The Importance Of Education In Education

In America, we are told that it is the land where everything and anything is possible. For many years, it wasn’t like that for African American. With many hard work, strength, and courage African American manage to earn the right to an education. To the African American community education became more of a need than a want. We’ve learn that education is such a powerful asset that with it you are unstoppable. You can do so much if you put your time and energy to it. Having an education to African American is the one hope for a brighter and better

For generations African Americans have been disadvantaged in America and effects of these injustices have made a lasting impression. Education is one of the leading problems in the black community. Though there have many reforms in education over the years, racial injustices still exist because no attention in placed on how legislature affects people of color. I was raised in a middle-class family of educators. My entire life I’ve been told to “stay in school, get an education, and work hard so that you can beat the system.” Recognizing the structural forces in my life has helped me understand my place in society. Being able to “understand everyday life, not through personal circumstances but through the broader historical forces that

Thus Black Studies argues for a number of far-reaching reforms. There should be a greater emphasis on student participation in the teaching/learning process, rather than the banking process where the teacher deposits knowledge into students’ heads and periodically (at exam time) makes withdrawals. ….. Finally, freedom, like effective education, is achieved most often when groups of human beings cooperate with each other, not when lone individuals compete against all others” (Cole, pg

Today, African American students are under-represented in college and universities, and the reason is the ongoing disenfranchisement of African American students. Our education system needs be more responsive and needs to pay more attention to the college preparation for these students. People of color historically have been misrepresented, exploited, silenced, and taken for granted in education research (Dillard, 2000; Stanfield, 1995), (H. Richard Milner IV, 2008).

Education is an important aspect in the lives of many individuals. Education is often seen as a means to better oneself. With education, a whole new world can be opened up to individuals. For African Americans education is key to achieving a variety of things in life. During the days of slavery, African Americans were not allowed to be educated. It was frowned upon and strictly discouraged because slave masters knew that they could not dominate an educated person. Any slave caught trying to read or write was punished. There are many individuals whose main purpose is to fight for the rights and equality of African Americans and fighting for the right to be educated was one of these goals. African Americans alike wanted to be educated because they know it would lead to progress and a better overall situation. Now in today’s society we see that even though many before us has fought for the right to be educated some do not see it as a privilege. In this paper, the views of Malcolm X, W.E.B. DuBois and Oliver Cromwell Cox will be examined in regards to their thoughts on education.

This study presents a research that was conducted at two elementary schools among young Black students. One was a public school and the other one was a Black independent School (BIS), which is private. The purpose of the study was to examine common teacher practices and black elementary-aged students’ responses to these practices in considering the processes of social reproduction in schools. The strategy use was an ethnographic study of two elementary schools in which the majority were black students; the author states that both schools had a strong commitment to creating a positive and self-affirming learning environment for its students. The mission statements of both schools focus an emphasis on building self-esteem as a means to promote high academic performance among its Black students. Unfortunately, both schools with their unintentional hidden curriculum undermine these efforts by suppressing inappropriate behaviors and conveying messages of black cultural deviance to students in the interest of discipline and conformity to particular “mainstream” cultural norms.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Anthony Graham, is a professor and dean of the College of Education at North Carolina A&T. As a scholar, Dr. Graham presented his research on African American adolescents and more at various international, national and state conferences. During his tenure as a professor at North Carolina A&T, Dr. Graham has published a variety of book chapters and co-authored a book. The great speaker has written grants totaling approximately $10 million. He has also created numerous initiatives to increase the number of racial and minority students. He was recently recognized by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club Inc. Dr. Graham’s messages share optimism, critical consciousness and more that inspire the minority mindset to be successful.

Segregated schools and unfair resource distribution are systemic in the education system. Their effect is reflected in standardized testing gaps and drop-out rates. It is crucial to introspect and look at issues within the black community. The anti-intellectual culture within the community needs to change. Being and acting educated is labeled as “acting white” and stigmatized. The black community needs to strive hard to instill the value of education in their communities. Black people can succeed in more ways than being an entertainer or a sports

Thinking about the struggle that lead to the emergence of Black studies departments in America, with help from students and teachers, to understanding today based on past failures what the right kind of education looks like, feels like and the outcomes it produces, it becomes clear that the legacy of educating Black people to have white minds is still in play. Additionally, after all that Black studies departments have accomplished, a return back to communal involvement/community service as a requirement for students within these departments, keeps the legacy of what fostered Black Student Unions and departments to form in the first place, this particularly being valuing intellectual growth

Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby & Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintained by African Americans. African Americans continued to provide education throughout their own communities well into the 1930’s (Green, McIntosh, Cook-Morales, & Robinson-Zanartu, 2005). The atmosphere of these schools resembled a family. The

According to Marian Wright Edelman, “Education is a precondition to survival in America Today. Unfortunately, a good quality education that will ensure a successful and economically stable future for our children today is not available to all children, especially young Black males. According to Jenkins (2006) in the needs assessment for African American Men of Arizona State University (AAMASU) program, the university noted that Black males experience a high level of underachievement in the higher education arena, over involvement in the criminal system, and high rates of unemployment, poverty, and dying via homicide (Arizona State University, 2004). All too often African American males have been caught in a web of stereotyped notions of race and gender that place them at considerable disadvantages in schools and ultimately society (Howard, 2008). According to Hooks (2004) more than any other group of men in our society black males are perceived as lacking intellectual skills. The 1900 census reports that 57% of black males were illiterate. Now as we move onward in the twenty-first century, black males make up a huge percentage of those who are illiterate (Hooks, 2004). Society will looks at our young black men and label them as lazy, uneducated, underachievers, and highly involved in the criminal justice system, however at the same time, it overlooks how they got there. According to Jenkins (2006) this has not always been the case. Prior to the segregation of schools, young

Until quite recently, education in the United States has been more of a privilege than a human right. Slaves were deprived of reading and writing, and schools were not integrated until the Civil Rights Movement in the twentieth century. Even then, African-American students continued to face the harsh realities of discrimination and inferior opportunities to white students. Still today, while education has become mandatory for all children through law, many students are not provided with the proper information and resources to become successful adults. We often take education for granted, but for many young students, the idea of lifelong knowledge is somewhat of a liberating factor. Through often difficult yet inevitable situations, however,

The unequal pay makes life hard for African Americans, but even the government did not support African Americans in their pleas against segregation, and this is important for students to know about in order for them to develop a deeper sense of sensitivity towards the situation. It is hard to grasp the idea that even the government, which is the system that is in charge of the community, does not truly support the community, but instead supports a part of the it—the non-colored people. With all the media coverage of racism and violence today, students are easily desensitized. It is easy for students to think about the present, but it can be beneficial for them to learn about these situations

A free public education is a right for every child in the United States of America, but not all schools are equipped to meet the needs of their diverse population. Therefore, success rates and academic achievement vary to a great extent. There are many unique gender and racial problems African American male students face and special attention needs to be given in order to close the achievement gap. Some of the societal and educational challenges faced include negative racial stereotypes, low income households, and institutional racism. However, educators play an import role in reducing those challenges through connecting their curriculum to African American culture and reducing their subconscious biases. There are many educational reforms that need to be implemented to create a more inclusive environment that fosters growth, learning, and success.

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