In 1948 a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of the American League named Steve Gromek hugged a teammate in the lockeroom after a World Series Game.  His teammate had hit a game winning home run to give Gromek the save.  He was happy and grateful.  Gromek’s career is best remembered not because of his pitching statistics but because of this hug.

His teammate was Larry Doby… the first African American player in the American League (Jackie Robinson was the first to play in the National League).  The picture above ran in papers across the country.  Both Gromek and Doby received death threats and team officials took negative heat.  When Doby was inducted into baseball’s hall of fame he said he would “always cherish that photograph and the memory of Gromek hugging me and me hugging him, because it proved that emotions can be put into a form not based on skin color.”

Pictures of players of mixed race hugging and celebrating goals, baskets and touchdowns are in the media on a daily basis now.  Last night, an African American man was elected president of the United States.  Some amazing changes have taken place since 1948.  The “progressive paradigm” is becoming more and more prevalent.

In 1948 most North American high school students went to school from 9:00 to 3:00 each day.  They started in September and ended in June.  They took eight courses per year. They moved from class to class when they heard a bell ring…

We have some amazing teachers doing some amazing things for many students within these traditional parameters.   Can we allow the “progressive paradigm” to become so prevalent that we challenge these age old “realities” and make learning relevant and life-long for even more kids?

Yes we can…

My old blog was called “leadership.prn.bc.ca”.