Category: Black Community

Accountability, Black Community, Nashville

Y’all Are Talking About The Director of School’s Attitude While 21 Schools Die In The Dark

A version of this post was first published in The Contributor, a community magazine created specifically for Nashville’s homeless and citizens in poverty “by creating economic opportunity with dignity.” Vendors are allowed to purchase the magazine for a minimal cost and sell them at a higher price to ensure a hefty profit margin. The program is wildly successful as it has helped numerous women and … Continue reading Y’all Are Talking About The Director of School’s Attitude While 21 Schools Die In The Dark

Vesia Hawkins2 Comments
Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice, Tennessee

Nashville Can’t Keep Whitewashing Its Problem Educating Black and Brown Students

Interested parties have known about it for weeks. Many people have sat in front me over coffee referring to the “rumors” about the “potential” number of schools on the dreaded Tennessee Department of Education’s priority list. But they already knew. They knew the list of Nashville schools performing in the state’s bottom 5 percent would reach into the twenties. That every single school on the … Continue reading Nashville Can’t Keep Whitewashing Its Problem Educating Black and Brown Students

Vesia Hawkins4 Comments
Accountability, Black Community, Nashville

Can We Talk Education Like We Talk Football?

Football fans in Tennessee are sobering up from a rare, dizzying weekend of winning. We celebrated University of Tennessee’s shutout of UTEP and Vanderbilt’s performance at South Bend against the Fighting Irish, even though they lost it was a solid showing. I’m still reeling from the news that my alma mater, Austin Peay State University with its young rockstar coach (who will without a doubt … Continue reading Can We Talk Education Like We Talk Football?

Vesia Hawkins2 Comments
Accountability, Black Community, Nashville

Is The New Nashville An Egotistical Opportunist With A Wobbly Soul?

New Nashville appears to be developing into a privileged, poverty-hating, gentrification train railroading anyone without resources to help it reach the top. Sounds so Kardashian, right? Last night, after months of corporate-to-politician glad-handing and backroom skullduggery, Metro Council voted to approve a new MLS soccer stadium on beloved real estate near the city’s core. The “fairgrounds”, the former home of the annual state fair and … Continue reading Is The New Nashville An Egotistical Opportunist With A Wobbly Soul?

Vesia Hawkins1 Comment
Black Community

Who Is Likely To Return The Most To Our Society?

This post is about the value of life and the weight arbitrarily assigned to various groups by people in power. While writing this blog, Nashville witnessed another Black man’s death at the hands of its police department. Daniel Hambrick, the deceased, was 25 years old and said to have been armed at the time of the shooting. The officer, White and also 25, has less … Continue reading Who Is Likely To Return The Most To Our Society?

Vesia Hawkins1 Comment
Accountability, Black Community, School Choice

What’s A Celebration Of Freedom Without Recognizing Our Right To Literacy?

“Siri!” I bellowed. “Is there such thing as a right to literacy?” “Interesting question.” During a time when half of the country is in a desperate search for answers to life’s most basic questions about humanity’s most basic rights, Siri is about as useless as Michigan’s state department of education. The state that borders four of the five Great Lakes, houses the ghosts of Motown … Continue reading What’s A Celebration Of Freedom Without Recognizing Our Right To Literacy?

Vesia Hawkins6 Comments
Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

Valor Collegiate’s Success Rewarded As Part of Foundation’s Commitment to High-Quality Schools

I’m sure you know all about Valor Collegiate Academies, a local Nashville public charter school powerhouse that’s blowing everybody away with their students’ test score results. This charter network is part of a special group of Nashville schools that prove that ALL students can learn despite obstacles. Valor has received national recognition for their work and now they’re getting kudos plus a healthy check. A … Continue reading Valor Collegiate’s Success Rewarded As Part of Foundation’s Commitment to High-Quality Schools

Vesia HawkinsLeave a comment