I can recall knowing literally every adult on my entire block when I was growing up in New Jersey during the 1960s and 1970s. The adults on my block knew all of the children on my block as well. No matter where we went or which way we turned, there was always some adult whom we knew nearby. None of us were allowed to leave the block. We didn't want to; everything that we needed was there. When it was time to come inside, our parents did not have to concern themselves with where we were. All they had to do was go to the front porch and either call out our names or ring a bell and we'd come running.
I do not recall one of us ever being disrespectful toward an adult. The adults on my block certainly would not have tolerated it. Our parents knew that we were in good hands when we walked out of the front door. They knew that the other adults on the block were going to hold us to the same standard of conduct that our own parents did. We also knew that if we were caught acting inappropriately, they would report our behavior to our parents immediately. This was nonnegotiable.
The "village" concept was fully operational during those years. Adults understood their roles, and everyone worked collaboratively toward the growth and development of the neighborhood children. Although I lived in an urban setting, I have no recollection of the gangs, drugs, or violence with which my students today have to contend on a regular basis.
Times have changed dramatically since I was a youngster. Many children nowadays don't know any of their neighbors, and can engage in destructive behaviors without anyone reporting it to their parents. Gangs have taken over many urban streets, selling drugs and guns out in the open. Too many black boys end up joining these gangs so that they can remain safe in their own neighborhoods. The community as a whole subsequently becomes unsafe, with residents having to look over their shoulders constantly. Everyone pretty much knows who's doing what, but the code on the streets strictly prohibits "snitching." Because little gets reported, parents are therefore oblivious to what their children are doing in the neighborhood.
Urban communities across the country are in a state of crisis, and hundreds of thousands of black males across the country are products of these communities. Teachers are obviously not in positions to correct this crisis, but they must be acutely aware of their students' realities.
Before I give presentations to students at school assemblies, I ask the administrators whether they have a gang problem in their school. They invariably respond that they do not, although there are isolated gang members in the school. I then ask them how many students they suspect might belong to gangs. They typically reply that it is a small percentage. Then, during my presentation, I ask the students: "How many of you are affiliated with a gang?" Typically, about 90 percent of the hands go up.
Clearly, the layers of damage that must be permeated to rectify this crisis are many. In some cases, they are so overwhelming that many teachers leave the profession prematurely because they feel that they simply cannot connect with their black male students. You must therefore be prepared to contend with the repercussions of the community crisis in your classroom, such as a lack of motivation to succeed, undesirable behaviors, and poor academic performance.
Of course, the inner cities of the United States continue to produce an abundance of extraordinary people who are doing extraordinary things in their communities and with their lives. Many black males strive to achieve academic excellence in school despite experiencing the same challenges as their less successful peers. The difference is that they are clear about the purpose of education; they are on a mission
to make their education work for them, and they have a vision
for where they expect their education to take them. They are committed to what they want out of life. Many of these young men go on to some of the best colleges in the country and turn out to be major success stories. Because we tend to focus on the problems of the inner city, success stories tend to be overlooked—even by the black males who would most benefit from exposure to them.
The Family Crisis
Ideally, black males should be going home to fathers or father figures as well as mothers. Although mothers can potentially do a superb job of teaching their sons about being a man, only a man can truly model manhood. When males are absent from the lives of black school-aged males, mothers, schools, or the streets become the substitute fathers. I believe that classroom teachers must be aware of this problem in order to know the realities that their students face.
The Self-Crisis
The third and most crucial crisis is the "self-crisis." Due to the effects of the community and family crises, many black male students enter school with unresolved issues concerning their communities and families. I contend that as long as we continue to focus on content areas first and students second, we will continue to get the same results we are trying so hard to improve.
Simply put, the self-crisis is the breakdown of the individual. It manifests itself in the following categories:
- Self-image
- Self-esteem
- Self-discipline
- Self-respect
- Self-actualization
In classrooms across the country, far too many teachers are forced to address these manifestations of the self-crisis at the expense of their students' content area learning activities.
Self-Image
How do your students see themselves? If they are to succeed in school, they must see themselves as possessing all of the necessary tools to achieve whatever they set their minds on achieving. To that end, they must develop positive and productive self-images. To gauge the self-images of the black males in your classroom, you must ask them how they see themselves and monitor their behaviors closely.
Imagine trying to teach an individual who doesn't see himself capable of achieving success. For example, suppose you have a young man in your classroom whose self-image is that of a "thug." If this is how he sees himself, it is going to be very difficult to successfully teach him math and science. He has defined himself in a way that runs counter to everything you are attempting to instill in your students. His focus is not on learning, but rather on living up to his definition of himself. Your role, consequently, is to guide him toward changing his self-image so that he can become a productive student in your classroom.
A few years ago, while engaged in an intense conversation with several black male teenagers, one of them said to me, "We are just [n-words]. We do what [n-words] do. We're just [n-words] from the 'hood." Now, this attitude obviously illustrates a very destructive self-image. You must attempt to eradicate this type of negativity regularly at every opportunity. As long as your black males see themselves and each other as n-words, they will never experience optimal success in their classrooms. I might add that far too many young males have embraced this horrible word as a "term of endearment." They argue that it does not carry the same meaning that it once did, and even spell it differently, replacing the "-er" with "-a," "-as," or "-az." My position is that this word is absolutely unacceptable, regardless of its spelling. As the classroom teacher, you must relentlessly drive this message home.
Ultimately, while students are in your classroom, they must actually see themselves as being positive and productive. They must get to a point where they feel empowered to excel. Your objective must therefore be to empower your black male students; you must give them the power and authority to excel. You must consistently encourage them to see themselves as being serious about learning, focused on achieving excellence, diligent in their efforts, disciplined in their actions, and resilient after their setbacks.
Self-Esteem
How do your students feel about themselves? I often tell teachers their role as a motivator is at the core of their practice; teachers cannot effectively educate their students if they have not first determined how to keep them motivated and inspired about learning. As you strive toward successfully motivating and educating your students, your ultimate goal is to empower them to believe that they now possess the ability to achieve anything in life that they set their minds on achieving. To reach this goal, you must focus on inspiring your students to feel good about themselves.
Although a young man with a positive and productive self-image will resultantly feel very good about himself, the same can be true of someone with a negative or destructive self-image, particularly if he has been embraced by peers who support negativity and destruction. The latter situation is incredibly difficult for you to rectify due to the overwhelming influence of peer pressure. You must therefore remain mindful of the reality that a student with high self-esteem does not necessarily have a positive self-image. Your objective must be for your young men to have both a positive self-image and high self-esteem.
To increase the probability that your black males feel good about themselves, you must strive to consistently remind them how special they are, how intelligent they are, and how capable they are of achieving excellence in your classroom. You must remind them regularly that you believe in them and that you are confident that they can achieve whatever they set their minds on achieving. Sustained positive communication and encouragement must be the norm in your classroom.
Self-Discipline
Are your students in control of themselves? You must consistently encourage your students to always do what is right, required, and expected. They must be able to demonstrate to themselves and others that yes, they are actually in control of themselves. Your students must be responsible and able to hold themselves accountable. They must develop the discipline to
- Meet all school and classroom expectations.
- Complete all of their homework assignments and study for success.
- Read daily beyond the books that are assigned to them.
- Listen carefully to prepare themselves for success.
- Manage their time effectively.
- Engage in daily self-reflection and self-assessment.
- Make good, sound, wise decisions.
- Consistently be both patient and persistent.
- Accept responsibility for their own failure and mediocrity.
- Engage in appropriate school and classroom behaviors.
- Resolve conflicts peacefully.
Self-Respect
Do your students bring honor to themselves? I learned very early in my career that many of the problems associated with keeping my black males focused on education were rooted in their lack of self-respect.
One common example of a lack of self-respect among black males is the tendency to wear sagging pants. Why is it that black males all over the country are so intent upon wearing their pants and shorts far below their waistline? Why do they not feel any shame in displaying their underwear to those around them? I see this as a blatant lack of self-respect. As the classroom teacher, it is incumbent upon you to address this behavior every time you observe it. Your students must be made to understand that "sagging" in your classroom and the school is absolutely unacceptable. The problem is so enormous now that it has even crossed over into other ethnic groups, and it has crossed gender lines in some cases as well.
In addition to helping students to respect themselves, it is important to also help them to:
- Demonstrate respect toward their male peers.
- Demonstrate respect toward their female peers.
- Demonstrate respect toward their teachers.
- Make a positive difference in their school.
- Accept obstacles as challenges to be overcome.
- Surround themselves with other positive people.
- Always engage in acceptable and appropriate school behaviors.
- Avoid the use of negative and destructive language and speech.
Self-Actualization
How are your students maximizing their potential? It is my belief that young black men are born highly capable of achieving excellence, but somehow lose their way in the early grades. To ensure that black males continue to excel through 12th grade and beyond, we must keep them inspired. As their teacher, it is your responsibility to make them aware of their inherent ability while also helping them to bring it out. You must therefore consistently push and challenge them to maximize their potential. Mediocrity cannot be an option. You must hold your students accountable for achieving nothing less than excellence.
In the following chapter, I will examine the self-crisis in depth and offer potential solutions for teachers.