Engaging African American Boys in Reading
Somehow many have come to equate exemplary performance in school with a
loss of their African American identity; that is, doing well in school is seen
as ‘acting white’” (Ladson-Billings, 2009, p. 12).
Ladson-Billings (2009) goes on to say, “If
they do not want to ‘act white,’ the only option, many believe is to refuse to
do well in school. Thus they purposely learn how not to learn” (p. 12). For young black students, there is severe
peer pressure to not do well in school.
As students’ GPAs go up, their popularity goes down and they get made fun of by peers. How did peer pressure affect you as a student? Did it help you succeed or hold you back?
We know this happens in schools. We've read about it in various classes and discussed the achievement gap. Tatum (2006) says this about reading scores, "National reading achievement data continue to indicate that as a group, African American males...are not performing well" (p. 44). Is there anything we, as white teachers, can do to counteract the 'acting white' stereotype?
Tatum (2006) lists many factors that serve as
barriers between African American males and academic success. Internal—such
as identity issues—and external factors—such as institutional racism, negative
stereotypes, scarcity of positive role models, and lack of culturally relevant teaching—impact
experiences in school. “Cultural-specific
coping mechanisms” exhibited by African American male students include, “acting
tough, failing to retreat from violence, avoiding self-disclosure, and
dissociating from school” (Tatum, 2006, p. 44).
The threat of being accused of 'acting white' holds many students back, especially in reading. Their only literary interactions may be in schools, where they are forced to read books focused on "skill and strategy development" (Tatum, 2006, p. 47). It's no surprise that
students of color—especially black boys—are falling behind in reading.
Well, one man decided to do something about it. Alvin Irby, a former kindergarten and 1st grade teacher in inner city NYC, was at the barbershop one day and saw a student sitting in the waiting area, looking bored and thought, 'he should be practicing reading.' Barbershop Books was born in that moment. Their mission is to "help Black boys ages 4-8 to identify as
readers by connecting fun books to a male-centered space and by involving Black
men in boys' early reading experiences" by "leverage[ing] the cultural significance of barbershops in Black communities to increase boys' access to culturally relevant, age appropriate, and gender responsive children's books and to increase out-of-school time reading among young black boys" (Barbershop Books, 2018).
Here's a TED Talk given by Alvin Irby where he explains the reason for founding Barbershop Books based on trends in current curriculum and classroom management techniques that don't serve the needs of black boys. Learn more about Barbershop Books here.
Like Irby asks, How can we inspire children to identify as readers?
Other questions to consider:
- How can we create reading experiences that inspire children to say, 'I'm a reader?'
- What do you think of Irby's statement that most of the books promoted for black male student are only on serious topics such as slavery and civil rights?
- What will you do in your classroom to engage African American males in reading?
Rachel Schloneger
_____________________________
Sources:
Barbershop
Books. (2018). https://barbershopbooks.org/about-us/.
Ladson-Billings,
G. (2009). The dream keepers: Successful teachers of African American
children. New York: Jossey-Bass.
Tatum,
A. W. (2006). Engaging African American males in reading. Educational
Leadership , 63(5), 44-49
I went to a school where succeeding academically was expected. The popular kids had the highest grades. Consequently I never felt pressured to not do well. The only downside to this was that I was occasionally afraid to ask for clarification on concepts I didn’t quite grasp. In a class of all smart people, you don’t want to seem less intelligent by asking a question. I can't imagine what it would be like to face pressure to not do well academically. I've seen this when subbing. Some of my boys don't want to do the work or say that they don't understand it. As soon as I sit down with them and work one-on-one with them, I'm always impressed by how much they do know, they're just afraid to show it.
ReplyDeleteI think that one way we can counteract the acting white stereotype is by addressing it in the classroom. The stereotype is harmful because it attributes academic success and intelligence to one race. Another way to counteract this stereotype in your classroom specifically is to not discipline and grade students based on white culture. As a white female I am conscious that I will need to constantly be self-reflective on my classroom practices. This extends to the texts I choose. I do agree with Irby that many of the books promoted for black male students are only on serious topics. I wouldn’t like reading either if I only had serious topics to read all the time. Sometimes you need a lighter read that gives you a mental break!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. My school was similar. In elementary school, since I was in the advanced class, the pressure was to do well. I also can't imagine being pressured to do poorly in order to keep up social appearances. I've faced the same situations in classrooms--out loud they say they can't do it, but once we sit down one-on-one they fly through the activity.
DeleteI agree that as white teachers we need to be especially reflective of our teaching practices in order to make sure we are not promoting white culture as the norm or the standard to which all students must measure up.
Taking your question, how can we create reading experiences that inspire children to say, 'I'm a reader?'
ReplyDeleteI think growing up for me, reading was always something to do for a grade or to add minutes to my reading log for class. I rarely was reading for pleasure outside of school and therefor had an interesting relationship with reading growing up. I think we should turn reading into a privilege in school and allow it be something the students cherish. I have seen students in classrooms while subbing who detest reading and fake read during the allotted reading time in class. They have no interest in the books in the classroom provided. To fix this, I think it goes back to understanding our students and helping them find books enjoyable for them - and make reading fun again.
My sisters fourth grade class had a reading competition in their school with the classroom that had the largest number of books read would win a prize (pizza day or something to that extent.) She said each class had a theme for their students to inspire them to complete this challenge and want to read. She created a reading bootcamp for her class, using a bootcamp, military theme for her class. She would pump them up before their reading time with a chant and allow them to march around the room to find a spot to read. She said they thought it was the coolest thing and it motivated them to want to read. Doing simple things like this is classrooms will change the way students view reading and view themselves as readers.
It's sometimes hard for me to understand not liking to read because I've always loved reading and come from a family of readers. I was the kid in middle and high school that always carried a book with me to class in case I finished my work early or had an extra minute.
DeleteYour sister's class sounds so fun! I think the reading atmosphere in the classroom is super important. If every instance of reading in class is for a grade, for a reading log, or followed by comprehension questions, kids are never going to think it's fun. For reluctant readers it is important to make the environment fun and inviting to draw them into reading.
Rachel, I think you generated some really great questions. Your question "Is there anything we can do as white teachers to counteract the acting white stereotype?" I believe as a white teacher, I can encourage my students of color and provide them with opportunities to be successful in life and school, provide them with culturally sustaining books that they will enjoy reading. Alvin Irby talks about how many of the texts suggested and given to black boys are about slavery and civil rights. These topics are extremely important to discuss with all students especially people of color, but when black children are young and learning to read, they want to read stories that make them laugh and that are relevant to their current life.
ReplyDeleteI also like your question, how can we inspire children to identify as readers? When I was in elementary school, I enjoyed reading and I was good at it. My mom read to my brothers and I every night before bed, and most of the books that we had to read or had the choice to read in school were fun, engaging, and interesting. The older I got, the less I enjoyed reading. The books got longer and the homework that came with it was less engaging. I think the key to inspiring young children to identify as readers is to introduce texts that are culturally relevant and to be patient with students who struggle with reading. Many reading lessons and standards are rushed and unrealistic when considering all students.
You're completely right that texts about slavery and civil rights are important for all students, but that they shouldn't be the only thing recommended to young black students. Being black doesn't make a student automatically interested in reading about slavery. They like funny books, comics, animal books, etc. just like any other kid. I think it takes balance in the classroom. Kids need a reading time where they can choose any type of book they want and read it however they want, without worrying about standards, comprehension questions, or summaries.
DeleteRachel, great post! The concepts and connections you have posed were really insightful and allowed me to analyze my past school experience. Similarly to Ladson-Billing’s quote about “purposely learning not to learn”, I think many girls struggle with this too. I remember growing up never understanding why but many girls would act “dumb” in class to get attention and never act smart around boys? This concept never really made sense to me but as you said peer pressure is powerful and this is what peer pressure led to during my schooling. Another aspect of your blog post that I connected with was your reference to the Tatum article as I found that article to be both insightful and helpful in building a literature foundation in young black boys, in particular. There was one part of the article that really stood out to me and thats when he talks about how “specific texts and text characteristics that should inform curriculum selection are strikingly absent” and that this problem results in little guidance for teachers who are looking to make change. We are learning so much about how to be culturally relevant teachers through this program but for others that aren’t in the program or after we are on our own we need to be able to have resources that promote the role of text in literacy development for African American adolescent boys. What are some ways we can promote this and encourage our schools to start making this a priority?
ReplyDeleteI never understood the need to act dumb around boys either. Luckily, my mom (an engineer) modeled for me how to be a smart girl, even in male-dominated fields. Unfortunately, many black males never have that model to show them that reading is something they can or should do.
DeleteYou're right that it will probably be hard once we get into a school and have our own classroom. We'll have to 'fight' against administration and curriculum that don't take culturally relevant principles into account. I think one way to promote it would be to make sure our classroom is promoting literacy development for students of color or females or other minorities and have good outcomes that may speak for themselves.
Hey Rachael, great blog! I loved the video with Alvin Irby. He has so many valid points just like you do in your article. This is a hard topic for me and one I’m a little nervous about doing in the classroom. Growing up, I was the kid who definitely didn’t like to read. It’s hard for me to imagine what it’s like for young African American males and their thoughts towards literacy. I personally did not have to worry about any external factors effecting my feeling towards literacy. African American males especially those in urban settings have to deal with problems of living in high poverty, high crime areas. In the article by Tatum, he mentioned, “Converging in multiple sources of stress and dissonance, these factors characterize the experiences of African American males as they begin the tumultuous adolescent work of self-definition” (Tatum 2006, pg. 1). In regard to the statement, I can understand but also have no idea what it feels like on why African American males feel the way they do towards literacy. Dealing with all the stressors of life and lack of male figures, reading is an activity African American males aren’t generally exposed to. Trying to figure out one’s identity on top is just another layer to the problem. Many options have been discussed in the article. Is having an all-male academy or an alternative school with programs designed specifically for African American males failing to address other areas of the curriculum? Is it better to offer these programs in regular public schools to help change to direction of our curriculum?
ReplyDeleteRachel, that was a great Ted Talk to watch, thank you for sharing! What a neat concept to connect a male dominant environment with children's books that young black males actually want to read. It is such a simple yet massively effective idea to get boys to begin to subconsciously associate these things. It is interesting to hear him talk about the kinds of books typically pushed on African American boys, as if that's all they ever need to know or remember is the topic of slavery or civil rights. Not that those things aren't important topics, but just that it's also totally possible for them to read graphic novels about black superheroes, or story books about astronauts, teachers, or scientists that look like them. You pose a very good question when you ask what we will do to engage African American males in reading. I think it begins by doing some teacher homework and some investigative work to be able to figure out what various topics are of interest to my students. Taking surveys to ask them what kind of books they want to read, whether they are funny/silly/gross picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, or graphic novels. I think if it gets them interested in reading, it can begin to guide them into thinking of themselves as readers. Helping students figure out their identities is incredibly important, and while yes, as Tatum talks about in the article, there are several internal and external barriers to achievement for African American males. But if we can bring in texts that meet the four literacy needs for students -- academic, cultural, emotional, and social -- and if we can make reading relevant by connecting the texts to their own lives and realities, then we will be doing our jobs. Are we up for the task of becoming informed on the communities where we will teach, and are we really ready to take on becoming self informed on topics that truly concern our students?
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely need to do our teacher homework and get to know our students' past reading experiences (positive and negative) and interests so that we can lead them to books that relate to their lives and that they find interesting. Interest is key when getting kids (and adults) to start reading and continue reading. I can read fantasy all day, but if you forced me to read political nonfiction, I would have trouble staying interested--I'd find all kinds of other things I needed to do.
DeleteI hope we are up to informing ourselves on the topics that are of greatest concern to our students.
Thank you for another great post Rachel! I really enjoyed your post and your questions --Like Irby asks, How can we inspire children to identify as readers? How can we create reading experiences that inspire children to say, 'I'm a reader?' --- got me thinking back to Last semester in Dr. O’s class when we did a group project/presentation. My group’s focus was on reluctant readers and how to engage reluctant readers. Although obviously this is not nearly the same situation to the extent , many of the ideas have relevance and very similar to what Tatum put into practice in his classroom, as he used texts “To shore up resilience in my own African students” (p. 47). I found while researching, Marijo Grimes in “Finding Hooks to Catch Reluctant Readers”, laid out a somewhat simple but power notion. We must find the hook. Finding that one piece of literature/book/text, connecting a particular student with that one book that “change(s) their deepest feelings about reading” (p. 47). Well duh, it’s simple and seems obvious, but how do we actually get that student to read… reluctant readers are reluctant to read. And that one book? So many options, but as we have previously seen, in Bomer and Bomer being a curator, providing too many options causes more trouble than anything. So how then? Well first and foremost, in order to achieve such a feat with a reluctant reader, the teacher MUST know the student incredibly well! Then, to engage a reluctant or resilient reader in reading... how? Providing the time, opportunity, and space/environment that enables students to “find their “break-through” experience” that leads to the student discovering a love of reading. (Grimes, 1991, 47). To achieve this a teacher MUST provide time, the space, the opportunity, and the environment in which the student feels safe from ridicule. If we can achieve these – finding that one book that completely hooks a student, connecting a student with one book, and providing the time/space/opportunity and environment to have that breakthrough experience… children of color will become readers – whether it is openly in class or they are closet readers only at home, engaging the kids to read/become a reader, I believe is the most important step.
ReplyDeleteTatum discusses Making Reading Relevant section that introducing text that critically engage students And then discusses the power of text – “We need to take an honest position with regard to the literacy development of African American adolescent males. Neither effective reading strategies nor comprehensive literacy reform efforts will close the achievement gap in a race- and class-based society unless meaningful texts are at the core of the curriculum,” (p. 47).
Delete"Introducing enabling texts is obviously not the only panacea for addressing the literacy needs of African American adolescent males. Ample precedent suggests, however, that when they are discussed in caring, supportive, and cognitively challenging environments, these texts can provide students with the capital they need to be resilient in environments in which they were previously vulnerable," (Tatum, p.48)
DeleteBut, the rub… the overarching problem, the “acting white” , thus to engage a student of color, particularly a young black boy, who is reluctant to read, as white teacher the feat becomes substantially more difficult and complex. And even if the student does become a reader, this does not necessarily translate to academic achievement because of the internal/external factors. I love the quote you used from Ladson-Billings (2009), “If they do not want to ‘act white,’ the only option, many believe is to refuse to do well in school. Thus they purposely learn how not to learn” (p. 12). As teachers, we must create a classroom culture and community that empowers and inspires reading, writing, literacy…learning – like our previous articles last week, as well as the documentary we watched in Dr. A’s class last semester, using Hip-Hop in literacy, bringing in highly esteemed members of the community, like Emma mentioned above using graphic novels and comics that have Super Heroes, using video games, apps games, ... We must use anything/everything to reach each/every student possible. Again… obviously, this is SOOO much easier said than done. But, we must be relentless as teachers, again like the Documentary from Dr. A’s class where the teacher was Stalking the kid around the school, (it was a hilarious sequence in the documentary but very powerful). the teacher relentless, insisting/encouraging the student to join the class – the student finally got worn down and finally gave in and join, where he thrived… he found his voice and passion… in a classroom culture that allowed him to do so and because of a teacher that refused to give up on wanting the absolute best for him. We must be like that teacher, day-in-day-out, showing we care.
ReplyDeleteRachel, by the time I was in high school, I was thoroughly frustrated with my experience and gravitated towards other students that identified as outsiders. By embracing this identity, I found rejecting school to be an act of rebellion. I did the minimum needed to get by because I did not feel like school was a place I belonged. At the time, I truly thought all I would ever need to know could be read from a book. I did not consider at the time that the material I was consuming was written from a perspective shared by those in charge of an institution that had marginalized me. I read from the canon and thought that is what it meant to be well-read.
ReplyDeleteAs future educators, we can help to overcome the negative stigma sometimes associated with doing well in school by broadening our definition of success. Too often doing well means that you are good at school. You are good at navigating a system that privileges white, middle class experiences. For those that have been cast as, “others” the system is dysfunctional and perpetuates inequality. Rejecting success is a way of rejecting the system. African American males are especially as risk. They develop coping mechanisms in response to institutional racism found is schools such as those you mention above. Tatum states,“These students are often subject to disproportionate and sometimes unfounded grade retentions and suspensions because teachers and administrators misinterpret these behaviors and find them offensive (Tatum, 2006, p.44).” It is no surprise that students that feel targeted and unwelcome at school would not engage academically. As we have discussed previously, students must see themselves represented in at school and in the stories that are told there. If students feel they are welcome, their culture is present and valid then they will be more engaged. Irby makes a good point that too many critical texts offered in to African Americans focus on slavery and civil rights. This reinforces a narrative that places the experience of black people in relation to white, dominant culture. As a future educator, I plan to take cues from my students about what texts we can include in the classroom that will tell stories that relate to their experiences.