Success Strategies for Teachers of African American Children
Audio Highlight from Conference Session
In this audio excerpt from his session, "Success Strategies for Teachers of African American Children," hear Baruti Kafele talk about the importance of getting to know African American children--knowing who they are, in terms of their personal histories and aspirations and within the contextual histories of being black in America.
Listen to an excerpt of Kafele's comments.
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You can read other educators' responses in the comments below and add your own thoughts, opinions, or comments.
- The new issue of Education Update is on Promoting Diverse Leadership, including an article on Managing the Multicultural Classroom, which you can read online. ASCD members can log in for full access to all of the Education Upate articles.
- Closing the achievement gap requires providing students a "counter-narrative," according to Theresa Perry, author of Young, Gifted, and Black. Learn more.
- For more on the achievement gap, read ASCD executive director Gene Carter's column, "Closing the Gap."
- ASCD's African American Critical Issues Network sponsored a session titled "Using Creative Enriched Instruction to Advance African American StudentsÂ’ Achievement."
- Get information on purchasing audio CDs of select conference sessions. A complete listing of individual session CDs will be available in mid-May.
If you have difficulty with the audio file, a transcript is provided below.
Transcript
Here we are [in] 2005, on April 4th. Guess what? Our children are operating on the same intellectual level as their ancestors back in slavery, relative to knowledge of their history. The same intellectual level. We're talking of a period of 400 years, and they are at the same place. Because nobody has restored it. Nobody has given it back.
There are no mandates that say these children have to know who they are. So, then we want to bring in--well, these kids can't read. Let's bring in the best reading program. These kids can't compute. Let's find the best math program. These kids can't write. Let's find the best writing program. Well, how are they going to receive it if they don't know who they are?
They don't know who they are--They're clueless. When you get back to school tomorrow--and I know there are some [who] know, but I'm talking about the masses--ask them the question ... "Who am I?" But, to be more relevant ... ask them, "What was the significance of April 4th, 1968?" Because Dr. King, he died for them. He was trying to level the playing field for them. But if they have no knowledge of it, then they're not going to be able to produce at the level you want them to produce.
posted by ASCD @ 4:04 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Truly, the school system in America is broken. Our educational system is one of the many racist institutions established when this nation was built. We were not considered people, but animals. Hence, we were not considered in this process. So now, we have a clue. Therefore, it is not surprising that racism is still alive today in our system. African American children continue to lag behind in achievement and the gap is widening. It may seem we are losing the battle. However, let us not give up. We cannot give up on our children. The problems are many and solutions do not seem to be within our grasp.
I submit that we revisit a fundamental element that we may have overlooked. As educators, let us psychologically rebuild our children's mindsets in that they can learn and achieve, unconditionally, without a doubt.
Most African American children will never know their African history or ancestral history. Assuredly, our African heritage is not the only pulse in our veins. Do we seek the identity of the slave master's blood, as well to recapture our souls? Of course, we do not. This is not an excuse for low achievement and is a myth that should be dispelled. Our children have identities. They are born with minds and spirits that cry for reckoning and this resolve can be achieved.
We should start by implementing a "feel good" campaign with our children and students. Teach and speak positives to them, about them and through them and we will begin to close the achievement gaps that we seem to research and conference on endlessly. We will see changes beyond our expectations. We have an obligation to do that.
Moreover, we build from this framework; expect the best and we will get it.
Darrell Andrews gave an inspiring presentation at conference on Connecting Dreams to Education, in which he talked about specific techniques for the kind of feel good campaign you suggest. You can listen to an excerpt of his session and also hear a pre-conference interview with Andrews.
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