Spring Edition, Volume 3, Issue 1: Wake Up, Everybody!

Written by:

Lee Roland

Author, Adjunct Professor Southern Nazarene University and Retired Principal of Tulakes Elementary.

Just recently, as an invited guest, I spoke to an audience of mostly academics at the University of Oklahoma. My topic was, “Wake Up Everybody!” If you are old enough, this title probably strikes a chord, as it was also the title of a hit song by Harold Melvin and Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass in 1975. The song was fundamentally a charge to the world, especially America to wake up and take notice of the ubiquitous poverty, hate, inequality, and suffering all over the land and to be the change we hope to see.

Thus, my message focused on what was occurring in our country in and around 1975, but more importantly and tragically is still all too common in 2018. Yes, with all the advancements in technology, science, and more, our tribulations have seemingly only changed in name and appearance, but have largely remained the same. Teddy Pendergrass is now deceased, but I think it is safe to say that he would be terribly dismayed and disappointed, especially if he knew what was going on in the great state of OKLAHOMA and especially as it pertains to public education.