#NNPA BlackPress

Mister Rogers’ Lessons for Young Learners (and Their Families, Too)

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Modern science backs Mister Rogers up. Young people with families and caregivers who are actively engaged in their learning tend to do better in school, and not by a little: Students with engaged families are up to 81 percent more likely to graduate from high school and 95 percent more likely to report physical and mental well-being.
The post Mister Rogers’ Lessons for Young Learners (and Their Families, Too) first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

12 months ago

June 3, 2024

Oakland Post

By Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski

It has been off the air for more than two decades, but Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood still matters — a fact that might not surprise the program’s creator. “I’ve always said the best time for our program is once it’s over,” Fred Rogers explained, “and the television is turned off.” It sounds counterintuitive. But as we document in When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids, Fred knew a thing or three about how learning happens best.

“Television,” he said, “can be fairly passive.” It is one thing for young children to absorb information from a screen; it is another thing entirely when caring adults help kids use that information in living rooms, classrooms, libraries, and all the other places where kids and their caregivers learn. Modern science backs Mister Rogers up. Young people with families and caregivers who are actively engaged in their learning tend to do better in school, and not by a little: Students with engaged families are up to 81 percent more likely to graduate from high school and 95 percent more likely to report physical and mental well-being. Studies suggest that engaging young learners today –– playing with them, holding them, doing whatever we can to strengthen our bonds with them –– will pay dividends tomorrow, and even for decades to come.

That is the good news. The bad news is that it isn’t always easy to give young learners the time and attention they deserve, especially when the rent comes due and affordable child care grows ever more scarce. Fortunately, we can look to Fred Rogers to help us spark wonder — anytime and with any child when the television is on and long after it is off.

Wonder Aloud

Fred brought his joyful curiosity to every episode of The Neighborhood, where he permitted himself to ask the questions that were on his mind (and on the minds of his viewers). Today’s adults can follow his lead. Hedda Sharapan, who worked on The Neighborhood for decades and who writes a wonderful newsletter for the Fred Rogers Institute, shares the example of an “Ask It Basket” she once saw in a classroom: “When the children would ask a question, [the teacher] would write it down and say, ‘That’s a great one to put into the Ask It Basket.’ That simple action told children that their questions matter.”

What if every family had an Ask It Basket on their kitchen table? What if, occasionally, we took some time to wonder aloud with young children — to ask questions big and small, and to search for answers side by side?

Schedule Unscheduled Time

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was full of moments in which nothing much happened, like when Fred showed viewers the length of a minute by letting one pass in silence. He even had a song about such moments: “Let’s Think of Something to Do.” Fred knew that wasting time is not always a waste of time. “When a child has nothing to do and must fill the time, creativity can emerge,” write Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek in Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children. “It can be right there in a file drawer or a kitchen cupboard or those shiny new markers lying on the table.”

What if, once or twice a week, families made a point of wasting time together? What might we dream up when we are not rushing from place to place, scrambling to finish a project, or staring at our screens?

Do More of What You Love

The Neighborhood’s viewers remember Officer Clemmons — the Black police officer played by François Clemmons. In addition to famously sharing a swimming pool with Fred, Officer Clemmons also shared his deepest creative passion: opera singing. Fred knew how important it was for children to see adults indulging their creative side. “The best teacher in the world,” he said,” is the one who loves what he or she does, and just loves it in front of you.”

What do you love to do? Whether it is singing or painting, reading, or taking a walk, it is essential to love these things in front of our kids. Even if young people decide that our passions are not for them, they still get something worthwhile: They see an adult who loves to learn, and who cares enough about them to take them along for the ride. And that may be the most valuable gift we can give young learners. As Fred himself reminded us, “A love of learning has a lot to do with learning that we are loved.”

The post Mister Rogers’ Lessons for Young Learners (and Their Families, Too) first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Bounce’s New Sitcom ‘Mind Your Business’ Follows Chicago’s Williams Family’s Party-Throwing Exploits

Don't Miss

New Car Reviews and Important Auto News

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Remembering George Floyd

Published

11 hours ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Oakland Post

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.