Urban Thought Collective

In addition to “Hancock” (his latest, guaranteed box office smash), Will Smith has been getting a lot of press this week for the private elementary school that he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, will open this fall in Calabasas, an upscale suburb northwest of LA. Will and Jada have been catching flak for denying that their New Village Academy is a Scientology school, even though it uses “study technology,” the teaching method developed by the controversial and mysterious church founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

The New Village Academy’s web site describes an individualized approach to teaching aimed at developing confidence, leadership abilities and a global perspective as well as academic excellence. It sounds like a great program. According to its mission statement, the school incorporates techniques developed in consultation with “the top educational thinkers of the day.” But I didn’t see the terms “Scientology,” “study technology” or “L. Ron Hubbard” anywhere on the site. That only fuels the suspicions that something manipulative might be going on there.

Scientology scares folks because of its secrecy. Whenever one of the church’s celebrity spokespersons talks to the media they go on and on about how Scientology has changed their life for the better, but they never give a straightforward, easy-to-understand explanation of what Scientology is about. One always has the impression that Scientologists are trying to infiltrate our lives without us knowing. So, the idea that they might be doing this with children in the fundamentally coercive setting of an elementary school is cause for alarm.

Will and Jada’s school sounds like a terrific place, but they need to be up front about any links to Scientology so parents can make an informed choice.

But Scientology or not, the New Village Academy isn’t going to impact that many kids in the grand scheme of things. It’s another small, private school in a wealthy community that will cater to a relatively small number of kids from well-to-do families. I’m not hating. Even rich kids need a great education – especially one based in ethics. So, if New Village Academy can start even a few kids off in the right direction then that’s a blessing. I just never get worked up about private schools (or charter schools for that matter) because most of our nation’s children cannot benefit from them. Most of our kids attend regular public schools that struggle (often valiantly) under the burdens of classes that are too big, budgets that are too small, supplies that are too scarce and programs that are too few. It is here, in the public school system, that we must make our national investment!

That’s why I was excited to read about a program just announced by South Florida rapper Plies and his brother/manager Big Gates. Starting this fall, they will give out two $5,000 scholarships (one to a young man and another to a young woman) to dedicated students whose parents are incarcerated. These “Somebody Loves You” scholarships will be the cornerstone program of a new non-profit called Visions of Power, which is dedicated to breaking the cycle of imprisonment by offering educational opportunities, training and workshops.

Plies said, “We want to provide those who have been and continue to be affected by the negative impacts of the prison system with a sense of hope, and to let them know that they are not forgotten. No matter what adversities one may face in life, one thing remains true – and that is that somebody loves you.”

That message is heard all too rarely by kids in the ‘hood, especially those whose moms and dads have made bad choices and wound up behind bars. Props to Plies and Big Gates for launching this initiative! Hopefully, they will be flooded with donations and volunteer assistance and Visions of Power will grow and become a model for others.

Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.

THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!

Cameron Turner is graduate of Stanford University whose editorials, entertainment news features and audio documentaries have appeared on national radio networks, online and in print for over 20 years.