At the March on Washington Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. mentioned the “fierce urgency of now” in regards to our divided nation moving
forward together, to make things better. While there’s been some progress,
there’s still lots of work that needs to be done. The concept of the “fierce
urgency of now” is something that occupies my mind often. When I wake up,
I’m already in an urgent state of mind. I believe that time is valuable and
precious, and shouldn’t be wasted, which is why I can’t understand why some
people waste time. I hate wasting time and I certainly don’t enjoy having my
time wasted, which is why one of my biggest pet peeves is lateness. I
understand that things happen, and I can even understand running five minutes
behind, but if someone continually makes lateness a habit, I get annoyed;
especially if we’ve made plans in advance. I’ve been late before, but I’m a
prompt person – most, if not all of the time. I also recognize that time stops
for no one. This is why I’m urgent about pursuing opportunities, chasing my
dreams, following up with people who’ve contacted me, and making moves.
Everything I want is forward, and I know if I’m going to grab hold of what I
want, it’s going to require me to be urgent and ready to go, or else the opportunities
and especially the time, will pass me by. I believe that’s the fierce urgency
of now. Someday, one day, or waiting until you feel
like doing things, or taking care of something, may cost you opportunities
you might not get, if you’re being slothful. Be productive, take breaks when
you need to, and then get going. What are you going to do with the time you
have left?
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...