Educational Reform and African American Male Students after Brown v. Board of Education

Abstract

African American (Black) males in K–12 public schools lag behind all groups by race and gender. Black male students experience greater barriers in achieving academic success in school. This places Black boys at the bottom of the American's race and economic caste system. Black girls, for several reasons, are more successful in school than Black boys. This is true when you compare Black boys to Black girls from similar economic conditions. Black males are treated more negatively than any other racial or gender group in public elementary and secondary schools. They are more likely than other groups to be placed into lower academic tracks and lower academic programs (special education), and federal compensatory education programs. Black males are subjected to harsher school disciple and suspensions than are White students and Black females, which results in more Black male students being underachievers (Ladson-Billings, 2006). This sorting process by race and gender begins in elementary school, where more Black males are placed into lower academic tracks (Tyson, 2011) and are taught by less qualified teachers. This tracking system is coupled with more severe disciplinary action for Black boys. This article provides information on barriers for the lack of educational success among Black males.