I was born and raised in Detroit... Motown... and in 2005 Martha Reeves from the 60's Motown group Vandellas was running for Detroit City Council on the platform of "bringing music back to the city of Detroit".... What? Are you kidding me? We've got enough "wanna be" rappers and she wants to add to this maddest? The worst part is Martha Reeves won and is a proud member of the dysfunctional Detroit City council. Meanwhile, cities like Mumbai, India are cranking out computer scientists by the thousands but Detroit has Marva Reeves. While Martha Reeves was "Dancing in the Streets" in the 60s, Mumbai was investing heavily in science education and it's paying off big time.
Fantasia Barrino who won the American Idol competition is functionally illiterate. That's right, she can't read and admitted her problem in at least one interview. She got lucky by winning the American Idol competition in 2006. Too many kids think they can be the next Michael Jackson when they need to focus on being the next Michael Dell.
To help counter some of this maddest, I am initiating a non-profit web academy here in New York city called The Web Academy. We will offer free web design classes to the community and offer free web development services to other non-profit organizations.
TheWebacademy.org
So, with the help of City College of NY and other local learning institutions, I am hopeful that we can crank out the next generation of web entrepreneurs.
The Detroit Web Academy to follow...
6 comments:
I think what you are doing is fantastic. I predict that you will have so many students you will have to expand...quickly. I also think the website has a fresh look and hip sound which is bound to attract young people.
Are you focusing on any age group in terms of students and how will they be chosen to participate?
EHAM is always thinking! I would love to sign up once you start the Detroit Academy. Is there a particular audience you are trying to reach? With the way the economy is going (downward spirial) and unemployment at a all time high, you may want to strategically focus on helping anyone that wants/needs to learn a new trade. Tiko :o)
I would like to focus on youth aged 14-18 first, but I am open to an older audience...
Excellent post...driving to the need of education for the emergent world. Add in that the Detroit kids that did get it back then are are now ex-Detroiters working in tech jobs around the world, you have the perfect circle as to why Micheal Jackson is revered as opposed to Micheal Dell. Living in the past wont last.
George, thanks for the comments...
Pretty insightful post, I would replace Michael Dell with Ben Carson or Ejovi Nuwere.
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