For those that didn't know him, Nipsey Hussle was not just a rapper — he was a visionary. His brilliance goes well beyond music.
In January, Nipsey revealed that he and real estate investor David Gross were working on a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program called Too Big To Fail. Many people applauded the effort, and rightfully so. But I don't think people know what Nipsey and David Gross may have uncovered. They may have found the one large missing puzzle piece to help solve the education issues in minority and inner city communities, while simultaneously fixing a widespread problem in American education and solving the issues with the Black tech pipeline.
Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.
Fixing "Our Schools" And All Schools
It's no secret that many public schools that serve Black and brown people in America remain underfunded, despite efforts of public policies like the Robin Hood plan. I don't think many people would argue with me when I say that the American school system is broken and not constructed for people of color to succeed.
Recently, several people with huge platforms, like Killer Mike and Dr. Umar Johnson, have advocated for fixing this issue by creating "our own schools." Nipsey and David Gross have also effectively created a solution with Too Big To Fail if you look closely at the idea.
Yes, Too Big To Fail is a STEM program and maker space. It is privately funded and not a school, therefore it is not accredited. This means, technically, they do not have to follow state regulations or, simply put, jump through hoops and cut through red tape. This model can easily be applied to schools and can foster the creation of a network of privately funded, unaccredited, fully autonomous, private schools. No do you see it? This is the solution: Black business men and women, partnering with Black visionaries, and even celebrities, to build our own schools.
What's Next?
Now that you know one large part of the solution to fix schools, what can we do with that? We can make a collective push.
I am not a billionaire and I cannot fund even one school. I am also only one voice. I have been emailing, calling, messaging and tweeting at people who can help me with this for months now. If we create a large collective conversation surrounding this solution, we can make this happen! So the question isn't what's next. The question is, who are you going to share this information with to help continue to push Nipsey's vision of education?
