Who is going to care about our Black boys

This past week, I received an article released by The Washington Post from a colleague. The article discussed a recent study conducted in Florida examining the achievement gap between males and females. A closer examination of the study revealed (1) females from economically disadvantaged backgrounds were still more likely to graduate from high school when compared to males; and (2) after controlling for family characteristics (e.g., educational attainment, income, etc.) males of color who attend poor quality schools remain at a significant disadvantage. I instantly took to the computer and began to write this piece, partly because I am a mother of an African American male, partly because I have been doing research on interventions for suspended adolescents, and, largely, because I aim to challenge the consciousness of North Carolinians and our larger society.

In North Carolina, males of color are less likely to be performing at grade level by the third grade when compared to their peers. Third grade in North Carolina marks the beginning of end-of-grade state tests and a metric system designed to refer students into the Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program. Females are more likely to be represented in Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) programs leaving many males of color behind; accordingly, American Indian[1] males have little to no representation in AIG programs across North Carolina.

Males of color (e.g., Black and Hispanic males) are less likely to complete advance courses and disproportionately suspended from school. Continuous suspension from school contributes to prolonged absence and, to some extent, higher dropout rates. Black and American Indian male students are roughly three times more likely to receive a short-term suspension in school when compared to their peers.

Males of color have the lowest graduation rates in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction revealed females had higher four-year high school graduation rates (89.1%) than males (82.2%) yet more males attended K-12 schools during the 2014-2015 academic term. Unfortunately, Hispanic males have the lowest graduation rate (73.1%).

Completing high school and more advanced courses in high school predicts college persistence. A recent report on advanced placement participation suggests males of color represent the lowest group of students completing advanced placement courses.

For those students who complete high school and transition into college they continue to face significant barriers in graduating from college. According to the University of North Carolina system, 63.9 percent of females graduate in five years compared to 54.4 percent of males.

Unfortunately, males of color are at a greater disadvantage when they come from economically fragile homes and communities. There is little doubt family and neighborhood factors contribute to low educational attainment yet, as mentioned in The Washington Post article, the quality of schools play a significant role in the achievement gap between males and females. Schools who have less access to highly qualified teachers, advanced courses, positive behavioral interventions, community resources, and more policing will continue to see the same results for males of color. Males of color will continue to face a contentious system in public education—one deeply rooted in a history that placed students into a social order based on tracking and selection practices.

Who cares about the males of color in public education?

The answer to this question is deeply rooted in our consciousness and a larger moral commitment to a just and equitable society. Do we care about the education of males of color? If we deeply care about males of color, these children, like all children in North Carolina, deserve opportunities that build pipelines into higher education versus the criminal justice system. We need to build partnerships and collaborations across universities, k-12 institutions, and the broader community. It is not one institution alone, one community, and one storyteller—this work requires system-wide efforts and a sustained commitment to educational equity.

[1] American Indian is the ethnic designation used by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; this designation may significant students in North Carolina who identify themselves as descendants from the original indigenous American tribes and groups.