Rich, Black and Flunking

Link to article: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2003-05-21/news/rich-black-flunking/4

I had the pleasure of reading an article from 2003 entitled “Rich, Black and Flunking” which centered on an anthropological study of a K-12 school district in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Both the parents and school district called in John Ogbu, the author of the study to give them answers as to why many Black students, even though they were at basically the same income level of their White counterparts, were not doing as well in school.

The findings of Prof. Ogbu, now deceased (2003) were both interesting and appalling. While I won’t claim to condense his entire theory in a sentence or two, the gist of the study was that many Black students regardless of income level, reject the educational system. If a Black student speaks Standard English, studies hard and gets into AP classes, then s/he is seen as “acting white”. Another part of Prof. O theory centers around the fact of voluntary and involuntary minorities. Since Blacks are involuntary minorities, then they reject the mainstream culture (White) because they feel “taken over”. On the other hand, racial minorities such as the Chinese are voluntary minorities because they immigrated here (emigrated?) and thus do all they can to get that American Dream and succeed.

Well, what do I think? I think that as a teacher, I have observed behaviors that play right into Prof. Ogbu’s theory. I have seen the decrease in parental involvement from K to 8 th grade. I have experience parents who won’t come to school about a child’s academic troubles but will show up at the school if a dance or prom is cancelled to complain. I have had students in my class who would not do homework, no matter how I talked, fussed or talked to parents. “Academic Disengagement”, Prof. Ogbu’s words, certainly suit this situation.

In the referenced article, the comment/theory is made that teachers treat black students differently that white students. Prof. O. retorts, ‘if the student hasn’t turned in work for weeks on end, what else is the teacher supposed to do?’ I also concur with that statement. What are we supposed to do as educators? We cannot take the place of the parents!

I am going to keep this post short, as I am still turning over many theories in my mind. Certainly, I know that there are students, both black and white, who are not getting what they need from the school system. Certainly, there are horrible teachers out there who could care less about their students. But, I still believe it is up to the individual to want to succeed and achieve. Success is not “white”, it’s green.

Black Moms Push Their Kids’ Educational Aspirations More Than White Moms

Haven't had a chance to read it thoroughly,. but will write more later!


Ok, here it is:

Here is the link to the article: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/momssurvey511


Well, I finally had a chance to read the story and I am ambivalent about the results. Now, as a married mother of three, I do expect my children to complete some sort of higher education, but I do not feel that graduate or professional school is a must. Although I do have my master’s degree (recently completed), I would be perfectly happy if my children chose a non-traditional path such as contracting (building) or writing. Everyone does not have to be a doctor or a lawyer, and to be honest those two career paths are certainly not as glamorous as they may seem on television or in the movies. For one thing, the malpractice insurance that you have to carry as a doctor is insane!! All lawyers don’t dress in great clothes and drive fancy cars – some of them are like that lawyer in that move Dark Water, who has an office in his car and goes to movies alone.

Now that I have digress enough, back to the article. I found it interesting that first of all, more white women than black women answered the survey. Even in 2007, it is obvious that more whites, no matter what the income level, have more internet access than blacks. True, the gap is small ( I don’t have the exact stats), but there is still a gap. Further, many of the black mothers who answered this survey were either never married or divorced – only 36 percent of the black women, out of @293 who answered the survey were actually married, compared to 65 percent of the white women. So it would stand to reason that in this sample, black moms are the driving force behind getting their children an education because they are the only parent in the home.

I expect my children to go to college. I don’t work, but I do have a graduate degree. I truly believe that education open doors to everyone regardless of race. I also believe that racism is alive and quite well in 2007. Therefore, I want my children to get the education they need to be successful in this world, whether they need to form their own companies or practices or what have you. This is expected and will be emphasized by both my husband and myself as my children get older.