The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has consistently indicated that Black males in the 12th grade have the same reading levels as their White male counterparts in middle school.
It is not a stretch to reason that much of the lack of achievement these young men experience is directly tied to their fractured literacy experiences.
There is no shortage of books delineating why Black boys have rejected reading. Some argue that in school, reading and writing has become a threat to their masculinity, while others contend school literacy rarely meets the needs or interests of Black boys.
Tatum, in his book, Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males, takes us a step further and frames the social context of Black boys and its impact on their literacy experiences.
He suggests that young African American males feel alienated from their school literacy experiences because most school texts don’t speak to their life experience.
This coupled with the notion that there are few examples in families, the media, or schools of Black males engaging with texts, students don’t see literacy as a tool that can transform their world.
It is doubtful Black males will be successful in school if they continue to have fractured literacy experiences. We know these young men can assess and understand complex situations and ideas. The challenge is transferring this skill-set to their literacy experiences, so they see themselves as part of the classroom discourse.
How can communities support schools in moving Black males toward positive literacy experiences?
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