The civil rights movement is alive and well in 2010. There is no such thing as the “post-civil rights era,” unless you are one of those rare individuals who assume that African-Americans and others have already “overcome” racial discrimination and economic exploitation.

There is no such thing as a “post-racial” America, unless you are also one of those brothers or sisters who think that you are a “post-Black” colorless person who lives in a colorblind society of true equality and equity.

I remember well, back in the 1960s and 1970s, there were some who misguidedly believed that we should stop marching, organizing, struggling, singing and praying for a better day. Yes, we have made tremendous progress during the last 50 years toward racial justice and equality. But our progress did not happen by osmosis. We had to stand up, speak out, protest and for many we had to shed blood and tears, and endure jail time and suffering to get where we are today. We cannot afford now to acquire contemporary amnesia about our civil rights and human rights continuing struggles.

That is why today, we are sounding a national alarm about what is happening and not happening in education for African-American children in particular. It is way past time for the vast majority of African-Americans and others who consider themselves to be progressive to speak out and take direct action to ensure that our children get the best possible quality education. A people who will not put the highest priority on the education of their children are a people who are doomed to social and economic hardship and subjugation.

Black parents have to exercise their parental rights and responsibilities to demand better educational options for our children across the United States. We say “our children” because every child in our community deserves the fundamental right to have equal access to a high quality, not low quality, education. Why are we so patient and silent about the failures of school systems that are failing to provide the education “our” children deserve?

Yes, we need a national movement for equal quality education today with no less of a collective sense of urgency than we exhibited five decades ago. Our children are being miseducated, harmed and racially discriminated against. This is a civil rights issue. This is a human rights issue. This is a parental responsibility issue.

In some cities — like New York, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Norfolk, Louisville, and Jackson, Miss. — the high school dropout rates are unacceptably high and directly proportioned to the issues of denying parental choice, systemic institutional failures, poverty and the refusal to develop and support alternative, more effective educational models that put the educational needs and rights of our children as the priority focus.

Disproportionately high dropout rates of African-American students from high schools throughout America directly lead to the disproportionate high incarceration rates of African-Americans in prisons and jails. The continued miseducation of our children will consign future generations to abject poverty and a neo-slave existence.

The 21st century offers so many new global opportunities for all people to improve their quality of life, but this requires a high quality education to meet these new opportunities. African-American children should not be denied this moment in history.

We cannot and should not any longer allow this situation to go unchallenged. We believe in movement building. If you agree with us, come join us. Let’s build this movement together for change in education. Add your voice and energy to this important cause. It’s time for us to stand up and speak out again. The education and the future of our children are at stake.

Chavis is a senior advisor to the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and president of Education Online Services Corporation. He wrote this column for the NNPA.