Uncle Fred’s Army honors retired Black educators

By Vivian Shipe

KNOXVILLE, TN — The combined years of service by the African American educators gathered at the Beck totaled over 600 years.

These are the “before” educators. Before you couldn’t teach Black History, before you couldn’t discipline and maintain control of your own class room. These teachers gave correction, education, hugs, advice, and were part of the days when the educator was respected and held in high regard. They were highly effective, encouraging, empowering, and told their students to roll their shoulders back, hold your head up, walk tall, and conjugate. They were of the old guard , telling the children to remember who they were representing both in the classroom and outside the classroom. When you left their classrooms you could read, write, and do math. They never forgot you and over the years they would see you and remember you.They made a difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of young black children in Knoxville over the years and Uncle Fred’s Army made sure they knew the positive impact and difference they had made in the lives of their past students during a Chat and Chew luncheon held in their honor at the Beck Cultural Center.

The forty educators received certificates of appreciation and a chilling update on how the classroom has changed and the effect the current situation is having on children Pre-K to 5th grade.

Tennessee Education Association State President Tanya T. Coats traveled to Knoxville to give an update on the current state of Region 5 schools and the voucher program. Among the shocking information shared was that slavery and the civil war can no longer be taught in the classroom, the increasing numbers of banned books, and the effect these and other new laws are having on people of color which includes Asian and Hispanic populations. President Coats also discussed how vouchers will take 7000.00 per child away from public schools to be used for attendance in private schools. She also spoke of legislative actions that would allow teachers to be armed in the classroom. Coats ended her remarks with a charge to everyone to become more aware and politically active, to get more involved in school board issues, and to begin to listen to learn from children when they tell you things happening in the schools.

Uncle Fred’s Army took the opportunity to recruit these best minds, asking them to come out of retirement a few hours each week and become village tutors for grades Pre K through fifth grade in the areas of vocabulary, fluency, and especially comprehension. The teachers also learned of the need for one on one reading as a Book Buddy and the need for teachers to play education games with children.

Reverend Ashauna Cleveland, founder of Uncle Fred’s Army reiterated the need for a village led response to the literacy crisis impacting Black/African children . The mission of UFC is to improve early literacy skills in the young in the areas of reading, writing, and thinking.The focus is to empower family and community outside of schools by using community safe spaces, to build awareness about the epidemic of illiteracy and get more people involved.

As sign up sheets for training and tutoring dates were passed around, the teachers were reminded of the words of the great Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and civil rights leader, whose words and actions were the basis for the formation of Uncle Fred’s Army:

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free”.