African American Males in School and Society: Practices and Policies for Effective Education

Journal of Negro Education, The, Summer 2002 by Richardson, Jeanita W

African American Males in School and Society: Practices and Policies for Effective Education, edited by Vernon C. Polite & James Earl Davis. New York: Teachers College Press, 1999. 272 pp. $54.00, cloth. $23.95, paper.

Reviewed by Jeanita W. Richardson, State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.

In African American Males in School and Society: Practices and Policies for Effective Education, Vernon C. Polite and James Earl Davis have compiled works by various authors who provide valuable insight into the complex, multidimensional issues associated with the schooling of African American males. As suggested in the foreword by renowned scholar Edmund Gordon, descriptive data most often found in the literature fails to reflect the successes of African American males in juxtaposition to prevalent systemic challenges. While not addressing many of the noneducational data-driven interventions suggested by Gordon, this volume does depart from the usual myopic description of African American men and boys. Using a combination of empirical studies and policy analyses, the editors present a volume that attempts to shed light on prevailing dilemmas without blaming the targeted foci of the studies. Rather than bemoaning the well-documented educational inadequacies generally assigned to Black males, the authors offer suggestions for change in the context of successful scenarios grounded in their empirical research.

Michele Foster and Tryphenia B. Peele discuss the positive engagement of African American males in education, as well as, the potency of teacher/student relationships and how the understanding, sensitivity, and persistence of teachers directly impact student learning. Further discussions include the role of teacher education programs in adequately challenging preservice practitioners' notions of consistency, stereotypes, classroom management, and personal biases as they relate to Black male students. Bernard A. Carver pursues an often overlooked aspect of computer technology in schooling (i.e., how computers are used in general and how often they are used with African American males in particular). Carver explores the notion of what it means to be "information rich" and "information poor." Of particular relevance in the study is the relationship between technological literacy and educational and economic viability. In both chapters, the critical importance of the relationships between parents, teachers, and students are highlighted as pivotal to improving the educational engagement of African American males. Professional development for in-service teachers focused on revealing personal biases and practical techniques for enhancing the educational experiences of Black males are also suggested.

The underrepresentation of African Americans as "gifted" and the overrepresentation of this same group in special education are considered by Donna Ford, Tarek C. Grantham, and Deryl Bailey, and Beth Harry and Mary G. Anderson. Ford, Grantham, and Bailey call attention to the many shortcomings of the identification process, which have resulted in an underrepresentation of African Americans in gifted programs. Harry and Anderson discuss the social construction of special education students and the role subjective interpretations of behaviors, learning styles, and culture have played in the classification process. Both chapters call for more inclusive evaluative instruments in the identification process that do not presume uniqueness in students to be categorically viewed as an educational deficiency.

Peter Murrell Jr., Joseph A. Hawkins, and Vernon C. Polite in each of their discussions reveal demoralizing influences in urban and suburban schools that cannot be narrowly assigned to poor students. Low expectations, disproportionately high rates of expulsion and suspension, as well as overrepresentation in special education courses remain common in economically constrained urban schools and affluent suburbs. Professional development is recommended as one way teachers can be encouraged to deconstruct operationalized biases and learn effective methods of encouraging African American males students in particular to succeed. Further, findings highlight the need for increased performance expectations, career training for students, and the importance of the teacher/student relationships in student persistence.

Using higher education as a context M. Christopher Brown, II reveals how stereotypes have overshadowed the dearth of African American males in the academy. Attendance and retention disparities in the Black population in general and African American males in particular have never been remediated. Yet, judicial decisions and legislative policies are jeopardizing the successes that have been possible. In other words, active legal and legislative assaults are narrowing opportunities and are proving lethal to ongoing participation of Black males in higher education.

Chapters by James Earl Davis, Saladin K. Corbin and Robert Pruitt II, and William Gadsden and Phillip J. Bowman examine some of the sociological and psychosocial reasons why the idiosyncratic needs of African American males are complex and persistent. Davis accounts, "There is virtually no race or gender neutral schooling context for Black males" (p. 134). While focusing on higher education in his study, Davis' findings are applicable to other educational settings. The need for supportive extended communities, such as families and schools working together, are pivotal to success. Corbin and Pruitt, II consider role models, the influence of peers, and notions of "coolness" and masculinity on the identity development of adolescents. They conclude that role models society may deem deviant, such as rap artists, appeal to youth because they speak to the oppressive treatment and environments many young men experience. As such, it is critical that parents and teachers not only gain an appreciation of the complex aspects of identity development, but also provide outlets for expression and alternative role models which help youth frame educational attainment as a positive attribute. Gadsden and Bowman discuss the role of African American fathers and the significance of parental involvement in the context of educational persistence and attainment. They also stress the need to eradicate schools' impression that African American fathers are not involved in the lives of their children. Too often there is a failure to acknowledge the systemic and institutional barriers to parental participation exacerbating distrust of a system that has failed Black men.