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lifestyle THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 FEATURES Ayinde (left), age 10, who is homeschooled by his mother Monica Utsey, takes part in an Ayinde (2nd left), age 10, who is homeschooled by his mother Monica Utsey, takes part in Zion, 17, who is homeschooled by his mother Monica African drumming class as an extracurricular activity in Mount Rainier. an African drumming class as an extracurricular activity in Mount Rainier. Utsey, works at his desk at home. Black American families take school into their own hands hile plugging away at college entrance would grow up without an appreciation for their ping down." "Whatever field you want to go exam preparations, Zion Utsey momen- African heritage. into, homeschooling is there for you," he said, Wtarily jolts up from his laptop and drums Like many other black parents, she also point- noting that he plans to study engineering in on the dining room table, slapping the wood ed to racism. Disciplinary policies in American college. In 2004 Utsey founded the Sankofa with expert rhythm. "See, that's the kind of thing schools disproportionately affect students of col- Homeschool Community to support home- you get in trouble for in school," his mother-and or: black students account for some 40 percent schooling families of color in the Washington teacher-Monica Utsey says with a satisfied smile. of all students who have received multiple sus- metropolitan area. The collective began as a vir- "But I know when he's frustrated or thinking he'll pensions, according to the American Civil tual community and since 2012 has offered stop and bang on the table for five minutes." Liberties Union, though they represent just 16 Afrocentric history and culture courses. A single Though he is in his Washington home, Zion, percent of public school enrollment." I never mother since her husband's 2013 death, Utsey 17, is in fact in school: He, along with his 10-year- wanted them to have to walk through a metal both steers her children's education and works old brother Ayinde, are two of the roughly 1.8 detector when they go to school," Utsey said of part-time at a youth center. million homeschooled students in the United her sons. "I wanted them to feel that excellence is Money is tight and Utsey wishes government States. The Utseys also belong to a growing sub- who you are." "A lot of times schools do not culti- funding were available to homeschooling par- group of African-American homeschoolers, fami- vate that kind of culture." ents. Charities distribute some funds to home- lies dissatisfied with traditional education opting schooling families in need, but the government to take matters into their own hands. Few statis- 'Growing dissatisfaction' does not offer specific financial help to home- tics exist regarding homeschooling, particularly Mazama said most black families she speaks schoolers. Nevertheless, educating her boys at when it comes to race, but the National Center to cite "a growing dissatisfaction with the public home has been worth the challenges, Utsey said. for Education Statistics estimates some five per- school system and a disillusion with integration." She often reminisces on a moment from Zion's cent of US homeschoolers are black. "African Americans fought really hard to get into childhood, when he glanced up from his work- Research suggests that proportion is growing: the public schools," she said. "But now 50 years Ayinde, 10, who is homeschooled by his mother Monica Utsey, works at his desk at home. book to tell her, "Mom, I love being black. I just Ama Mazama, a scholar of African American edu- later we realize the promises have not been way that history is taught in general, the focus is Ayinde was focusing on spelling, math and pen- love the color of my skin." Utsey said the memory cation at Temple University, said at least 200,000 kept." "Black children are being made invisible, on the contributions of a smaller group of peo- manship. Zion also takes courses at a science, exemplifies the "blessing" homeschooling has black families homeschool today, more than disenfranchised." When she first began home- ple." When Zion hit 10, Utsey committed to technology and math-focused program for been: "a lot of children-especially African double the 90,000 who educated their kids at schooling Zion, Utsey figured she would eventu- homeschooling her boys until they were college- homeschoolers. American children-don't grow up feeling that home in 1999. Many parents keep their kids at ally send him to school. She grounded him in aged. Now overflowing bookshelves line her way about themselves."— AFP home to give them a more free-wheeling, African civilization and history in preparation. walls, maps of Africa paper the apartment and 'Love being black' exploratory education; others cite religious or "I thought to myself once he gets to school, her small dining room bursts with art supplies Though Zion said he has wondered about moral grounds. But Utsey ultimately chose he'll be bombarded with slavery, so our focus and math games. Both boys study African per- the social aspects of traditional school, leaving homeschooling because she feared her sons now is going to be before then," she said. "The cussion and play sports; on this day the younger his homeschool environment "would be step- Musician Youssou Ndour backs Senegal's war on malaria oussou Ndour, Senegal's most famous musician, is Saharan Africa's fragile economies by far the hardest. Senegal throwing his weight behind malaria eradication in his has made huge gains in reducing malaria rates in recent years, Yhomeland to combat an illness that has for too long held which the project aims to consolidate to put the country on back Africa's economic development. Malaria killed more than the path to complete eradication. 400,000 people last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) -- the vast majority of them children living Star power in sub-Saharan Africa. Ndour has performed and toured since Ndour remains a massive star at home, where his music the 1970s, blending Senegalese music with soul, hip-hop and blares from seemingly every taxi and corner shop, while he is jazz to international acclaim, but has also become known for best known in the West for "Seven Seconds", his 1994 duet with This file photo shows Snoop Dogg, as he arrives for the his work as a longtime campaigner for malaria prevention. Neneh Cherry. Using his fame as a weapon, he has participated 2013 BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los The disease remains all too common in Senegal, despite a in prevention campaigns aimed at getting families to sleep Angeles, California. — AFP government pledge to eradicate it by 2018, with 500,000 under mosquito nets, while promoting his cause abroad with recorded Senegalese cases in 2015, according to the WHO. "It's giant concerts with fellow African and international musicians. first of all a serious public health problem. But we also see the Ndour has toured the world for the last five decades, but old economic impact around it and the weaknesses we have at the images he was shown in the US stick out when he tries to pic- Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour gestures during an Trump calls out level of development in Africa because of malaria," Ndour told ture an Africa without malaria. interview at a restaurant in Dakar. — AFP AFP in an interview in Senegal's capital Dakar. "They showed me these old photos in Washington, and at A new $32 million initiative is aiming to finally stamp out needlessly to the disease over the years. He believes the the time there were mosquitos. How come (the disease) is Snoop Dogg over malaria in the west African nation, to which Ndour has lent his Senegalese have frequently minimized malaria's deadly impact gone?" he asked himself, learning that the government and cit- support. More than 2.5 million people will receive mosquito in the past, allowing the parasite carried by mosquitos to izens had mobilized together to beat malaria after World War II. nets impregnated with insecticide, 1.6 million rapid diagnosis wreak damage that is far more dangerous to children. "Here "With the example of Washington, tomorrow we should be shooting video tests will be distributed and 70,000 doses of anti-malarial there are a lot of people who will tell you 'oh I just have a touch able to say: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, that the problem in drugs will be delivered as part of the project, along with advice these places has been fixed to allow these African nations to onald Trump took aim yesterday at Snoop Dogg, say- of flu' while in fact they have malaria," Ndour said, sporting a and training for healthcare workers. The Lives and Livelihoods take off," the singer added. Efforts must be far more concerted ing the rap star would have gotten "jail time" had he white and black checked traditional Senegalese robe. Fund, which targets health projects in Muslim-majority nations now that the end is in sight, he believes. "We have to pick up pointed his gun at Barack Obama rather than the cur- The risks are not only to health, he emphasized. "When chil- D and is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the pace to actually eradicate malaria," he emphasized. "I hope rent US president in a video. Snoop Dogg, an early figure in dren don't go to school, there are no jobs, you can't work. So several Gulf states, is backing the project with the Senegalese to see it happen in my lifetime." — AFP California gangsta rap who has mellowed in recent years, this poverty is always hovering in the background." He noted the government.

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