According to the Wall Street Journal, where the story was previously published, the inmates were not allowed to use the Internet for research (to prepare for the debate), and the facility in which they were imprisoned had to approve which material they could study from. The debate team has been doing so since 2014, also beating debate teams of other notable schools such as West Point and the University of Vermont.

If there were ever any “moral victories” gained by Black Society from a situation, then it definitely took place at Napanoch, NY last month. Perhaps this could be used as an impetus to shed light on the much-needed TRUE rehabilitation of Black men and women who have been railroaded through the prison industrial complex, and not the empty labels of “rehabilitation” that these institutions love to hang their hats on.

Although Eastern New York Correctional Facility’s victory over academic powerhouses such as Harvard and West Point certainly do not end the system of white supremacy, it opens yet another door of possibility to young Melanoid people, showing them that their brains are the most powerful tools they possess. If used correctly, they can (and will) work in conjunction with other great Black Minds to build a better Black Society of tomorrow.

B. Clark

For many young Melanoid men and women around the United States this is the beginning of a new adventure for them. They will be attending college at a higher rate than any time in the history of the United States. While they are attending there are some things that they as students may not understand and will have to encounter them head on with no preparation. For many of our young men and women they are first generation college students and do not have the experience of having a relative or close friend to talk to about the upcoming challenges they are likely to face on college campuses. As Melanoid people we attend more predominantly white institutions than HBCUs (historically black universities) and with that an entire different set of circumstances must be dealt with for Melanoid students. The white supremacists know this and for this reason, Melanoid students will have a hard time navigating through the system of higher education. We here at Melanoid Nation have created a few things for Melanoid students to look for while they are on campus this fall:

1. Beware of causes that do not concern you but want your participation

Groups on college campuses want to recruit Melanoid people for their numbers, but do not want their influence or ideas. The feminist groups, LGBT groups and political groups such as the “young conservatives” are just a few groups that want Melanoid people in numbers but there are little to no resources in these groups for Melanoid people.

2. Steer clear of “Multiculturalism” and “Diversity”

On many predominantly white campuses across the country they have created these terms to show that they are not racist but multiculturalism and diversity simply means any “minority” will receive resources or affirmative action, it is not specific. Gay white men and women fall under “minority” status.

3. Beware of the “Campus Coon”

Yes they’re Melanoid people, but they’re on the “coon train”. They are actually more prevalent on college campuses than you think. Steer clear of them because they are also in black organizations such as fraternities, sororities and in faculty.

4. Seek out mentorship

Try to gain mentorship and networking skills from people who have your best interest. Being that you are a Melanoid student you will be pursued by organizations to represent them and their ideology. Make sure to ask any organization you join or think about joining what are the benefits of you joining and what resources do they have specifically for Melanoid people.

5. Avoid being exploited at ALL costs

Your universities may want you to take pictures to be on the campus brochures to help them promote “diversity” and “inclusion” yet you will notice that they are not practicing what they preach. Make sure that you decline all invitations to do so UNLESS they are in contractual agreement to do something for Melanoid students. They do this with other groups all the time so they’ll DEFINITELY do this to Melanoid people. The University of Wisconsin as caught photo shopping diversity into their brochures, so be careful of the white supremacist tactics when dealing with certain people on campus.

This article was written by Kenneth Deweese, former Academic Advisor for Student Affairs at Portland State University.

Coupled with the lingering effects of racism/white supremacy introduced to us in countless ways during the Maafa, our people’s spirit, bodies, and culture were broken and/or destroyed as a means of forcing us to submit to the oppressive nature of the strange new land we now commonly know as the United States. Although our original African ancestors might have suffered all of these unfortunate acts of oppression, one class of individuals in Black Society seemed to shine brightly in the face of racism/white supremacy: the Black Intellectual.

From inspired poets such as Phyllis Wheatley in the 1700s, to Michael Eric Dyson in 2015 and the multitude of Black Thinkers who have made their mark in between the previously mentioned eras, it’s clear that our race creates bright men and women whose mind is just as sharp–and in numerous cases sharper–than their counterparts in the dominant society. However, like many other signs of progress made in the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s, Black Society’s path seemed to take a left turn. Over the past several decades, there was an underlying train of though among our people (particularly among our youth) that the aspiration to be intelligent was no longer “cool”, and that we would suffer ridicule from our fellow Melanoid Brothers and Sisters for letting our respective brilliant lights shine too brightly. In contrast to this way of thinking, there seems to be a celebration of the Black Intellectual that our people have not witnessed since perhaps the glorious days of the Harlem Renaissance. From Dr. Kaba Kamene, to Dr. Joy DeGruy, the contemporary Black Intellectual has seemingly elevated the awareness of Black Society single handedly by blessing us with a wealth of invaluable information which we are now responsible for implementing into our lives in order to improve our current standing as a race.

Many of us can vividly recall a time within the past 20 years alone when we saw our youth aspire to be athletes and entertainers in overwhelming numbers because they felt that doing so were the only ways to immediate success. In 2015, that particular playing field of our youths’ heroes is slowly but surely leveling in favor of the Black Intellectual. In many ways, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing has become the Queen Mother of current day Black Intellectuals. Dr. Umar Johnson consistently speaks to venues filled with large crowds of Black folks who often exceed capacity in cities all over the world. Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson is a living example of proving how being smart can be “cool” all by himself. To further state the validity of the Black Intellectual’s rise in the 21st century, a segment of Black Society has been formed in which the Brothers and Sisters refer to themselves as “Blerds“, or “Black nerds”.

When it comes to Black Society’s current resurgence, it is agreed that the builders will be the ones propel us into the future, but the thinkers in Black Society will be the ones who plant the seeds of ingenuity, inspiration, and empowerment into the minds of our builders. The days of celebrating ignorance and bufoonery are going the way of the dinosaur. Being smart is cool.

by B. Clark