education? In our journey we stop to revisit the workplace experiences of fifteen African-American, female, single parents from the later 20th century and ask, when is a change a change?
The third section proposes the ultimate recommendation, one that is not popular in many circles yet, is extremely powerful. This is a must read for all!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514467435

Millicent Thomas, PhD

Dr. Millicent Thomas is an author, freelance writer of issues that impact African-American, female single parents and educator. She has established a Move Mountain series of books that has and will address issues endemic to this population. Her first publican, Move Mountain: The lived experience of African American, female, single parents gained notoriety as it was read by educators and students alike. This publican, And yet we still stand, is the second in her Move Mountain series. Like book one, And yet we still stand is a powerful look at elements, situations, policies that affect the African American populous and single parents in particular. Dr. Thomas holds a PhD in Social Foundations, a Masters in Student Personnel Administration and Bachelor’s in African American Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo SUNY system. Much of her professional career has been within the non-profit sectors as a dedicated advocate for those who are marginalized in the economic and social arenas. For the past decade, Dr. Thomas has focused on research, writing and teaching within higher education at public and for-profit institutions. As a free-lance writer, she has written, on political issues like, Why We Celebrate and What time is it…It’s Show and tell time.

Book preview

Move Mountain Series: Book Two

AND YET,

WE STILL STAND

Millicent Thomas, PhD.

Copyright

© 2016 by Millicent Thomas.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016902512

ISBN:           Hardcover         978-1-5144-6745-9

                     Softcover           978-1-5144-6744-2

                     eBook                978-1-5144-6743-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Print information available on the last page.

Rev. date: 06/01/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Dedication

Special Note

Preface

Chapter One Introduction

Chapter Two The African-American, Female Professor

Chapter Three The Workplace

Chapter Four African-American Women And Employment From Later 20Th Century To Early 21St Century

Chapter Five African-American Women Responses Re-Visited

Chapter Six For African-American Women In The Work Place, When Is A Change A Change?

Chapter Seven The Church

Chapter Eight Recommendations

Chapter Nine Remarks

Reference

DEDICATION

The Move Mountain book series is dedicated to every African-American, female, single parent who has come through life challenges with quiet strength and dignity. And, to my sister Clara, who exudes these qualities with tremendous style and grace.

SPECIAL NOTE

And yet, we still stand (in an uncontested terrain), Book two is a continuation of Book One, Move Mountain: The lived experiences of African-American, middle-class, female single parents. As in Book One, this book provides actual examples of life experiences. In contrast, this book unravels the politics of the American economic, political and social systems and show how these systems impact race, class and gender with a particular emphasis on the African-American, female, single parent. And yet, we still stand is written to serve as a vehicle for African-Americans, particularly, single parents as a means to maneuver through the various terrains in the workplace, and other frequented places and to be prayed-up as they affiliate with churches for guidance and support. Book two, is designed to take the reader on a 21st century recent historical journey from the politics of Washington, DC to the shelves, services and products of a Wal-Mart. To begin, an exploration of the US political system for the past two presidential terms is explored. The politics played out on the highest levels of government have a direct and indirect impact on all Americans. I show that the impact is even greater for the African-American, female, single parent.

Remnants of the political, economic and social behavior witnessed in the US government can be found in the many facets of life including colleges, universities, workplaces and religious institutions.

PREFACE

Regardless of socioeconomic status, two places frequented by many African-American, female, single, parents are work and church. These women work as they seek to maintain a quality life for themselves and their children. They attend church for spiritual guidance, socialization and support. Please note that a discussion on support takes on various meanings for these women and often cannot be placed in writing. Both places are deemed equally important and necessary.

Move Mountain Book Two explores situations and experiences shared by all women. As a single parent, I recognize situations that are endemic to this target population. To some, social situations may appear unbelievable and at best disturbing. The reader will find significant accounts of personal experiences that have had a devastating impact on the women studied. I am confident that as you read Book Two, And yet, we still stand, you will find a reflection, or have come in contact with someone with similar experiences found in this book. The essence of many African-American, 20th century authors is that, people cannot begin to understand the plight of African-American women and the African-American, female single parents in particular (Lucas, 2010).

Book Two: Move Mountain: And yet, we still stand, will, in this 21st Century expound upon 20th Century African-American writers and social thinkers. As you read this document, ask yourself, have things really changed for women in this target group?

Book Two, gives meaning, substance and exposure to that profound comment, that is; the literature cannot begin to fully explain the issues experienced by the African American, female single parent.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Setting the Stage

The dynamics engrained in higher education has many sides. It is a collage of pictures and events designed in layers that must be unraveled for its social, economic, political and cultural impact to be understood. As well as being an institution for learning, it is the foundation, directly and indirectly, where policies are directly and indirectly developed by current enrollees and alumni and sent to members of congress to be developed into formal policies and laws. As an African-American, single parent and post graduate student, I directly examined educational policies and was able to write from a student’s perspective. As such, in 2006, I published my research entitled Move Mountain: The lived experiences of African-American, middle-class, female single parents. As a previous faculty development administrator, full time faculty, and later, an adjunct faculty at for-profit and non-profit institutions, I can again write from an empirical position but this time from the employee prospective as an educator.

Every institution of higher learning has a process to become and remain established. This holds true among for profit institutions. Their emphasis would be to establish a brand. For one university, for example, it is the purchase of a football stadium, and, or, advertising using the voice of an international entertainment figure, that sounds like the voice of Felicia Rashad, or the physical appearance of Steve Harvey. Other for-profit and non-profit institutions would use similar methods. (Personal note, there is nothing wrong or cynical about affective advertising.) Among for profit and non-profit institutions, education comes first, and for some for-profit satisfying corporate stake holders is just as important. Some institutions will provide a complete organizational chart that illustrates the flow of information and money for the enrolled student through university financial channels to stake holders. For the purposes of this manuscript, a stake holder maintains a financial partnership with a company that pays dividends

A brief historical perspective of for-profit institutions suggests that these types of schools became instrumental by filling the gap of economic and social needs. For example, Bernett, (2010) indicate that for-profit institutions assumed a leadership role when public institutions were unwilling to adapt to the socio-economic changes demanded by students and businesses. They site Bryant and Stratton as one of oldest for-profit institutions dating back to the mid 1800’s.

For-Profit Higher Education

It appears that within for-profit institutions, an affiliate campus will pay into the corporate office. It is a reciprocal process. For example, a for-profit university seeking to establish itself in a new city will complete an extensive research agenda. A research agenda may include an exploration of the political landscape, economic trends, feasibility study that encompasses cost effectiveness and investigation of population demographics, residential income levels, secondary academic grades over a particular time span, completed post-secondary educational levels, established businesses and government influences. A closer investigation may also explore workplace demographics using US Department of Labor statistics, and the information from a city’s Department of Economic Development. For some schools the outreach will be geared towards a targeted group. In Houston, Texas, for example, the city is divided into eighty-eight super neighborhoods that illustrate information pertinent to establishing an educational institution, businesses, residencies and the like (City of Houston, Department of Economic Development).

Since the mid to later 1970s, the target has been adult learners who were employed full time and part time. During the later years of the 20th century there appeared to be an increased need among for profit institutions to pursue recent high school graduates. In some geographical areas and some affiliate institutions, it was young adults (recent high school graduates) and adult learners who are African-Americans, other minorities and single parents, even though individuals from all ethnicities will be solicited. In an effort to effectively solicit perspective students; a university may have an individual in an executive decision-making position to attract members from a targeted population. The person may be reflective of that population. For example, if a university is attempting to increase its African-American population, it may hire an African-American in a visible senior level position. That person can set the tone for hiring enrollment counselors, who in turn, can promote and increase enrollment at that particular institution. This process ensures a diverse mix of students from various races and backgrounds. In essence, my observation suggest that if the director of academic affairs is an African-American and a large percentage of enrollment counselors are African-American, it can be assumed that there is a greater need as well to ensure positive results to increase a diversified student enrollment.

The increased enrollment suggests an increase in financial aid. The return of that investment allows for excessive dollars to be channeled to the university’s coffers-corporate office. This is not a minimal feat as millions of dollars can be regularly recorded. The first year of a university’s enrollment may be so excessive that the financial reward to enrollment counselors may include an increase in salary, job promotions or a plane ride to Disneyland for the entire enrollment staff. This was learned from discussions with African-American enrollment and financial aid mangers at a for profit university. When the enrollment has reached its peak and begins to level off, in some institutions, there will be a significant change in the administration. When this occurs, many African-Americans who held decision-making positions and made tremendous contributions to the institutions may be laid-off.

Non-Profit Higher Education Institutions

Why is higher education so critical to the American fabric, and African-Americans in particular? One possible reason is the