Category: Black Boys in Crisis

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Black Kids Face Racism Before They Even Start School. It’s Driving a Major Mental Health Crisis

Black children face racism before they even start school. This is a reality that many parents of Black children have to face on a daily basis. The effects of racism on children’s mental health are profound and concerning. According to research, incidents of racism can cause serious trauma in children, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. As the fight against systemic racism continues, it is important to recognize the impact of racism on Black children’s mental health and take steps to address these issues.

The reality of racism against Black children starts at a very young age. Black children are often subjected to microaggressions, which are subtle forms of discrimination that can have a significant impact on their self-esteem and confidence. These microaggressions can come in various forms, including derogatory name-calling, stereotypes, and exclusionary behaviors. Black children are also more likely to be unfairly disciplined or punished in school, which can lead to feelings of alienation and hopelessness.

The impact of racism on Black children’s mental health is far-reaching and long-lasting. Children who experience racism may develop feelings of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other mental health disorders. They may also experience difficulties in school, including poor academic performance and difficulty forming relationships with peers and teachers.

Studies also indicate that racism can lead to physiological stress responses in children, which can result in long-term health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic medical conditions. The stress of racism can also impair cognitive development, making it difficult for children to process information and learn.

It is essential that schools and communities recognize and address the problem of racism against Black children. This includes education programs that teach children and adults about the history and impact of racism, and sensitization programs that provide white people with opportunities to understand and reflect on their privilege and biases. It is also important for schools to implement policies and practices aimed at reducing the disproportionate disciplinary action against Black students.

Finally, mental health support services should be made readily available to Black children and their families. This includes counseling services, mental health screenings, and support groups. Without access to mental health resources, children who experience racism may be left to cope with their trauma alone, which could impact their mental health and wellbeing in the long term.

In conclusion, the issue of racism against Black children is a problem that cannot be overlooked. The consequences of racism on Black children’s mental health are severe and far-reaching. It is essential that schools, communities, parents, and mental health professionals work together to address the issue of racism and provide support to affected children. Only then can we work towards creating a more equitable and just society for all children, irrespective of their background.  

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Are Boys of Color Being Set Up to Fail By Schools?

The educational system in the United States has long been criticized for not providing equal opportunities to boys of color. It is no secret that Black and Latino boys are more likely to underperform, drop out of school, and be suspended or expelled than their peers. This raises the question: are these boys being set up to fail by schools?

The answer is not straightforward, but a mix of factors can contribute to this issue. For example, the disproportionate discipline of boys of color has been linked to implicit biases held by teachers and administrators. These biases often result in harsher punishment for minor infractions, leading to a school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately affects Black and brown boys.

However, implicit biases are not the only contributing factor. Schools that serve majority Black and Latino populations are often underfunded and understaffed, leading to overcrowded classrooms and inexperienced teachers. These conditions make it difficult for boys of color to receive quality education and personalized attention, leading to lower academic outcomes and decreased motivation to stay in school.

Moreover, standardized testing is often used as the primary measure of academic success, leaving no room for alternative measures of success that may resonate more with boys of color. For example, research has shown that Black and Latino boys are more likely to be interested in hands-on learning experiences and career and technical education. However, these programs are often overlooked in favor of traditional academic tracks.

Many educators and advocates have called for systemic changes to address the issues facing boys of color in schools. These changes include increasing diversity in teaching staff, providing cultural competency training to educators, increasing funding for schools that serve Black and Latino students, and expanding alternative educational programs.

In conclusion, boys of color are not being set up to fail by schools intentionally. However, the inherent biases and structural issues within the educational system contribute to this outcome. It is crucial to address these issues to ensure that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, have access to quality education and the opportunity to succeed. 

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The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males

Teachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Compared to their middle-class counterparts, it is true that disenfranchised students are more likely to be exposed to safety and health risks and less likely to receive regular medical care. They’re more likely to be victims of crime. They’re less likely to attend schools that have talented and gifted programs and are more likely to be identified as learning or emotionally disabled and placed in Special Education. These children need caring adults who will mentor them during turbulent times and not give up on them.

During my second year of teaching, I had a young man in my class who would always get into fights. He had been held back twice. Because of that, he was older than the rest of the class. Through my many talks with him, I quickly picked up on why he behaved the way he did. He thought that asserting himself physically was the way males were supposed to act when they felt threatened or when they had a disagreement with someone.

He was the product of a single-parent household and rarely saw his dad. This young man was trying to become a strong Black man by mimicking what he saw other Black males doing in his neighborhood and on TV. This led me to think about how it would feel to be a kid whose father rarely came around, who desperately needed guidance but had no one to turn to, and who was continually being punished when he asserted his masculinity.

When I went home that night, I reflected what I could do to curb his aggressive tendencies and help him become a better student. When I arrived at school the next day and put my plan into action. While taking steps to avoid alienating him from his friends, I set out to become his much-needed mentor. During my planning period, he and I would sit around and talk about how his life was going. I worked with him on his conflict resolution skills, etiquette, and academics, and before long he was showing marked improvement.

I also checked in with his other teachers to see how he was doing in their classes. Over time, his grades improved, his office referrals decreased, and he became one of my best students. Due to his leadership status among his peers, an added bonus was that their behavior and academic performance improved, too.

Although this young man’s problems were caused primarily by the lack of a male role model, there are several other factors that can interfere with an African American student’s successful matriculation through today’s educational system.

What do you do to help African-American males who are underperforming in your classroom?

 

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7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools

African Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It should come as no surprise that their children face the same treatment in U.S. K-12 public and private schools. How? Keep reading. In this piece, I will briefly list 7 ways that black students are discriminated against in U.S. schools.

  1. Black students are less likely to be identified as gifted. Because current gifted assessments were created for the prototypical white student, they discriminate against black children by giving them inequitable representation in the program. This increases the achievement gap, as gifted programs allow students an opportunity to increase their aptitude and intelligence, which gives them a greater chance of being successful later on in life.
  2. Black students are more likely to receive a substandard education. Blacks students are more likely than any other student group to attend schools that are made up of unqualified teachers, administrators and have limited resources. As a consequence, black students are more likely to experience academic failure and drop out of school.
  3. Black students are less likely to have access to technology and Wi-Fi. Even with the proliferation of technology, many black families below the poverty line cannot afford to purchase it. This puts their child at a disadvantage because even if they are issued tech devices by their schools, the absence of Wi-Fi at home prevents them from completing homework and other assignments. Thankfully forward-thinking school districts are counteracting this by parking buses with Wi-Fi in areas where they know student lack access to the internet.
  4. Bias against black students starts in early childhood. Although Black preschoolers represent only 18% of the early childhood population, they comprise 42% of pupils who have been suspended and about half of the preschoolers who were suspended multiple times.
  5. Black girls are disciplined more severely. Black female students are a whopping 5.5 times more likely to be suspended from school, and an unbelievable 6.1 times more likely to be expelled, than their white gender counterparts. They are also 2.5 times more likely to be expelled and denied access to educational services for the duration of their expulsion.
  6. Black students are more likely to be suspended from school. Black students in K-12 schools are overrepresented when it comes to school discipline rates, specifically, expulsions and suspensions. This is particularly troubling, as black students make up only about 15.5% of all public-school students, but they represent about 39% of pupils who are suspended from U.S. schools.
  7. Black students are overrepresented in the school to prison pipeline. When schools don’t provide students with the support and resources that they need to succeed academically, they become disenchanted with the public school system and more often than not, drop out of school. No surprise that most of these students are black. Without a high school diploma and with the omnipresence of racism, many of these students have a hard time finding gainful employment. If they do, they quickly find out that the money that they make is not enough to sustain them. Disenchanted, many of them will turn to the criminal lifestyle, hoping to make enough money to support themselves. More often then not, they end up going to prison, get out, and end up going back.

Sad commentary. How can we as educators end the rampant discrimination that black students in U.S. schools face?

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The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom

Building a culturally responsive classroom is hard. To help you along your journey, here is your guide to exploring and respecting the cultural backgrounds of your students while also using diversity as an asset. If you you listen to this episode of the podcast, and take my advice, you will have a culturally responsive classroom in no time.

References

Culturally responsive teaching is a theory of instruction that was developed by Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and has been written about by many other scholars since then. To read more of her work on culturally responsive teaching and other topics, click here to visit her Amazon.com page.

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The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 2: How Edtech Companies Should Start the New School Year

As summer reaches its peak, and fall gears up to make its arrival, students, parents, teachers, and administrators are all preparing for the beginning of a new academic year. So many gains were made last year, and they are eager to build upon that success. When we talk about education stakeholders who are concerned with starting the school year off right, we rarely, if ever, talk about edtech companies. They too are an integral part of the school community, as they provide a valuable service.

So how do edtech companies stay on their “A” games to begin the new school year? Not to worry, we have you covered.

Hello, my name is Dr. Matthew Lynch and welcome to the second episode of The Edvocate Podcast. Today, we will discuss back to school tips that will help your edtech company get off to a running start and sustain that momentum until summer break comes around again.

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The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 1: 8 Attributes of Successful Digital Age Teachers

Regardless of where you go in the world, teachers are the backbone of the education system. Without quality teachers, school districts cannot provide students with the skills that they need to be successful academically. Without teachers, the next generation will not be able to compete in the global economy. These are sureties, and you will find few people who would disagree.

If you have been studying the field of education closely, as we have, you know that it is undergoing a metamorphosis. Students no longer respond to the teacher-centered pedagogy that our forefathers did. No, today’s students are immersed in a technologically advanced world and possess attention spans that last only a few seconds.

Because of this, today’s teacher needs to add a new skill set to their repertoire to be successful. In this today’s podcast, we will discuss the 8 key attributes that successful digital age teachers possess.