Experience and perspective is everything, especially when it comes to the huge debate over public and private school educations. The conversation reached the Power 105.1 studios Thursday (Jan. 31) when The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy and Killer Mike shared their unique views on the matter.
Envy shared the popular viewpoint of private schools expanding the network for prospective students in addition to “better education,” but the Trigger Warning creator didn’t agree.
“I feel like in my heart of hearts places like that are hostile towards black people,” Mike said about black students in predominantly white private schools. He also shared his experience of attending black public schools and how it framed his esteem.
“You should not send your children to school with white children until they’re 13,” he added. “I don’t care if I was a C student, I had a sense of pride that most black students don’t because they didn’t have that circle of community. I was already prepared and what I wasn’t was unconfident.”
But for Envy, the benefits of what could happen for his children hold more weight.
“It’s been known that a lot of those public school teachers are overworked, not getting paid and some of them aren’t putting in work,” he said.
“My daughter goes to one of the top private schools in New Jersey but she’s already taking college courses in what she does,” he added. “It’s no longer 30 kids in one classroom, there’s eight. My son is a little different because my son goes to private school but he does other things. He plays football in Newark, etc. so he gets that. But that education he gets is way better than anything I could ever get and most kids don’t get.”
Mike continued to question Envy’s retort by pointing to his profession, despite the DJ’s private school education.
“You’re a rich n***a, you got white folks money,” he said. “You are not going to endure the same [plight] as poor white people living in Sumpter, living in Atlanta, my question is this. With all that great education you got, you turned out to become a DJ and a real estate investor, your investment comes from your talent, what you invested in, what you chose to pursue so your children will do the same,” Mike said. “I’m saying to put confident children in the world. You’re not directing your children to HBCUs (not you), that education isn’t teaching you that Egypt is in Africa, it’s not teaching anything good about yourself– it just teaches you how to take tests well.”
Mike added how HBCUs should be supported by the community through and through as those with private school educations will more than likely continue that path in education instead of attending institutions like Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University or Spellman College.
“Yeah, the schools seem better but why aren’t we supporting our own, why are we not supporting our own HBCUs? That’s where our heroes went. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Booker T. Washington. You’re gonna show me a n***a smarter than him?” he said. “I don’t have no problem with you loving your children but my children go to public schools because I pay taxes and the schools are named for black people and either you’re gonna choose to be excellent and you’re gonna do better or you’re gonna sit your chump a** down and say good things weren’t given to you.”
Data between the two has varied over the years with public school teachers being better for students while private students are awarded more programs because of founding.
Fatherly points out private school aren’t required to share statistics except for national testings like the SAT, PSAT and ACTs.
Watch the exchange at the 30:35 mark above.
