The Black Male and Education

Perhaps, with the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, the Civil Rights Act, and the election of the first African American President, Black folk, particulary, Black men have achieved a certain level of accomplishment in this racist, capitalist society that has been built on the blood and backs of slaves. Statistically, our current state for many of our young black brothers is in a state of emergency, perhaps, far beyond anything worse than what slaves or activists have suffered in the past. Today, nearly 1 in 5 young men of color who enter high school as freshmen graduate from high school, many of whom are living in urban centers that resemble colonialized nations. Young black men aged 16-34 number one cause of death is homicide, followed by death by AIDS. The black middle class that was emerging in the middle 90's has shrunk largely due to outsourcing, and the burgeoning middle class in India. All these factors lead us to the "back to basics" movement which largely argues that in order to reverse this alarming trends, that equitable education, providing experience and training to young black men, will close and eventually eliminate this gap and create a society where everyone truly does have an equal opportunity to achieve and live a life of value. Unfortunately, the 21st Century, with all of its new inventions, rapid technology advances, and globalization, have placed a new twist on how to best meet the needs of our young men. Intertwined with these challenges, is a society that conveys messages to young people, particulary black men, that they are to fit into a particular mode, to be accepted and to achieve success; these messages prompted by mainstream white America is fueled by profits. Education has a challenging task; to combat these notions of inferiority and limitations, and perhaps, begin to create a new identity for colonized black men living in a country who still profits from their "blackness." For many of our young black men, we are fighting an almost impossible battle, because on one an environment and culture that is deeply rooted and respected becomes diametrically opposed to whatever other form it may encounter, including, education. If we can begin to change the identify of young men, and deal with the multiple issues that come from living in urbanized areas in the 21st Century, then and only then can we really "educate."

Network Collaboration

In order to effectively build small networks of schools, practioners must be willing to accept the fact that there is no silver bullet; development must come through actively facilitating and leading educators across the country in action research, peer reviews and observations and collaboratively creating tools and processess' that address the most pressing issues in education. As student drop-outs are on the rise, dedicated and experienced educators will have to take a leading role in school leadership but schools and organizations often time do not create a pipeline for emerging leaders to take charge. It is essential for networks to develop that strong leadership, deeply rooted in the experiences of the school community, can reach out to others in networks to share resources and act as critical friends. The school district and it's board must encourage this collaboration and invite as many critical friends into the fold so our young people can be reap the benefits.