UNDERSTANDING AFRICAN

AMERICAN CHILDREN &

ADOLESCENTS
BY: REBECCA WRIGHT & SARAH GREEN
 WE WEAR THE MASK
BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and
shades our eyes,-- This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and
bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise, In counting all our tears and
sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls
arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the
mile; But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!
 ATTENTION-GETTER

https://youtu.be/Qk1tTCk2Kks
 HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
EDUCATION
African Americans were
initially not granted an
education at all because
they were imported from
the Trans-Atlantic slave
trade and viewed as less
than human.
Very rarely would there be
a nice master who would
take it upon themselves to
teach their slaves how to
read, etc.
 HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND
EDUCATION
After the Civil War African
Americans were granted
freedom, however the south
created Jim Crow laws to
create separation between
European Americans and
African Americans.
All states created
educational laws calling
them separate, but
equal.
HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND
EDUCATION

May 17, 1954, the Court unanimously

ruled that "separate but equal" public
schools for blacks and whites were
unconstitutional. The Brown case
served as a catalyst for the modern civil
rights movement, inspiring education
reform everywhere and forming the
legal means of challenging segregation
in all areas of society.

BrownII, issued in 1955, decreed that the dismantling of separate school systems
for blacks and whites could proceed with "all deliberate speed,"
 PRESENT DAY

States continued to force integration until the early

1980s, However in the early 90s those laws started to
be reversed and new school zoning began to
emerge causing a re-surging in segregation.
This has drastically effected schools by having teachers with
the least amount of experience, allowing test scores to fall. In
some cases schools are not properly funded to receive
resources, such as specialists, etc. to try to alleviate this
problem.
https://youtu.be/_kxvmc7S2bA
 WHERE DID CLARK COUNTY STAND?

There were only 3 elementary schools located in

West Las Vegas. Between 1956 and 1966 the
Clark County School District (CCSD) built 4
additional elementary schools in this area.
CCSD chose not to open any junior high or high
schools in West Las Vegas; therefore, secondary
schools in Las Vegas were more racially
integrated.

CCSD closed 2 elementary schools in 1965 near

West Las Vegas instead of integrating them.
Instead they opened a new school in a
predominately White neighborhood
By 1968, more than 97 % the students in the
West Las Vegas elementary schools were
African American.
WHERE DID CLARK COUNTY STAND?

the local NAACP chapter and the League of Women Voters of Las Vegas Valley to file suit
against CCSD for intentionally maintaining racially segregated elementary schools (Kelly v.
Mason, et al. in 1968 which was refiled asKelly v. Guinn, et al.)

In 1970, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered CCSD to develop a mandatory
desegregation plan.
In response, CCSD created the Sixth Grade Center Plan of Integration. This plan converted
all West Las Vegas elementary schools to Sixth Grade Centers that all CCSD students were
required to enroll in for 6th grade. African American students in West Las Vegas would
attend their neighborhood schools in kindergarten, but would be bused to schools outside
West Las Vegas during 1stthrough 5thgrade and again from 7ththrough 12thgrade.
Recognizing that this plan would place most of the burden on African American
students, the NAACP opposed it and appealed the plan, but the court denied the
appeal.
The Sixth Grade Center Plan of Integration ended in the 1992-93 academic year after
African American families in West Las Vegas organized a boycott in favor of neighborhood
schools. The boycott led parents of over 300 African American children to keep their
children out of CCSD schools until after count day.
 CLARK COUNTY IN PRESENT DAY

The school district agreed to replace the

Sixth Grade Centers with Prime Six Schools.
These schools became the neighborhood
option for West Las Vegas elementary
students. Parents were also given the
option of sending their children outside of
West Las Vegas.
To attract White students in attempt to
maintain school desegregation, the
school district opened CCSDs first
magnet school in 1993, Mabel
Hoggard Math and Science Magnet
School.
Today, West Las Vegas has five Prime Six
elementary schools, four magnet
elementary schools, and three charter
schools (K-5 and K-12), all of which are
segregated by race, income, and
language.
STEREOTYPES
 TRUE OR FALSE TEST

1. Black parents are not invested in their children's

education and do not engage in school-affirming
behaviors.
2. A much higher percentage of white parents than
black parents attend PTA meetings and parent-
teacher conferences.
3. Black parents are satisfied with permissive
academic and discipline standards in the schools
their children attend.
4. Most urban and center-city teachers and principals
are black.
 TRUE OR FALSE TEST

5. There are more black men in prison than in college.

6. Black kids use more alcohol, tobacco, and other

drugs than white kids.

7. Most black men don't work.

 TRICK QUESTION:
ALL OF THESE STEREOTYPES ARE FALSE
 AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE

African American students daily

face two cultures:
1. Culture of home/neighborhood
2. Culture of school and other social
institutions such as a job
African American students have
different non-verbal
communication style than
European Americans
Interrupting is a show of support
Doesnt look at speaker in the eye
(after years of being taught that you
might be perceived as threatening to
others)
Expresses emotions assertively with
peers and adults.
 AFRICAN AMERICAN KINSHIP

African American marriage and kinship patterns are varied, although most
now conform to those of the majority of Americans.
Monogamyis the overwhelming choice of most married people.
Because of the rise of Islam, there is also a growing community of
persons who practice polygyny.
Within the African American population, one can find various arrangements
that constitute Family. Thus, people may speak of family, aunts, uncles, fathers,
mothers, and children without necessarily meaning that there is a genetic
kinship.
African Americans often say "brother" or "sister" as a way to indicate the
possibility of that being the actual fact that they could be related.
In the period of the enslavement, individuals from the same family were
often sold to differentplantationmasters and given the names of those
owners, creating the possibility that brothers or sisters would have
different surnames.

 AFRICAN AMERICAN GENDER ROLES IN
THE FAMILY
African Americans reported a
greater level of shared
responsibilities around the house
such as cooking, cleaning and
caring for children compared to
their European American peers.
Many middle class African
Americans came from dual-
breadwinning families.
Although the mans main role
is to be the provider, he should
share household duties just as
the women should have a job
in addition to caring for the
kids.
 AFRICAN AMERICAN
GENDER ROLE IN FAMILY

Black females have made much greater progress in

academic attainment when compared to black males.
In 2006 81% of black females graduated high school compared to
72% of black males.
From 2005 found that twice as many African American women
obtained bachelors degrees as did African American men.
The majority of research on this subject attributes these observable
gaps to motivational difficulties.
Boys report being less identified with academics, holding weaker
achievement values, as well as lower expectations for future educational
attainment and are more likely to perceive barriers to education and
occupation.

 AFRICAN AMERICAN
GENDER ROLES IN SCHOOL

Teachers in study found that both black and white school

teachers have the same lowered expectations of their
black male students.
Teachers are more likely to nominate African American
boys as exhibiting negative attributes than students from
other gender and racial groups; a phenomenon that can
be observed at all grade levels.
For example, teachers perceptions of 6th grade students math
performance predicted scores on the math sections of
standardized tests; an effect that was conceivably more
pronounced for black male students than whites.
Those from lower-SES (Socio-Economic Status) backgrounds are
more vulnerable to the gender gap than are those from other
income levels. https://youtu.be/wAzczX-resU
AFRICAN AMERICAN
EMPLOYMENT
AFRICAN AMERICAN
INCOME GROWTH
 African American Poverty Rates

Even though slavery has

ended there is still a lot of
racial discrimination.
If you have 2 people
applying for the same job
with the same
qualifications, but one has
an African American
sounding name and the
other has a White sounding
name most likely the person
with European sounding
name would get the job.
 LEARNING STYLES

Research conducted in 1989 concludes that African

Americans correspond better with physical activity,
discussions and when there is a strong interpersonal
relationship that they trust

CLASS ROOM DISCUSSIONS

PROJECTS
GROUP WORK
 An act initiated in 2002 to hold school responsible for
the progress of students and institute assessments to
ensure all students are meeting standards.
With the required annual assessments schools are
able to see where the students may need the most
help and attend to their needs
Math and reading test scores for African American
students between the ages of 9 to 13 have surpassed
what they have been in the past
 LANGUAGE

Ebonics refers to the specific dialect spoken by the

African American culture
Originations include Caribbean influences and
slaves who were education deficient
African Americans students who speak the dialect
are forced to take on dual personalities when they
must speak a different way in school than they do in
their home life.
Self-esteem issues often arise
WAYS TO AID THE PROGRESS OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN STUDENTS

Understand the different

dialects
Diversify groups and refrain
from segregation based on
social class and culture
Deliver positive
reinforcements
Adapt to all learning styles
Implement practices that
recognize African American
culture
 RELIGION

It is estimated that a majority of imported slaves from

West Africa were muslim
When in American many transitioned into other religions
Today a majority of african americans consider
themselves Baptist
 POEM DA RULESBY
MARVIN HODGES, EM ALLISON & SAIDU TEJAN-THOMAS

https://youtu.be/xpvutGPY7zU