Success for Black Boys

In response to a question about ending inner-city violence, then presidential candidate, John Edwards highlighted the need for an equitable educational experience for all Americans, in particular African American males.

Do you agree with John Edwards that in America we have two educational systems, one for affluent neighborhoods and the other for the inner city?

Dr. Asa Hilliard, renown educator and scholar, speaks to the African American presence in the school curriculum and its impact on student achievement.

In a very impassioned piece by Marquis Herring of The South End (official newspaper of Wayne State University), he confronts a topic many would just assume not talk about, the high school graduation rates of African American males.  Herring indicates that while Detroit schools  share some of the blame, this tragedy is rooted in the lack of parenting.  He submits, "this started when parents stopped caring about their children.  Parents stopped caring whether their kids were in school or in the streets.  Parents stopped attending parent-teacher conferences and parent organization meetings.  Why?  Because it interfered with their lives and what they had going on." 

It's just refreshing to see someone get fired-up about a topic as important as this.

Have today's parents stopped caring whether their kids are in school or in the streets?

Since the election of President Barack Obama, much of the public's discourse around race speaks of a post-racial America.  It is not uncommon for news headlines to ask us if these times represent The End of White America? or Does Race Matter?  Newsweek's Allison Samuels extends this conversation by asking if Black History Month and classic novels such as Huck Finn and To Kill a Mocking Bird should be abolished in America's classrooms. 

Given the racial context of classic novels like Huck Finn and To Kill a Mocking Bird, In the age of Obama do these books still have a place in America's classrooms?

A report released by the Schott Foundation concludes that while Black male students comprise approximately 9% of public school enrollment, less than 4% of those placed in Gifted/Talented programs are Black, non-Hispanic males.

They go on to report that in most American districts, Black, non-Hispanic students are placed in Gifted/Talented programs at a rate half that as would be expected from their level of enrollment.

What is at the foundation of such disparate educational opportunities?

Additional Resources
50 State Report of the Education of Black Males