Drakeford, Dale B. 1952–

(Dale Benjamin Drakeford)

PERSONAL: Born July 5, 1952, in Bronx, NY. Ethnicity: "Mixed." Education: Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York, B.A., 1974, M.S., 1989; New York University, certificate in management of nonprofit organizations, 1982; St. John's University, Jamaica, NY, M.A. and certificate in public administration, 1983; Columbia State University, Ph.D., 1998. Politics: "Very political, but independent of party affiliations." Religion: "Spiritual, not religious."

ADDRESSES: Home and office—DBD Productions, 4179 Laconia Ave., Bronx, NY 10466. E-mail—daledrakeford@hotmail.com.

CAREER: Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, Bronx, NY, associate executive and director of operations, 1980–97; preschool guidance teacher, 1989–91; New York City Board of Education, Bronx, guidance counselor, 1998–; College of New Rochelle, adjunct professor, 1998–. Program developer of Health through Education, Athletics, Lectures, Trips, Holistics, Meditation, Abstinence, and Nutrition (also known as HEALTHMAN) and Reviewing Alcohol Programs (also known as RAP); producer of music tapes and cable programs for Bronxnet public access channels; Bronx Council on the Arts, member.

MEMBER: Poetry Society of America, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, American Federation of Teachers, World Wildlife Society, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Poverty Law Center, Poet's House.

AWARDS, HONORS: Robert Woodruff fellow; honor award for program excellence, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, 1984, for HEALTHMAN.

WRITINGS:

Medley for J (novel), Morris Publishing (Kearney, NE), 1997.

(And illustrator) Boo: Boo's Blackboard Book (nonfiction), Morris Publishing (Kearney, NE), 1998.

(Compiler and contributor) Patchwork (anthology), Morris Publishing (Kearney, NE), 1999.

Changing Moods and Tides (poetry and prose), DBD Productions (Bronx, NY), 2001.

Quilted from the Heart: Voices from Within (anthology), DBD Productions (Bronx, NY), 2003.

A Political Education Life Arts Project: A Civil Tongue with a Festival of Expressions, Writers Club Press (Teaneck, NJ), 2003.

A Universal Template for Research Position and Life Experience Papers: Applied to Contemporary Urban Education, iUniverse (Lincoln, NE), 2005.

If … (poetry), DBD Productions (Bronx, NY), 2005.

Bo's Boos & Poos Reviews (nonfiction), iUniverse (Lincoln, NE), 2006.

Also creator of sound recordings. Contributor to periodicals, including Directions and Uptown Xpress.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A poetry collection for adults centered around a theme connected with the word "if."

SIDELIGHTS: Dale B. Drakeford once told CA: "I take great delight in responding to magazine articles. My responses have been published in a host of publications, including U.S. News and World Report, Down Beat, Premiere, Movieline, Black Enterprise, Longevity, Plain Truth, Emerge, and Rolling Stone. I am still engaged in the vital fight to find the answer to social education that heightens, not belittles, the individual—particularly the students of color. As a 'mixed breed' or 'mutt,' as I refer to myself (with significant Cherokee, African Moor, Scottish, and German blood) I am troubled by the recurring themes of ethnic and cultural hate, and by the number of young people who find comfort in such negativity.

"I am a strong supporter of transactional analysis and play therapy. I believe that education should be transacted with fun and enjoyment or fulfillment in mind. My educational activities and writings stress this approach.

"I am concerned about the power of celebrity and the teachings of people exploited by the media. The words of good intentions are in conflict with the deeds that teach the real lessons. Young people are learning that perception is more important than truth, and might is greater than right, and money comes before morality.

"At the same time that I express concern for moral passivity, I marvel at how the American nation seems to get stronger with diversity and conflict. It is a unique historical phenomenon that seems to be of American cultural significance. The American culture overpowers all others and empowers itself within its perpetual state of argument. In this I refer to David Easton and his 'Battle for Scarce Resources' and conclude that, in America, the battle rages on even when resources are plentiful. It is a cultural thing."