Educating Black Girls

By Jawanza Kunjufu

Making use of the latest trends and statistics, Educating Black Girls is a guidebook that looks at the academic performances of African American girls from kindergarten through high school. This work dissects such issues as the disproportionate number of black girls suspended from school; the low expectations of teachers; and the small number of African American girls who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also offers more than 50 potential solutions for improving academic achievement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: African American Images
• Release date: Nov 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780910030007

Book preview

Notes

Introduction

I’ve been an educational consultant and author since 1974, and have written almost 40 books, including Keeping Black Boys Out of Special Education, Raising Black Boys, Reducing the Black Male Dropout Rate, Understanding Black Male Learning Styles, Changing School Culture for Black Males, and four volumes of Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys. In addition, I’ve written three books for African American men, including Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don’t Go to Church, Developing Strong Black Male Ministries, and State of Emergency: We Must Save African American Males.

I have two grown sons and one grandson. I have dedicated my life to the uplift of African American people.

My remaining books have been coed, but I have never written a book about African American girls and women. As a book publisher, I have sought out women to write them and we have published over 10 books for girls and women. Over the years, hundreds of people, primarily African American women, have asked if I would ever write a book about Black girls. Recently, I was asked to speak to educators in Oakland, California, about the challenges facing African American males. During the question and answer period, an African American woman stood up and asked, When are you going to talk about African American girls? They’re having challenges, too!

Politely, I said I had been asked to speak about the plight of African American males, but as I flew home that evening I couldn’t shake her question. Her passion resonated with me. Her concern about African American girls motivated me to pray about writing such a book, and you now hold the answer to those prayers in your hands. Educating Black Girls was written for educators. A companion book for parents, Raising Black Girls is forthcoming.

I discovered in my research that all is not well with African American girls. While our boys may be on life support, our girls are in critical condition. We talk about racism in America and throughout the world, but we should not assume that it affects Black boys and Black girls similarly. Though we talk about sexism, we should not assume that White girls and Black girls experience sexism in the same manner. For too long, the plight of Black females has been treated as a stepchild to the plight of Black males and the agenda of White feminists. I am pleased to serve on the task force My Brother’s Keeper, President Obama’s initiative to support the growth and development of young men of color. This task force should be expanded to include an initiative My Sister’s Keeper as well. Young women of color have special challenges and needs, independent of their brothers that would greatly benefit from such national attention and coordination of federal resources.

Throughout this book, we will document the tremendous challenges that African American females are experiencing, particularly in the classroom. Contrary to the cultural deficit model, this book spotlights the best in Black females. We will look at their strengths. In my book, There’s Nothing Wrong with Black Students, I documented how school districts bring me in to fix the bad Black children. I believe there is nothing wrong with African American female students, and I prove it in chapter 1, where we set a positive tone for the rest of the book by looking at the best of Black females.

In chapter 2, we will examine trends that demand greater attention from schools, school districts, and policy makers. I can understand why the sister in Oakland had such passion, because all is not well with African American females in the classroom.

In chapter 3, Black Females Speak, I provide a platform for Black females themselves to speak about their own experiences in their own unique ways. We researchers and educators may be talking about them and talking over them, but are we allowing them to talk to us? Most important, are we listening? Black females need to be in the center of this conversation. As I travel the country, I listen carefully to the stories of Black female students, and this chapter documents their voices and concerns.

The educational landscape in America is not the same for all Black females. There’s a wide array of school options for Black females. Chapter 4 takes a look at school demographics and how they help shape the educational experiences of these students.

The next chapter on STEM is, for me, one of the most significant in this book. STEM refers to academic programs and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Trying to encourage Black females to pursue degrees and careers in math and science has been challenging. We can and must do better to introduce STEM to Black girls and nurture their involvement in these fields.

History is racist and sexist. Chapter 6, Herstory, looks at this subject from a much needed female perspective.

Chapter 7 focuses on athletics—gym and sports—as a way to support the physical, mental, psychological, and cognitive development of Black females. From firsthand experience, I know the tremendous benefits athletics can have on academic and personal development.

In chapters 8 and 9, we will look at the educational challenges that Black female students must overcome and how some schools are successfully rising to the challenge.

This book would not be complete without chapter 10, educational options available to Black females after high school. Not all Black females want to attend college after graduation. In this chapter, I will explore the wide range of options that will lead to near immediate job placement after completion. Finally, I will present my closing thoughts in the Epilogue.

Q&A

As you read through the chapters of this book, you’ll find that I ask numerous questions. The purpose of these questions is not to shame and blame you, but to get you thinking about how you can help improve the academic performance and overall educational experience of your Black female students. I am confident these questions will stimulate more questions and answers within you, so keep a notebook nearby and write down your honest thoughts. Most important, keep it honest! And by all means, share your thoughts with your colleagues. Encourage them to buy this book, so that everyone is on the same page. Transform your teachers’ lounge into a combination war room, research room, and research-based book club room. High performing educators can share strategies and information with one another to improve the classroom experience and ultimately student performance. Keep each other accountable. Let this be the start of a great academic turnaround for Black girls in your school!

Now for our first set of questions. Please read and answer as completely and honestly as you can.

How significant are African American women teachers to African American girls?

What is your school doing special for African American girls?

What percent of your African American female students are proficient or advanced in reading and math?

Do you, your colleagues, and principal have high expectations of African American female students?

Do Black girls see themselves in your school’s curricula?

Name the books in your school that were written by Black women writers.

Do you, your colleagues, and principal understand the variety of Black female learning styles?

In your school, are Black females made to feel beautiful and intelligent?

Do you understand the culture of your Black female students?

Do you like your Black female students?

Lastly, I have a request. I would like for every school in America that has African American female students to post Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Woman in a prominent, visible place in the school.

I am excited to present this book to you because I believe in Black girls. They are truly phenomenal!

Chapter One: The Best of Black Females

Four-Year-Old Genius Anala Beevers Invited to Join MENSA

Most four-year-olds don’t know the name of every state on the map, let alone the capitals. But most kids that age aren’t like Anala Beevers, a New Orleans-based genius who was recently invited to join MENSA, an international organization for people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Beevers—who never leaves home without her map of the United States, which is said to be her favorite thing—knew the English alphabet at four months old, and learned numbers in Spanish by the time she was a 1½. Her dad, Landon, who admits his little one is smarter than both of her parents, said in a recent interview, She needs a reality show … She keeps us on our toes.

Zora Ball Becomes Youngest Person to Develop Mobile Game App

One of our top moments of the century is a recent one. Zora Ball (pictured), age 7, has the distinction of becoming the youngest person to develop a mobile game app. Ball, a first grader at Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School in Philadelphia, built the game using a programming language called Bootstrap that teaches kids age 12 to 16 how to grasp complex math. The prodigious student unveiled her game last December at an expo for the Bootstrap program at the University of Pennsylvania. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, Zora was able to break down how her application works right on the spot. The cute little girl’s genius aptitude runs in her family: her older brother, Trace, was a STEM Scholar of the Year at the Harambee Institute. Makes you want to work a little harder on the job, doesn’t it?

Thessalonika Arzu-Embry Graduates College at 14

The exceptional 14-year-old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry is preparing to graduate—from college. Like most 14-year-old girls, Thessalonika likes to have fun. She enjoys skating in her Great Lakes neighborhood as well as playing tennis. Yet, while most girls her age are entering their freshman year of high school, complete with discussions about boys and all the latest fashions, Thessalonika has been focused on more important matters. She has been attending college since she was 11.

Brittney Exline, Youngest African American Female Accepted into an Ivy League School

Brittney graduated from Palmer High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2007 at the age of 15 with an International Baccalaureate diploma. She was then accepted to the University of Pennsylvania and became the youngest African-American female ever to be accepted to an Ivy League institution. She completed an internship at a small hedge fund on Wall Street at the age of