When my teaching widower and I bought this figure (above), the sales clerk used every white code she could think of to help us “recognize” the boy’s race. Why would a white couple buy black artwork? I wanted him because he looks like so many kids I’ve taught and loved.
I often experience great heartache when I watch young black boys in kindergarten. They are so excited about school, about pleasing their teachers and making friends. Their eyes are bright with happiness. They are eager to learn. These same boys, a few years later, are sitting in the office, assigned a space next to the teacher, or isolated at a desk far from their peers. They are doing poorly academically. They are referred to special education. They are the behavior problems in the school. I am describing experiences I’ve seen in a wealthy school district, where “all kids can learn” is the mantra.
Yes, we live in a segregated society where more black men are in prison than in college. But let’s go back to kindergarten. Even before they’ve met these kids, many teachers have looked at the names on their roster and shown colleagues how many Daquans and Tremains they’ll have to manage. From the first day, while much of the class is frisky in line, I have heard those same names reprimanded at a rate which far exceeds that of the white boys. The frisky white boys may be ignored, but Daquan is on everyone’s radar. All the time. Far beyond kindergarten.
I believe the most important factor in a classroom is the emotional tone- teacher acceptance and nurturing. Do you think black boys feel they belong? After eating breakfast at school with other kids of color, they enter a classroom which is mostly white, with mostly white adults. (Usually, the only black males they see are custodians.) Teacher expectations are low, couched in terms of “low income” and “poor language skills.” Even though specific teaching methods can level the playing field, I believe it’s that not-so-invisible exclusion, the not-so-invisible low bar, which extinguishes that sparkle in black boys’ eyes and hearts.
The statue is very touching. I like it. Don’t know why the clerk would act that way. I was a teacher’s aid for awhile, in the Pre-K, and 2nd grades, and I often wonder what became of some of those little kids. They tend to stick in your mind, even for the short time we were with them in the classroom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I thought it was adorable, too, although we don’t have dogs at school! I agree that these kids do stick in your heart and mind!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This makes me wonder…given your thoughts that the sparkle is extinguished by a majority of white teachers who have low expectations, I’m curious how black boys fare in schools that are majority black with mostly black teachers. Would we hear certain ‘frisky’ kids being reprimanded repeatedly? Do black boys emerge from predominantly black schools in perceptibly better shape? Any thoughts?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Black kids have performed best in charter or private schools which set up a totally different culture from traditional public schools. The students are predominantly black kids from an inner city environment with mostly white teachers, but they do have more diversity in the teaching staff. They establish a sense of community and very high expectations. They also have extremely high graduation and college attendance rates.
LikeLike