{"id":4573,"date":"2010-12-27T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-27T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christianethicstoday.com\/wp\/?p=4573"},"modified":"2022-02-12T14:19:16","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T21:19:16","slug":"black-boys-can-make-it-how-they-overcome-the-obstacles-to-university-in-the-uk-and-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianethicstoday.com\/wp\/black-boys-can-make-it-how-they-overcome-the-obstacles-to-university-in-the-uk-and-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Boys Can Make it: How They Overcome the Obstacles to University in the UK and USA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Reviewed
\nby Michael D. Royster,
\nHouston Graduate school of theology<\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

Black Boys Can Make It: How They Overcome the Obstacles to University in the UK and USA
\n<\/span><\/b>Cheron Byfield
\nTtrentham Books, 2008.<\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the greatest problems with  <\/span>education in the United States  <\/span>and the UK is its overall refusal to  <\/span>admit its collective failure as an institution when it comes to the educa-tion of black boys. Advocates of status  <\/span>quo solutions have denied admitting  <\/span>to being clueless regarding producing equal results in terms of the education of black youth. Black boys  <\/span>also have been accustomed to having  <\/span>lower expectations placed upon them,  <\/span>and have been regarded as inferior  <\/span>in most fields of study. Black male  <\/span>underachievement has received high  <\/span>publicity. However, the most profound statement the author made in  <\/span>the text is “little is known about black  <\/span>boys who do under achieve academic  <\/span>success” (3). The book serves the purpose of exposing a common testament  <\/span>of the black male experience in terms  <\/span>of succeeding academically while  <\/span>navigating through contrary terrains,  <\/span>while dispelling cultural myths that  <\/span>have contributed to their reception of  <\/span>low expectations that are contributing  <\/span>to the negative stereotypical images.<\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

Data was gathered and analyzed for  <\/span>the subject’s interest in cultural studies, intergroup relations, education  <\/span>and stratification, teachers, parents of  <\/span>black pupils, clergy, faith based organization staff, and community volunteers  <\/span>such as the Big Brothers program. The  <\/span>author’s perspective is that much of  <\/span>UK and USA society is unaware of the  <\/span>dimensions and the concrete intensity  <\/span>that black pupils endure from a variety  <\/span>of sources and therefore black males  <\/span>must overachieve in order to be equal.<\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

The unique feature of this book  <\/span>is that it demonstrates how unfavorable conditions affecting the black  <\/span>male’s education are an international  <\/span>problem. Therefore the book provides practical solutions that are low  <\/span>in financial cost and also preventive of  <\/span>high liability costs, for which society  <\/span>pays a high price. The author challenges the false depiction that heavily  <\/span>blames parents due to their lack of visible involvement, by acknowledging  <\/span>that “little research has been carried  <\/span>out into the nature of Black parental  <\/span>involvement and still less on the parents of educationally successful black  <\/span>boys” (59). One would think that current ethnic research would have thoroughly covered this topic.<\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

This book is applicable for all disadvantaged students seeking methods  <\/span>for overcoming the role strain that is  <\/span>experienced by the robust drive for  <\/span>academic success while maintaining  <\/span>acceptance from anti-academic peer  <\/span>groups. Beyond their youth, the author  <\/span>claims that young black men are compelled to learn the etiquette of a leisure  <\/span>class world, balanced with street intelligence. “Playing the game” is a necessary skill for both young black males  <\/span>and for all marginalized people living  <\/span>on the fringes of society. <\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

In line with other studies, the  <\/span>author shows that there is a significant correlation between religion and  <\/span>academic success among black males.  <\/span>Much can be attributed to spiritual  <\/span>disciplines that are transferable to the  <\/span>academic disciplines. The author concluded that, “religion provided a psychological and social framework within  <\/span>which black boys could make sense of  <\/span>their purpose in life, whilst providing them with emotional and social  <\/span>support to maximize their potential”  <\/span>(100). Spiritual formation facilitators  <\/span>are resourceful in contributing towards  <\/span>the black male’s educational progress. In addition, a gross disregard for  <\/span>basic human needs implicitly teaches  <\/span>that God is not concerned about the  <\/span>additional struggles placed upon black  <\/span>males, the sub-middle class, nor persons who face racism as an obstacle  <\/span>towards fulfilling the greatest human  <\/span>need of self-actualization. <\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

The book is of great value for active  <\/span>and prospective primary and secondary teachers seeking further understanding of the structural concerns and  <\/span>challenges that accompany the teaching profession. <\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n

Reversing the underachievement of  <\/span>black boys must be sincere because the  <\/span>transparency of false pretense is bound  <\/span>to nullify any attempts toward leading  <\/span>any human creature toward the path of  <\/span>success.  <\/span> <\/span><\/o_p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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