Education of the Black Male in America Essay

Due to the discrimination of African-Americans, and oppression resulting from it, the government, justice system, educational system, and society has made it clear that African-American teenagers obtaining a thorough and effective education is the least of their concerns. It is almost as though African-American teenagers are purposely being set up to fail. As stated in “The Oppression of Black People, The Crimes of This System and the Revolution we need”, “Today the schools are more segregated than they have been since the 1960s with urban, predominantly Black and Latino schools receiving fewer resources and set up to fail. These schools more and more resemble prisons

Of all the males in state and federal prisons, 68% do not have a high school diploma (Amurao, 2013). A disproportionate number of Black male students that are enrolled in special education courses for countless reasons, however, most are for learning disabilities and behavioral issues. A study concluded in 1998 that the placement of African Americans in Special Education the schools enroll disproportionate numbers of Black males in special education. A study completed in 10 cities of disparities of White and African American males in special education and the racial composition of the teaching staff showed that there was a relationship between the number of Black male students that were placed in special education and the number of white teachers in the school system. The cities that were studied had the highest percentage of Caucasian teachers who had the highest percentage of Black students that were identified as special education (Walker,

Although situational attribution prevails dispositional attribution within the Black male community, there are incongruous instances in which Black men have overcome the stigmas, relishing the social, economic, and political mobility they have achieved. However, even with social stability many prominent Black professionals still endure disenfranchisement. Looking strictly at the academia within a Black community, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that, “A majority of African-American males in the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades do not reach grade-level proficiency in reading, mathematics, history, and science,” (NCES, 2007, 2009). The hurdles

African American males struggle every day to prove their worth in an educational setting. According to society these young men are when it comes to their peers. Early education or daycare is a child’s first educational learning experience outside the home. However, not all African American males have this experience. A handful of African American males miss the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of learning social and cognitive skills. As a result, the absence of the early education effects the African American males’ ability to achieve higher learning. By the start of elementary school, these young men are already behind their peers in learning new information. In an effort to hide their lack of understanding they lose focus and become disruptive and begin to act like the class clown. Although the blame shouldn’t be placed solely on them, their teachers play a major role when it comes to educating the youth. They have to discover what inspires each child, yet they always seem to abandon the African American male’s interest and individual learning style. Young men go through the school system experiencing deficiency when it comes to their learning styles, due to the lack of teachers understanding their circumstances and how to engage them. Every child, especially African American males can have a chance to succeed in school if teachers have a full understanding of their cultural and learning styles. Which leads them to seep through the education system,

Recently, Dr. Terry Echols- Program Director and Founder was recognized by Noel-Levitz for his outstanding commitment and success in the creation of the Minority Male Initiative. More institutions around the country have started to implement similar programs that focus on the success and retention of males of color including the creation of the Federal Title III Predominantly Black Institutions Grant which is currently offered at many community colleges. Retention, Graduation Rates and Academic Success are focus areas that should be addressed and improved, and the Minority Male Initiative provides a great model to research.

The current educational system discourages African-American and Latino men from succeeding in school. I believe that this is due to inequities in educational agency for African-American and Latino students. In my experience, male students are more susceptible to these problems regardless of socioeconomic conditions. Without the structure of a strong educational plan, many young men will seek detrimental habits to fill this void. Any sort of structure becomes a haven for anyone who is trying to navigate the world.

In many school districts throughout the United States, Black males are more likely than any other group to be suspended and expelled from school (Meier, Stewart, & England, 1989). Youth of color are disproportionately likely to grow-up in poor, disadvantaged neighborhoods characterized by high levels of psychosocial stressors and inadequate supportive resources; Poverty and racial minority status correlate with an increased risk of high-school dropout, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)(Ssewamala, et. al, 2011). Affected with such a threatening collection of social and economic adversities, it is amazing that the experience of Black males in education, in relation to attainment and gauges of academic performance have not been analyzed more closely. I propose to do a qualitative research study that explores:

Black males transition from high school unprepared for college due to a lack of resources provided for them throughout their middle and high school year. According to “Black Male Students' Success in Higher Education”, black female students perform two times better than black males in a college setting. This may be because female students receive more support through school than males. ( ) conducted a study on black males and found that black males do not take many notes during class, pay less attention to the instructor, and tend to perform at a lower level because they lack support and guidance. Support and guidance are essential factors for helping one succeed no matter how smart one is, where one comes from, or what one is currently doing in life. Because many men have not had been guided to achieve high goals, they settle for the lifestyle that surrounds them. Black males become okay with doing the same routine every day instead of challenging their comfort zones and stretching their potential. Coming to a predominantly white

The data is definitive that black students are more likely than white students to experience school discipline and are even more likely to be subjected to arrest by school resource officers during their school careers. The data shows that 20% of all black male students receive an out-of-school suspension, while only 6% of white male students receive out-of-school suspensions (11). Faced with a disproportionately high number of suspensions and expulsions, when compared to white students, many more black students are falling behind in classes and missing valuable learning time. If it is unclear how important it is for students to develop adequate reading skills early on and how excluding students from school through suspensions and expulsions

Gottfried (2013) found a higher propensity for academic issues for minority youths in urban school systems, particularly when instigating retention issues. Stillwell (2010) found African-American (38.5%) and Hispanic (35%) students retained at higher rates than Caucasian (19%) and Asian (8.6%) students. The characteristics of retained students require strong consideration because “the more risk factors young children are exposed to, the more likely they are to experience school failure” (Whitted, 2011, p.

In a black community, dropping out of high school is more common among the black race than those of the white race. Thus, those poorly parented males do not graduate, and therefore, look to the streets for guidance the not given to them at home*. In addition to poor supervision, black makes are restricted in their educational opportunities to pursue*. For most, not having the ability to further their education forced them to drop out of high school and pursue the street life*. After multiple types of research, according to statistics, in 2008, it was estimated that approximately twice as many black males will drop out of high school in comparison to white males*. In total, 9 percent of black males dropped out of high school, with only 5 percent

As Tyson (2013) pointed out, students of color often receive a lower quality education. Palmer (2010) furthers this notion detailing Black male experience within education. He first notes that American education has historically been less proactive in supporting Blacks. Further, academic research has often described Black males as “endangered, uneducable, dysfunctional, and dangerous” (109) within society and within educational settings. He continues by saying that the issues that hinder Black males from graduation begin early within their educational experience. First, teachers and counselors often write-off Black males in regards to having successful futures. Secondly, Black males have higher suspension rates than their White counterparts. Next, Palmer (2010) points out that Black males are underrepresented in gifted and advanced placement courses, due to ability tracking standards. In opposition, he points out that Black males are disproportionately present in special education courses based on perceived behavioral issues and learning disabilities. Given this experience, Palmer (2010) found that only one out of 15 Black males were adequately prepared for college education, which is in close relation with the invisibility of Black males within the global

Equitable access to resources is not a realization to those who don’t fit the specific template of white male. This template preserves privileged by determining who is allowed to compete for resources. It also illuminates any opposing templates in such a derogatory manner that the hopes and prospect of equality are annihilated. Manipulation of a system that denies education is the radioactive fallout from the mentality of slavery. The consequences are profound and deeply intertwined in the psyche of the opposing templates. Education is the single most effective tool that prepares anyone to remove the chains of oppression. African American men are tricked into focusing their energies on superficial nothingness instead of focusing on the most valuable prize that is education. It is imperative that the African American society redirect, assist and demand that our black male youth pursue higher education.

When asked why is there a need for African American studies? One must understand the Eurocentric and political game the American school system imposes on young children African American students are bombarded with negative stereotypes throughout primary school and sometimes even college. The American school curriculum has a conservative effort in glorifying everything European from European art, history and music, while African American history is crammed in the month of February. During this month African American history starts with the slave trade and ends with Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech.” They refuse to enlighten students on the great African empires or the great African American inventors. Instead they are educated about slavery and how they were savages before the intervention of Europeans. Therefore, leaves lots of African American students ashamed of their history and creates this negative perspective of not wanting to be black. This leads to the question Malcom X stated in his speech, “who taught you to hate yourself?”

This dismal data hold most true for African-American males in middle and high schools although elementary school age African-American males are included. As African-American males tread through the educational pipeline, they appear to become less academically engaged (Ferguson, 2001; as cited in Whiting, p. 222). Th¬ey appear to have learned to underachieve (Ford, 1996; as cited in Whiting), to devalue academics and school (Ogbu, 2003, 2004), School for them is not a place to develop their sense of identity, particularly self-worth and self-efficacy (Whiting, 2004). In contrast, African-American