Staci Cox recounts ALC “Breaking Barriers 2″ panel discussion on improving black male academic success
When a panelist asks, “How many of you know a black male who has dropped out of school?” and everyone in the room raises their hand, we have a problem. The current education system is failing our students. Nearly 60 percent of black males have been suspended or expelled from school. That number is approximately 25 percent for their white counterparts. Black males consist of less than two percent of the teaching force– this depressing number is not because black men are neglecting their youth, but because black men are not graduating from college at an acceptable rate.
Black men are fighting against a system that lacks funding and a society that does little to promote black educational excellence. Those who are currently in the battle– fighting for black males to receive high–quality education, are not fighting together. Teachers, administrators, parents and black male students are not collaborating. As a result, the money that is there is not being used to improve the black community.
So what can be done? Collaborate within the black community must take place inorder to empower black students. One panelist noted that black male students must also remain involved in the conversations and solutions. We must help black men graduate from college so black male teachers will be available to students.
Ivory A. Toldson, moderator of the panel discussion and author of Breaking Barriers 2, explained the inverse relationship between the number of black teachers and the number of black student suspensions. “Research shows that more black teachers equal less suspensions and increased teacher -to -student bonding,” Toldson notes. Therefore, if we are going to improve the academic success of black males, there must be more black male teachers in the school system.
In addition to collaborating and increasing black male teachers, the panel discussion was centered on educational funding. Questions were focused on how to receive funding. One panelist answered, “Schools must build bridges with foundations.” Meaning, schools must network with foundations and other philanthropic organizations in order to receive money. But networking is not the final step.
Another panelist detailed what must occur after a school is able to arrange a meeting with a grant-giving organization. He says, “We must drop the welfare mentality when it comes to grant asking.” In other words, schools must frame the grant into an opportunity for the organization. What will the company gain from providing a grant (i.e., how will the grant support their mission and current activities?) The school must have a goal and a message. However, one must never forget that the opportunity, goal and message must be founded in research. A key theme throughout the panel discussion was that research is everything – the difference between receiving funding and being rejected is a well researched presentation and argument.
But we must not only look towards organizations for educational funding. We must turn to individual black wealth. Research shows that half of all black households donate money. Yet money will not wholly solve this severe education disparity. Those who are in the struggle must work not only with their communities, but within their state legislatures to influence policy. Congressman Cedric Richmond (from Louisiana’s second district) briefly served as a guest speaker on the panel. He explained that black men must become involved in schools in order to provide black male students with a positive role model. He also noted that a person does not need a Ph.D. to mentor a child. His mentor was a janitor. He and all the panelists asserted that the only way to solve educational problems is to teach a child. I agree.
There are so many successful individulas who escaped their negative situations because someone was mentoring them; someone was teaching them and pushing them. If given the opportunity to be that someone to a child, take it. You have no idea the kind of impact you can have or the kind of person that child can become because of you.
