Apple’s $40 Million HBCU Scholarship Program is Now Accepting Applications For 2019-2020
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) in partnership with Apple is proud to present the Apple HBCU Scholars Program. Applications are open to outstanding students attending HBCUs with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and are currently working towards a degree in an undergraduate, Masters, or Ph.D. program.
Selected Scholars will participate in a 12-week internship during the summer, and will receive a need-based scholarship award that will be applied to the academic year immediately following their internship period.
Each scholar will have an Apple mentor throughout their experience, receive an opportunity to develop key skills, enhance their resumes, and help launch their careers through the hands-on experience gained at one of the top tech companies in the world.
This highly competitive program has opportunities for students in a variety of disciplines. The selection process aims to assess critical soft skills that enable success in their program, coupled with technical ability. They are looking for individuals that have analytical abilities, the ability to articulate ideas, the ability to learn new concepts, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and more.
Applicants must be highly motivated, persuasive and candid, focused on results, team players, and must possess sound judgment and critical thinking skills.
Kanye West calls himself ‘the greatest artist that God has ever created’ at Joel Osteen service
By Hannah Yasharoff,
Kanye West took the stage at Houston megachurch pastor Joel Osteen’s serviceSunday, zigzagging through an interview about his shift to a much more religious ideology, his Sunday Service performances and new gospel album, “Jesus Is King.”
After claiming the “devil stole all the good producers, all the good musicians, all the good artists, all the good designers,” West told the packed crowd of Lakewood Church worshippers that he sees a major shift coming in the world because “now, the greatest artist that God has ever created is working for him,” referencing himself.
The rapper threw out handfuls of half-explained ideas throughout his talk, at one point calling strip clubs a form of sex trafficking and later claiming images are being fed to young children through “the media” with subliminal messaging to make them more inclined to join society’s “robotic, numeric system.” The latter was met with silence from the stadium audience, after which West told listeners they could rewind a video clip of what he had been saying and “do research” on the topic.
He also lamented things like alcohol, promiscuity and other pressures for rappers to look cool as “distractions” and “addictions” that “bring our Christian scorecard down.”
“They’ll hit you sometimes. Sometimes you’ll go ahead and just pour that drink and then repent for it,” West said. “We all fall short of the glory. … Christians are not going to be Christ. We are going to follow Christ and be Christ-like and repent for our sins. … We all have sins, it’s another thing to be selling drugs in a children’s parking lot.
Now 42 and the father of four children with wife Kim Kardashian, West’s public persona has switched gears from the provocative hitmaker he was once known as to a more clean-cut follower of the Bible.
What advice would West give to the old Kanye? The rapper told Osteen he didn’t have any verbal messages that would have helped his former self because music was his saving grace.
“This music don’t come every month,” West said. “We dropping that heat, we’re in the studio. God is strengthening our hands. We’re taking all the most fire producers and bringing them back to God.”
Tickets for West’s planned Sunday Service performance at Lakewood were distributed through Ticketmaster and gone within minutes, with resellers asking hundreds of dollars for them.
Osteen’s televised weekly TV program is viewed by more than 13 million households in the U.S. and millions more in more than 100 nations around the world.
From the Smithsonian to the Kitchen: African American Art is Transforming the Home Decor Business
Just a few decades ago, Black art was hard to come by in mainstream markets. Artists were largely only viewed at African American museums and at niche galleries. In 1995, two young African American males in South Los Angeles set out to bridge the gap between Black art collectors and the everyday consumer. Shades of Color fuses Black art into its product line to celebrate one of America’s most influential cultures on household products including home décor, shower curtains, floor mats and kitchen aprons.
As of 2017, the home decor industry was worth $582 billion, and is projected to increase to $741 billion by 2023, according to PR Newswire. There has been an increase in home ownership which has tremendously impacted the home décor market, as stated on the Allied Market Research website.
While the home décor market is constantly expanding, there are still seldom companies that honor African American art on their products. Shades of Color’s partnership with African American artists is proving to be a solution that brings art into the homes of the consumers that truly appreciate it.
“We work with artists to mass produce their art on products which exponentially increases exposure to their craft,” says President, Adrian Woods. “Our artists are an extension of our family and are relatable from the girlfriends of Cidne Wallace to the strong Black fathers by Frank Morrison to the more contemporary styles of Larry Poncho Brown. Our goal is to highlight these artists and be a driving force in ethnic home décor.”
Black art is a reflection of American culture, and Shades of Color’s community is making that art more accessible. All types of consumers have essentially become art collectors without even knowing it. The company’s direct to consumer website features African American artists, a vast catalog of products and global conversations around culture and current affairs. With its ties to community involvement the company is also supporting its greater network. Schools, churches and community groups have earned well over $2 million through the company’s fifteen year fundraising program that is open to everyone.
What began in the mid-90’s as strictly a calendar company is now a leader in an ethnic niche market selling through mass retailers, organizations, main street gift shops and quaint Afrocentric stores across the country. The flagship calendar line preserves history and brings facts, accomplishments and current milestones to light in a time when typical classrooms across the country are still neglecting to include Black history. The entire product line is infused with positive aspirations and imagery that embody this very important aspect of Americana.
“It is touching to hear the reactions,” says Production Manager and Marketing Director, Janine Robinson. “Across social media followers comment on what it feels like to walk into their bathroom, for example, and see a reflection of themselves on a 70” x 70” panel that fills the room. It’s not rare to get several comments saying, ‘That’s me!’ Not only does the product fill the room literally, the art and statements fill and ignite the spirit too. That is the part that makes it all worth it.” #UpliftandInspire
About Shades of Color Founded in 1995, Shades of Color, LLC is a small Black-owned business producing high quality calendars, stationery, kitchenware, home décor, bags and gifts. It licenses and commissions Black art from renowned African American artists. The company manufactures and distributes its own collections to a global audience. Learn more about their products at www.ShadesGifts.com. Learn more about their Home Décor Collection at www.shadescalendars.com/product-category/homedecor
The NFL Is Just Not That Into Colin Kaepernick, and This Sham ‘Workout’ Proves It
By Damon Young,
While thinking about the nebulous “workout” the NFL recently offered to Colin Kaepernick, I’m reminded of…He’s Just Not That Into You. Which, well, let me explain:
Like most other zeitgeist-driving cultural entities of the early aughts, the general premise of the book and subsequent film He’s Just Not That Into Youhasn’t aged well. Back then, however, the idea that women interested in romantic relationships with men were the only ones who needed to shift their behaviors—to understand men better or to make themselves more attractive—spawned an entire ecosystem of books, movies, TV shows, Nightlinespecials, newspaper profiles, packed-venue panels, and blogs (including, well, this one). Of course, there’s still contemporary content premised on that lie, but it mostly now exists on the outskirts of popular culture; in YouTube rabbit-holes and pick-me tweets instead of the New York Times bestseller list.
That said, if you are a person who happens to be dating, recognizing the behavior of someone who’s putting a half-assed effort into seeing you is vital, and just not that into you is a succinct and effective way of articulating that dynamic. And what the NFL is doing to Colin Kaepernick is akin to a 5 o’clock text ask for a 5:45 date.
“I’m free in 45 minutes if you want to meet me at the spot.”
“I already have plans. Can we move it to Monday?”
“Nah.”
“Saturday?
“Nope.”
“8pm tonight at least?”
“You said you wanted to hang out. Do you want to or not, cause I can do something else.”
Everything about this sham ask feels gross. There’s the fact that the workout is on a Saturday—the day most NFL teams are traveling to and preparing for games and can’t be bothered with anything other than who they’re playing the next day. Knowing this, Kaepernick’s reps asked for the workout to be moved to a Tuesday, which is the usual day things like this happen.
But the NFL said the workout had to be on a Saturday, sources previously told ESPN. When the league was asked whether it could be the following Saturday — by making it this Saturday, the 32 teams had only about three days to decide whether to attend and whom to send—the NFL said no and didn’t provide a reason.
Kaepernick’s people also asked for a list of teams who planned on attending—literally the very least they could do to make this process feel less icky. The NFL’s official response? “Nah.” Holy shit.
Of course, there have been rumors that Jay-Z was somehow involved in having this workout arranged, which is actually a worse look for him if it’s actually true. This is the end result of y’all’s favorite billionaire’s seat at the table? Convincing the NFL to send Colin Kaepernick a 1 a.m. “wyd” text? That was Jigga’s master plan?
There’s little doubt that the NFL just wants Colin Kaepernick to go away, and inviting a 32-year-old man who hasn’t stepped on a field in three years to a last-minute workout is a way of alleviating blame. Now, they can always just say “You can’t say we didn’t ask him to hang out.”
Black fashion of the 1990s was groundbreaking. This new exhibit celebrates its rise
BY EVAN NICOLE BROWN,
21st-century platforms such as Instagram have made it easier than ever before for businesses to exercise direct-to-consumer advertising. With each swipe through the app’s algorithm, countless influencers and advertisers benefit from eyes on their products. But before technology made this kind of advertising practically omnipresent, brands relied on more traditional methods—such as product placement. In 1990, when Will Smith’s vibrant comedy (and wardrobe) appeared in living rooms across the country during the first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Los Angeles-based clothing brand worn by the lead actor was catapulted to stardom. Cross Colours, founded by designers Carl Jones and T.J. Walker just the year before, became an instant commercial success.
In celebration of the pioneering apparel line and its enduring legacy, the California African American Museum has mounted an exhibit that chronicles the brand’s 30-year history: Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century. The show, jointly curated by Tyree Boyd-Pates, history curator and program manager, and Taylor Bythewood-Porter, assistant history curator, features original design sketches, vintage textiles, and unique ephemera that help contextualize the sociopolitical climate in which Jones and Walker were designing—and offers insights about the way fashion, politics, and activism are still intertwined.
“We look at the brand and all of the historical influences through a chronological lens,” says Boyd-Pates as we walk through the gallery space. “We start in the 1920s and ’30s because of Marcus Garvey, whose ideology—the Back to Africa movement and ultimately the [movement’s] dominant three colors, red, black, and green—were direct influences to what Cross Colours would attempt to evoke through its designs. You can see the evoking of this nationalistic idea of self-reliance, self-dependence, and self-defense.”
For a generation that was dealing with the reverberations of unjust Reagan-era policies, poverty, and racially motivated police brutality, these themes struck a chord. And Cross Colours’ bold brand identity, which promised “Clothing Without Prejudice” and on-trend streetwear aesthetics, made it the natural choice for America’s black urban youth. Dressing a young black influencer such as Will Smith in its clothes allowed Jones and Walker to speak directly to their intended audience—an audience who’d appreciate the graphic T-shirts, multicolored striped shorts, and branded bucket hats.
“They were just matching and modeling what black youth were saying was the pulse,” Boyd-Pates says. “Black African textiles were really dominant at the time. So were unapologetically black lyrics [from artists] like KRS-One, Queen Latifah, and Public Enemy.”
Audio installations placed throughout the exhibit emphasize the impact that 1990s hip-hop culture—from the birth of DJ scratching in the Bronx to the laid-back style of Los Angeles rappers in their lowriders—had on black fashion during the period as well. “What you have is black responses to backlash, and oftentimes it’ll come by ways of music and fashion. . . . That’s what the exhibition is chronicling,” Boyd-Pates says.
The quintessential ’90s apparel line also drew inspiration from Malcolm X’s promotion of black nationalism and the Black Panther Party. “The X as a symbol directly influences Cross Colours in the use of the X almost 60 to 70 years later,” Boyd-Pates notes, pointing to a bodysuit with the brand’s X-centric logo on it. The mannequins in CAAM’s gallery space are decked out in generous amounts of black and denim, similar to the Black Panther Party’s uniform, “as a form of allyship with workers and black workers,” Boyd-Pates explains.
Despite these Afrocentric design influences, Cross Colours enjoyed much mainstream success in America’s predominantly white, suburban communities too. These adjacent demographic groups were major consumers of clothes and were inspired by the golden age of hip-hop in the 1990s as well. “[It was] seen as a subculture that was controversial and rebellious to the status quo,” Boyd-Pates says. “Subcultures tend to rise and bubble to the top.”
“They were just matching and modeling what black youth were saying was the pulse,” Boyd-Pates says. “Black African textiles were really dominant at the time. So were unapologetically black lyrics [from artists] like KRS-One, Queen Latifah, and Public Enemy.”
Audio installations placed throughout the exhibit emphasize the impact that 1990s hip-hop culture—from the birth of DJ scratching in the Bronx to the laid-back style of Los Angeles rappers in their lowriders—had on black fashion during the period as well. “What you have is black responses to backlash, and oftentimes it’ll come by ways of music and fashion. . . . That’s what the exhibition is chronicling,” Boyd-Pates says.
The quintessential ’90s apparel line also drew inspiration from Malcolm X’s promotion of black nationalism and the Black Panther Party. “The X as a symbol directly influences Cross Colours in the use of the X almost 60 to 70 years later,” Boyd-Pates notes, pointing to a bodysuit with the brand’s X-centric logo on it. The mannequins in CAAM’s gallery space are decked out in generous amounts of black and denim, similar to the Black Panther Party’s uniform, “as a form of allyship with workers and black workers,” Boyd-Pates explains.
Despite these Afrocentric design influences, Cross Colours enjoyed much mainstream success in America’s predominantly white, suburban communities too. These adjacent demographic groups were major consumers of clothes and were inspired by the golden age of hip-hop in the 1990s as well. “[It was] seen as a subculture that was controversial and rebellious to the status quo,” Boyd-Pates says. “Subcultures tend to rise and bubble to the top.”
CAAM’s retrospective illustrates the cord that tethers clothing and culture; through Cross Colours, we see how political black fashion is. For the marginalized, controlling one’s identity through personal style is a visual statement when voice is not enough.
“We have realized that everything happens in cycles . . . so what was relevant 20 to 30 years ago, because of the shelf life of these eras, will make a resurgence,” Boyd-Pates says. “If ’90s clothing was dope in 1989, 30 years later it’s right around the time [for it to be relevant again], because the social climates that created the things 30 years ago are actually nearly identical.”
Case in point: The cyclical struggle of black men trapped in the carceral system persists today, just as it did when the war on drugs began in the ’70s. Prison uniforms, ill-fitting and saggy, became associated with black culture, and Cross Colours designed fashionable clothes with that prevailing aesthetic in mind.
“They were actually making baggy clothes intentionally because they were reclaiming the narrative that you may racially profile us, but we don’t care about your gaze, we care about our own. That’s why they designed men’s trousers to debunk the racial profiling that was happening in urban areas,” Boyd-Pates says. These sentiments are eerily familiar today, a time when the criminal justice system continues to operate lopsidedly on bias, and when police forces make examples out of civilians of color.
Today, Cross Colours’ appeal is global; the brand is experiencing a renaissance thanks to the popularity of eco-friendly vintage shopping, and a nostalgic interest in the ’90s too. Ever the entrepreneurs, Jones and Walker are running limited reissues of some of the company’s biggest hits and pursuing collaborations. Bruno Mars even teamed up with Jones and Walker to make specialized Cross Colours merchandise for his 24K Magic tour.
“They are overwhelmingly excited about the resurgence [and] about the ownership that this generation is taking of the brand,” Boyd-Pates says of the founder-designers. “They’re also really proud of the way they were able to stake a claim early on and trail-blaze in the way they did, changing the trajectory of fashion as we know it.”
Kevin Hart Makes First Public Appearance Since Car Crash
The actor and comedian received a standing ovation as he took the stage
By Josephine Harvey,
Kevin Hart made his first official public appearance since he was seriously injured in a September car crash.
The actor and comedian received a standing ovation as he took the stage at the E! People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, walking, fittingly, to the tune of “Stronger” by Kanye West so Robert Downey Jr. could present him with the award for Best Comedy Act of 2019.
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 10: 2019 E! PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS — Pictured: Kevin Hart accepts The Comedy Act of 2019 award on stage for ‘Kevin Hart: Irresponsible’ on stage during the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards held at the Barker Hangar on November 10, 2019 — NUP_188997 (Photo by: Alberto Rodriguez/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank)
“First and foremost, thank God, because I definitely don’t have to be here,” he said. “Being that I am, it makes me appreciate life even more. It makes me appreciate the things that really matter ― family. I want to thank my wife, my kids, who really stepped up to the plate for me.”
Hart also thanked his fans for their support during his journey back to health.
“You have no idea the effect that you have on us as entertainers ― your energy, your support. It means the world and I truly want to thank you guys for being there for me in my difficult time,” he said.
Hart has been on the road to recovery since he suffered three spinal fractures when his car, driven by friend Jared Black, veered off a highway in Los Angeles and into a ditch in the early hours of Sept. 1. Hart underwent spinal surgery and was hospitalized for 10 days. He shared dramatic footage on Instagram of the accident’s aftermath and his intense rehabilitation process.
In a statement last month, attorney Andrew Brettler said Hart was committed to physical therapy and “getting stronger every day.” He also said Hart was doing “a little work here and there” on his upcoming film “Jumanji: The Next Level,” but did not anticipate being fully back to work until 2020.
Bad Boys 3 & Coming to America 2 both filming at Tyler Perry Studios at the same time
Tyler Perry has elevated the game with his state of the art epic opening of his MASSIVE studio in Atlanta!
There are multiple projects ongoing on the spacious campus and who would’ve thought 2 EPIC movies would be filming at the same time!?
‘Bad Boys 4 Life’, and the sequel to ‘Coming To America’ are both filming there and you never know who you will see on any given day. Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Arsenia Hall, Wesley Snipes, Tracy Morgan just to name a few all PAL it up for some fun pics!
Bad Boys 4 Life is scheduled for release in January 2020 while Coming 2 America: Quest, is set to hit theaters in August 2020.
Homeless 8-Year Old Nigerian Chess Prodigy Who Won NY State Championship Checkmates Paramount Movie Deal With ‘Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Among Producers
By Mike Fleming Jr,
Paramount has acquired an untitled film project built around the Adewumi family. Living in a homeless center on religious asylum, 8-year-old Tani won the 2019 New York chess championship, despite only being introduced to the game two years earlier.
Tanitoluwa (Tani) Adewumi
The drama will be culled from three books on the family that have been set up at the HarperCollins imprint W Publishing.
Producing are Day Zero Productions’ Trevor Noah and Haroon Saleem, State Street Pictures’ George Tillman Jr. and Bob Teitel, and Mainstay Entertainment’s Norman Aladjem.
The drama will tell the story of a Nigerian family that escaped terrorism in their home country, sought and received asylum in America and — against all odds — found a welcoming new home in New York. It’s a story of love, peace, community and faith and the lengths parents will go to bring their family to safety and provide them a better life. Tani’s accomplishment went viral and the family’s story became an inspiration to many. The books will publish in spring 2020.
Noah, host, exec producer and writer of the Emmy and Peabody-winning The Daily Show, and his Day Zero partner Haroon Saleem are already in business with Aladjem’s Mainstay on an adaptation of Noah’s bestselling memoir Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood. That one is set at Paramount Players, and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o is attached to star. Day Zero and Mainstay are in prep for Noah’s untitled series for Quibi, which he will star in and produce.
State Street’s Teitel and Tillman most recently produced the acclaimed drama The Hate U Give, which Tillman directed. Jay Marcus will be exec producer and will oversee the project for State Street Pictures.
Noah, Tillman Jr, Teitel and the Adewumi family are repped by CAA. Noah’s also Mainstay Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson; Tillman is manager Lindsay Williams and attorney Steve Burkow of Ziffren Brittenham, latter of whom also reps Teitel. The Adewumis are repped by CAA for both film and publishing along with attorney Marc H. Simon at Fox Rothschild.
The sequel to Coming to America continues to add a number of incredible entertainers to their already star-studded cast lineup — and we are working hard to keep up!
The new plot follows Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) as he is set to become King of Zamunda, but he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America. Akeem and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) return to America to honor the king’s dying wish to groom this son as the crowned prince.
We can’t wait to see how this all plays out on-screen, but in the meantime, scroll through to check out a list of the cast members who have been announced so far.
Eddie Murphy
In the sequel, Eddie Murphy’s Akeem is set to become King of Zamunda.
EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES FOR NETFLIX
Arsenio Hall
Comedian Arsenio Hall returns as Semmi.
MICHAEL S. SCHWARTZ/GETTY IMAGES
Shari Headley
Headley returns as Lisa McDowell, the eventual wife to Murphy’s Prince Akeem.
PAUL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones will be reprising his role as King Jaffe Joffer
THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES FOR TONY AWARDS PRODUCTIONS
Vanessa Bell Calloway
John Amos
The actor will return as Cleo McDowell, the owner of McDowell’s.
SHAREIF ZIYADAT/WIREIMAGE
Kiki Layne
Layne will play Prince Akeem’s daughter.
@MICHAELROWEPHOTO
Wesley Snipes
Snipes will play a new character named General Izzi, the ruler of a neighboring nation
MICHAEL TRAN/GETTY IMAGES
Michael Blackson
The comedian will bring his humor to the sequel.
GETTY
Teyana Taylor
The singer and actress was recently added to the star-studded cast.
PHOTO BY ERIKA GOLDRING/GETTY IMAGES
Jermaine Fowler
He will be joining the film as Prince Akeem’s long-lost son, Lavelle.
MIKE PONT/GETTY IMAGES
Leslie Jones
Jones will play Lavelle’s mother.
MEGAN KRAUSE/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY IMAGES
Rick Ross
The rapper is onboard for the comedy sequel.
ILYA S. SAVENOK/GETTY IMAGES FOR LI-NING
Louie Anderson
Emmy winner Louie Anderson reprise his role as Maurice.
SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAGES
Tracy Morgan
The “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock” alum is the most recent addition to the cast
Georgia’s Pre-K Teacher of the Year is the first black man to win the award
By Marlon A. Walker,
For two years as a teaching assistant in a Pre-K classroom, Johnathon Hines learned about rituals and routines and how to keep a 4-year-old student’s attention long enough to impart a lesson.
When a job finally became available four years ago, Hines turned it down.
Sticking with the 4-year-olds paid off last month when Hines was named the 2019-2020 Pre-K Teacher of the Year by the Georgia Department of Education’s Bright from the Start Department of Early Care and Learning. His new mission is to show the students that being black and achieving success does not have to involve athletics or the entertainment industry.
He is the first black man to receive the statewide honor.
“I want to show them it’s more than sports,” said Hines, 30, who teaches Pre-K at the Barack H. Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology.
Ironic, given Hines’ lifelong dream was to play basketball, which the Towers High School product did for several years as a professional in overseas leagues.
“In the elementary schools, we don’t have a lot of male teachers in the ranks,” said Angela Thomas-Bethea, the principal at Obama. “A lot of our boys aren’t able to see men who are successful outside of sports and entertainment. Now, they have their own hero they can look up to inside the classroom. It’s extremely impactful.”
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows just 2% of teachers are black men. In metro Atlanta, about 8% of teachers are black men. In 2016, men made up about 15% of DeKalb County School District teachers.
The impact is especially important at Obama, pegged as a failing school before its doors opened in 2016 based on test scores from the schools its students previously attended. Thomas-Bethea said the area demographic is largely single-parent and low-income homes. Many of the students have limited relationships with men, Thomas-Bethea said, so they did not know how to interact.
She said having Hines is a game changer. Parents see him interacting with his students and request his class for their own children.
“It’s personal for us, and we’re trying to show that good things can come out of a community that’s been written off as poor-performing,” she said. “We know (children) cannot control where they are born and who their parents are. Through his impact, we see a difference in the children. They’re communicating better, performing better. It’s just changing the whole dynamic in the relationship. And it started in Pre-K.”
As the Pre-K Teacher of the Year, Hines received a $7,500 check, of which $2,000 goes to his school, $2,500 is to be used for a classroom makeover and $3,000 is for his own use. He will travel across the state sharing best practices and other hacks with other classroom teachers.
“We’ve all been inspired by a teacher who helped us to see the best in ourselves,” Superintendent Steve Green said. “Education is not a one-size-fits-all arena. Every year brings a different group of young students with varying needs. And every school needs a teacher like Mr. Hines: one who inspires students to love being at school. This is what we want for all of DeKalb County School District students, and what all teachers should aspire to.”
Thomas-Bethea said the recognition came after state officials began recognizing Hines’ gifts. Early childhood classes get regular visits from state officials, checking in on how students are being taught and what methods teachers are using with them. She said Hines got positive marks from a state coordinator she knows as “Miss Emily,” known for being tough on educators.
“If you get a compliment from her … it’s pretty amazing,” Thomas-Bethea said, adding the coordinator had “high standards.”
In the process of changing his career trajectory, Hines went back to school and obtained a Master’s in elementary education. He realized quickly that managing a room of 4-year-olds was more daunting than people imagine.
“When I first walked into a classroom, I didn’t really understand what I was doing,” he said. “My first year, dealing with crying or someone getting hurt on the playground. I didn’t understand how to … do it on their level. I’m just thinking the kids know.”
He said simultaneously being in school and working toward his advanced degree taught him how to manage a classroom, how to organize the students and equipment and how to meet the children where they are, both behaviorally and academically.
“You’re dealing with four-year-olds and their first time in a classroom and academic and behaviors,” he said.
The state recognition is an honor for the entire DeKalb County School District, he said.
“When you set a goal – a very lofty goal – and you happen to attain that goal, it’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “My goal was always centered around basketball. Just being named a finalist was a win for me. When I found out I was one of three finalists, it was amazing. It’s for DeKalb County. It’s for Barack Obama Elementary School. It’s for this community.
