Black Minds Matter

My parents and parents’ parents instilled in me the belief that the journey to freedom begins with your mind. Yes, for 300 years, public education in the United States has also been a symbol of promise and prosperity. But the development and functioning of the U.S. education system has not been positive for everyone along the way. That’s why we need family and community more than ever right now to keep spreading the message that young Black minds matter.


This country’s deep history of ensuring Black women and men were less educated or not educated at all was apparent to me as a young man. Today, when I hear politicians and others invoke the “American Dream,” they often start with their own journey in formal education, espousing movie-like imagery about how, through hard work and persistence in the classroom, they propelled themselves to better opportunities.



In the case of Black students, however, I know that this movie is more feel-good story than it is based in real history. Despite some progress, the promise of a quality education for all Black young people remains elusive. Writ large, public schools and universities continue to perpetuate vast inequities based on race, income and zip code. Across this country, Black students, whether from upper or lower-income families, are more likely to be placed in the most segregated, underfunded schools, be taught by the lowest paid teachers and, while in school, be suspended or expelled. They are less likely to be placed in a full sequence of college-preparatory courses, less likely to have access to advanced placement classes and less likely to complete a college degree. Black girls are suspended six times more often than their White counterparts, and in preschool Black students make up nearly half of all suspensions. Historically, we’ve come full circle – propagating a system that pushes Black students out of the classroom before they even have a chance to learn to read.


If the deaths of unarmed Black women and men by law enforcement across the country tell our Black children that their lives matter less, their experiences in school across the country tell them that their minds matter less, too. Holding on the value of laboring “at the desk” and cultivating the mind has been a unique struggle for Black students who have simultaneously had to eek out that value for themselves, often without support and at times with active resistance to their success. And still, as outlined in our report Black Minds Matter, when given the right resources and opportunities, we see Black students who achieve at high levels in every area of education.

Read More:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-minds-matter_us_589346ade4b0af07cb6bc12a?

________________________________

Yes, they do.