Posted: June 14, 2006
Although the civil rights movement fought for equal treatment
under the law and equal educational opportunities, African
American Children as a whole are still under- achieving academically.
The question of the hour seems to be why? In my humbled opinion,
in order to fix the problems of Black Student under-achievement,
we must first identify the many factors that can influence
the behavior and hinder the academic success of African American
Children. I have identified 15 stumbling blocks (factors) that
can stop African American children from realizing their full
potential and they are as follows:
Institutional Racism
A. W. Boykin theorized that intellectual subjugation stemming
from oppression and racism is a major problem in American schools.
Boykin states that White and Black school authorities manifest
this cycle of racism and oppression through their actions and
demeanor toward Black students. When American values are juxtaposed
against African American values, American authorities perceive
their own as superior.
Self Sabotage
Many African American students believe that the American Dream
was not meant for them (and to a certain extent they are right).
Black parents tend to teach their children to strive for the
American Dream and adhere to social rules of conduct, but they
also teach them to be careful and vigilant when dealing with “racists,” “sambos,” and “decent
negroes” who serve as puppets for the establishment. This
perpetuates cultural dissension and an atmosphere of mistrust.
Family Influences
In the United States today, more than 63 percent of African American
children come from single parent homes, most of which have the
mother as the primary caregiver. Having no positive male role
model, the boys in the home are particularly at risk to fail
in school and get into trouble. As the mother’s time is
stretched so thinly, the girls in the family are at risk for
teenage pregnancy. As a disclaimer, I wholeheartedly believe
that a Black woman can successfully raise an African American
male on her own, but why should she have to complete such an
assiduous task by herself?
Low Socioeconomic Status
African American children, unlike their White counterparts,
have a greater probability of coming from a family with an
income
at or below the poverty level. They tend to live in poorer
neighborhoods that provide fewer resources for learning and
even fewer role
models of educational and economic success. The vast majority
of children in such environments are led to believe that no
other way of life may be possible for them.
Failing Schools
Unfortunately, failing schools go hand in hand with life in
poor neighborhoods. These schools do not have the resources
to compete
with affluent areas that have more money for books, computers,
salaries, etc. As a result, poorer schools have difficulty
attracting well-trained teachers and administrators. Students
in such situations
may be written off, forgotten, or simply passed from grade
to grade. Those who do stay around to graduate are generally
ill
prepared for college or the working world.
Cultural Gaps
The uniqueness of African American culture sets it apart from
other cultures and consequently is often viewed as negative.
African American hairstyles, dress, music, body language, and
verbal communication styles can be disconcerting to a society
that is based on conformity. When defining or identifying behavioral
problems among a group of children, it is important to consider
the influence of culture on the definition and perception of
the behaviors.
Crime and Drug Abuse
It is no secret that the majority of those incarcerated in the
nation’s prisons are primarily young African Americans
males. We may think that law enforcement has a racial bias, but
the fact is that the stage is set long before the handcuffs ever
go on.
Drug abuse and the commission of crimes are the all-too-frequent
outcomes of the inability of young people to overcome the risk
factors of single-parent homes, poverty, failing schools, and
cultural gaps. As vulnerable young people begin to feel confused
and alienated by the world around them, they seek physical and
emotional control in the only ways they believe are available
to them—through drug use and crime.
Lack of African American Teachers
When school systems were officially segregated, Black children
attended schools that were run mostly by experienced Black
educators. These teachers and administrators were actually
better qualified
and more experienced than their White counterparts. African
American teachers are vital in the lives of Black children
because they
often play the role of missing parental figures by acting as
disciplinarians, counselors, and role models.
Lack of Parental Involvement
Parental involvement is actually the best predictor of a student’s
educational achievement. Parent involvement demonstrates to the
student the importance of school, resulting in improved student
attitudes, morals, and academic achievement. Parents’ active
interest also results in increased attendance, lower dropout
rates, fewer discipline problems, and higher aspirations in life.
In contrast, children of parents who are not involved in their
lives are more likely to struggle academically and experience
behavior problems.
Resistance to Middle-Class School Norms
Instead of surrendering to the typical standards of a school
environment which many African American students view as cruel
and oppressive, some students end up rejecting European American
speech patterns and devaluing high academic achievement, therefore
unintentionally limiting themselves. On the other hand, there
are African American students who respond in the opposite way.
These high-achieving students cite their awareness of racism
and prejudice as a motivation to do extremely well, thus preparing
themselves to fight these evils. I applaud the fact that many
of our African American males refuse to assimilate into the dominant
culture, but sometimes it may be better to play the game. This
does not mean becoming a sellout or the “Decent Negro” that
Nas talks about on his latest album, Streets Disciple; it means
that you are a very sagacious individual.
Lack of Priorities
Let’s do a little role playing. Pretend you are a 15-year-old
African American teenager and you have one of two choices: watch
BET (Black Entertainment Television) or do your homework. The
typical African American will probably decide to watch television
and do homework later, but it never seems to get done, does it?
If you have your priorities in order, you will probably do your
homework first and watch TV later. Then your homework is complete
and you get a chance to watch 106 & Park.
Unfortunately, many African American children do not realize
that school should be their first priority.
Low Teacher Expectations
African American children are especially susceptible to teacher
expectations. Teacher expectations, even when based on erroneous
information, can influence the academic performance of children.
In today’s society, according to Janice Hale-Benson, when
African American children exhibit poor reading skills, psychologists
say it is because the children have inferior cognitive capabilities
or do not value education. When White middle-class children exhibit
poor reading skills, it is seldom suggested that they are unable
to learn or that they are deficient in any way. Psychologists
generally say that the problem is in the method of instruction
or inappropriate matches between curriculum and the child’s
level of development.
Low Effort Syndrome
This phrase was coined by Jonathon Ogbu in his monumental book,
Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb. It simply means
that some African American pupils are not adequately engaged
in their academic endeavors. The time that most African American
children spend actively engaged in learning, studying, and enrichment
is not conducive to the acquisition of intellective competence
and perpetuates the myth of African American intellectual inferiority.
In layman’s terms, most African American students do not
work hard in school.
Anti-Intellectualism
In Losing the Race: Self Sabotage in Black America, John McWorther
chronicles the trend of anti-intellectualism in Black America.
He argues that although Black children are not banned from doing
well in school, they are culturally conditioned to exacerbate
a “cult of victimology.” This phenomenon leads many
scholars to aim solutions at victimhood rather than admit that
this problem of poor academic performance is a cultural norm.
In my opinion, anti-intellectualism is one of the most pernicious
factors that contribute to the achievement gap.
Social Services
In order to effectively assist African American students, the
majority of social services should be placed within the school
system. This would provide schools with the resources needed
to alleviate a broad spectrum of problems. It also would provide
valuable resources for African American children and their
parents, and provide a support system capable of addressing
their problems
and creating solutions that have long-term viability.
