Rejecting the Pedagogy of Neglect, Fear and Bias pt. I

This April will mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King. In Columbia Heights like many communities across the nation that day marked the apex of years of fear, neglect and bias of years before and after that day. Fortunately for us in today’s Columbia Heights men and women on that day which marked for many the height of fear, neglect and bias choose to make a vow of a future based in hope, vision and diligence of which we are the beneficiaries. We, this present generation, under our current leadership’s pedagogy of fear, neglect and bias are in danger of opting to turn our backs on the legacy of a future of hope, vision and diligence born on that day for fences of fear and convenience.

Unless, this generation quickly finds the audacity of hope, vision and diligence, yesterday January 26, 2008 at Girard St. Park steering committee meeting will mark a key victory of the fences of fear, neglect and bias over the hope born on that tragic day 40 years ago. Council Member Graham yesterday with the assistance of his constituency services director, DPR, a community organization born of the collaborative value of hope, vision and diligence rationalized, twisted, turn and extorted a foundation for a Columbia Height’s future based in physical fences representing symbolic FENCES of FEAR, NEGLECT, BIAS, DIVISION, IGNORANCE and NON-TRANSPARENCY. Instead of using their leverage and knowledge to push and create a foundation and vision of hope and togetherness they pushed an agenda for Columbia Height’s future based in fear. When explaining the park’s new design almost every element was justified in fear not hope.

In a community as diverse and complex as ours there is little expectation that it will be easy to forge a common vision for our future nor that we agree on even the more mundane issues. However, no matter how challenging this become, we must reject the Council Member’s siren’s call to accept a Columbia Heights future designed to accommodate FEAR, NEGLECT and BIAS. I urge all residents and stakeholders of this community to join me in continuing to reject this pedagogy of fear, neglect and bias. And demand the Columbia Heights public spaces be symbolic of our hope for a future of hope, vision and diligence reborn almost 40 years ago vs. the current effort by our CM in a fit of convenience to have our public spaces symbolize a future of fear, neglect and bias.

Choose a future Columbia Heights designed in Hope and reject a future designed in Fear. Choose a future designed in today’s Opportunities not in reaction to yesterday’s or today’s neglect. Choose a future of our diverse community coming together to solve any challenges we may face and reject the pedagogy of division and fences of biased now being peddled for political convenience. As we celebrate the opening of DCUSA almost 40 years to the date of Dr. King’s assassination and the birth of our Hope, let us not succumb to those who wish to design our future in Fear. It is up to us to Choose.