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AUGUST 26, 2020
Teach them to Count! Back2Skool Series QUIT PLAYIN’ BY VINCENT L. HALL
“What’s four plus four?” ”Jell-O.” But that ain’t his fault. That’s the mama’s (parents) fault. “Talk to your kid. ”Talk to him. ”If you said more words to him than, ‘Mommy (Daddy) be back’…” he might know something. – Chris Rock, “Bigger and Blacker “- 1999 For those who are counting, this is Week two in the Back2Skool series. We had to interrupt the second installment. Apparently, some leaders at the City of Dallas can’t count the cost of arresting minorities for small amounts of marijuana. Anyway… After you teach your child to pray (Week 1), you must begin what I call “Cognitive Abilities Treatments” (CAT). It starts as early as their aptness to reach and touch. When your babies are young, they should press every elevator button and every
COVID-19, from page 1...
July 25 on how to expand Black entrepreneurship in the age of coronavirus, hosted by the Black Business Empowerment Commission (BBEC). She said one of the biggest problems businesses were facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was a lack of access to capital. Although Sylvia’s was buoyed by the fact that it owned the property housing it’s headquarters, she said other business owners she knows have been victimized by predatory lenders and vulnerable to tax liabilities. “We’ve been struggling,” she said, “and we know what it’s like to survive a pandemic. We’ve endured several.” Although the town hall was focused on the challenges Black
light switch. Teaching “cause and effect” is essential, and it should not begin with a belt or switch. (Hint!) Experts believe that by age two, your toddler should be able to count to 10. This exercise is a building block for memory, but by age three or four, you should introduce basic addition and subtraction. My suggestion is to introduce counting as early as 12-18 months, or as they can talk and point. Visuals are a must. Age-appropriate toys strewn across the nursery or room are ok, but learning fixtures should be prominent. You can order toys, eating utensils, and flashcards with numbers and illustrations to reinforce your teaching objectives. Every moment is a teachable moment. Although it may be annoying, monotonous, and a distraction from your favorite TV show, your job is to make learning fun. Count to 10, then to 20, and eventually to 100. First forward and then backward. The more you strengthen the memory muscle, the easier it is for
businesses faced during the pandemic, the topics were not all doom and gloom. There are opportunities to start or expand a business - you just have to know where to look, according to fellow panelist Michael Sutton, a civil engineer and president of Infrastructure Engineering. Now is the perfect time for aspiring entrepreneurs to snap up a distressed business and employ qualified staff who have been let go because of COVID-19, but they must balance the natural inclination to hunker down with taking the initiative. “This world has not seen what we can do yet as a Black business,” Sutton said. “COVID-19, we’re going to survive this. We’ll get through this, somehow, some way. We’re going to come up on the other side more intelligent, much wiser.” Despite disparities in health,
your child’s teachers to add new arithmetic concepts. Back in the day, one of the best mathematical devices was circulated by insurance salesmen/women. They would entice your parents to listen to their sales pitch by offering a tri-fold card with multiplication tables from one to 12. Back then, Prudential, New York Life, and John Hancock never came to the hood. Obviously, those folks didn’t count our pennies. Atlanta Life, North Carolina Mutual, and a
education, and over policing, African-Americans have a history of economic success - like Tulsa’s Black Wall Street - that must continue, said Regina Smith, founding member of the BBEC. “The fact that we are in a position where our children may not inherit wealth from us is unacceptable,” Smith said. “I’m not accepting that for my grandson, and I don’t want us to accept it for any of our children or grandchildren.” The Commission is working to highlight solutions to support Black-owned businesses, like master sole sourced no-bid contracts, government initiatives and certification that specifically support black business owners, back office support and workforce development said architect Zevilla Jackson-Preston, a BBEC co-founder. “We are serious and diligent
few other debit insurance companies were all we were offered. Later, incorporate games that help your preschoolers count. Hopscotch and Hide and Go Seek (5, 10, 15, 20), and Jacks are no longer in vogue. However, dominoes, cards, and monopoly still develop counting and reasoning skills simultaneously. Educational television is required, and so is your participation. Set aside 30 minutes per day. You won’t forget it because your chil-
about what it means to empower Black business,” Jackson-Preston said. Walter Edwards, the chairman of the Harlem Business Alliance and one of the founding members of the BBEC, said the pandemic has presented a chance to transform Black entrepreneurship in America. “COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to rebuild this country,”the businessman said, “and rebuild it for ourselves.” Woods-Black agreed. “We as a people have an opportunity to be really unapologetic about how we move forward,” she said. “Now is not the time for us to cower back, but to hold not only our electeds, but the corporations - where we spend out money - accountable and say this is what we demand. Visit the BBEC’s website, www.bbecommission.org, for more information.
dren won’t let you. Most children would bury that joystick in trade for time with you. COVID-19 lockdown will last for the rest of 2020, make the best of it. Don’t ever fall for that foolishness that your child can’t learn. I’ve been backroom with “uneducated” brothers huddled around a crap table counting faster than calculators. Making bets, side bets, and calculating the houseman’s cut requires skills! Too many “smart” kids today can’t count change on a dollar. Counting is a lifelong obligation. When you see a sign that says BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free), you should immediately deduce that the merchant is offering you 25% off. Counting allows you to make a value determination. Anything less than 40% off ain’t a bargain! Teach your children to count objects. Then teach them to count as a member of the human race. If they can’t count, they will always be a subtraction and never count for much. Their failures belong to you! Vincent L. Hall is an author, activist, and award-winning columnist.
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