The
Massive Failure of Black Males in the American Education System
by Phillip Jackson, Baltimore Chronicle and Sentinel,
February 23, 2005
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The problem of
Black male failure in education and the corresponding issue of
high unemployment for Black youth are huge and complex, but they
are still solvable. This may not be the case in 10 to 15 years.
Anyone who only wants to talk about the massive failure of Black
males in the American education system is now officially part of
the problem. Empty words become an unnecessary diversion from
one of the worst educational and economic catastrophes to ever
confront America. Either we will get into action to solve this
problem, or we will watch multiple generations of young Black
males become expendable in our society, and literally perish
from our communities and our nation.
Take a minute to review the graduation rates for Black males
from 20 school districts with 10,000 or more Black male
students. According to a 2004 study, "Public Education and Black
Male Students: A State Report Card," by The Schott Foundation
for Public Education, these districts have the lowest graduation
rates for Black males in the country. They are: Cincinnati and
Cleveland, Ohio, 19%; Chatham County, Georgia, 21%; Rochester,
New York, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Pinellas County, Florida,
24%; New York, New York, 26%; Buffalo, New York, 27%; St. Louis,
Missouri, 28%; Duval County, Florida, 29%; Chicago, Illinois,
Clayton County, Georgia, and Richmond County, Georgia, 30%;
Oakland, California, 31%; Hillsborough, Florida, 32%;
Indianapolis, Indiana, Orange County, Florida and Palm Beach
County, Florida, 33%; Caddo Parish, Louisiana and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, 34%.
Young Black men who are out of school and out of work are more
susceptible to illegal activities that will likely result in
their incarceration. So far, the Black community has not
responded sufficiently to this catastrophe involving its young
Black men. In fact, this problem is not even on the radar of
many Black churches, businesses, elected officials, media
outlets, civil rights and social service organizations. Each day
that passes without an adequate response from our Black
community leads more young Black men into drugs, gangs,
violence, prison and ultimately to their death.
While the massive problem of Black male failure in education and
the corresponding issue of high unemployment for Black youth are
huge and complex, they are still solvable. This may not be the
case in 10 to 15 years. A large part of the solution is a return
to the basics of family living with parents, families and
communities taking the primary responsibility for educating
Black male children. The successful education process starts
with the family in the home and community, and continues in
school and throughout life. The extent to which Black parents
become actively involved in the education of Black male children
is the extent to which the destruction of potentially millions
of young Black men will stop.
When young Black men realize they have become expendable, are we
ready for their reaction?
The United States does not tolerate young Black men being
unproductive or counter-productive to the goals of mainstream
society. Black males are suspended, expelled and failed in
schools at rates that are two to five times higher than students
of other races and go to jail at rates five to ten times higher
than people of other races. The question arises, “Are young
Black men expendable?” The apparent answer from our inaction
seems to be, “Yes! They are expendable.”
Fixing this problem will take 35 to 50 years, if we start today.
While many individuals and institutions have a powerful role to
play, the Black community must supply the leadership, energy and
resolve to fix this problem. The government must provide the
financial resources and the legislative will. The cost to fund
this initiative should be diverted from the Department of
Justice and front-loaded into the Department of Education.
Foundations and corporations must also participate in this
effort with financial support and leadership. The issue of
educating Black males must become a 24 hour a day, 365 day a
year effort. The proper and successful education of young Black
men must become America’s next civil rights movement!
The brunt of this effort will fall to the Black community. This
includes:
-
Getting Black
parents, Black families and the Black community properly
involved in the education of Black male children
-
Creating and
maintaining nurturing, effective, supportive, child-centered,
two-parent families
-
Reconnecting
Black fathers to their children
-
Instilling
strong educational values in young Black men
-
Developing
positive community structures, principles, morals and activities
to help with the social development of young Black men
-
Finding strong,
positive role models for young Black men
Any time someone
encounters a Black male child or teenager, whether a friend,
relative or stranger, he or she should ask, “How are you doing
in school?," “What college do you plan to attend?," and “What
are your career interests?” The importance, value and power of
education must be reinforced constantly for these young men.
While this is a tough problem now, it will become insurmountable
unless action is taken immediately. Young Black men want and
deserve their place in America. That’s the American way! Who is
going to tell these young men that because they don’t have good
academic skills, because they have dropped out of high school,
because they can’t find a job, because they have been to
jail...they cannot participate in mainstream America? When young
Black men realize they have become expendable, are we ready for
their reaction?
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