Visited my New City!!

It has been choosen! I will be living and teaching in Camden, New Jersey for the next two years. I am not sure what school yet but I received job offers from two of the best schools in New Jersey: Camden Promise and LEAP Academy . Both schools have great staff, students, networks and love for education. I am excited but I realize these are the only two beacons of hope I saw in Camden. Example:

This is a city after the 1967 Riots that sparked in many African-American cities after MLK's death

This is Camden now

Not much has changed in this city after the riots it seems. The city is known for corrupt mayors, high violent crime rates, auto theft and drug abuse. It is a city that needs hope and change just like Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City..and soon Minneapolis if we don't clean up our act.

The hope and change we are looking for is in our CHILDREN thus we as a community MUST invest in them. After visiting these schools, my faith for change and in love and Education and God has been renewed. All we need is dedication. The same students that come from this neighborhood are attending Camden Pride and LEAP and 90% of Camden students and 100% of LEAP students are in or going to college. They are beating low expectations and I am so proud to be apart of their progress. I just hope I can be a good mathematics teacher that helps these youth think critcally about their world and can use the math skills I help instill in them along with their creativity and HUSTLE to change this world. We need advocates from Camden, Detroit, Chicago, etc to sit at board tables and be the voice for the hood and hopefully end the mass injustice in this world...hopefully. But I am becoming more ready for this challenge..even though my daddy is scared about me leaving....and everyone else. I got this! God is on my side!


On a low note...I really must start workin out...I went to Philly and threw down on them Cheese steaks...YUM!