Why is that black boys do particularly badly in school?

Question

Whereas, other ethnic minorities, such as asians and people form an orinental background, do rather well. Is it because they take more notice of gangster rappers because they seee them as black role models?

Answer 1

um... when i was growing up, the black guy in my private school did pretty well. Not only was he popular, and smart, he was also a jock.

In my son's private school, the black kid is the genius of his class. They even skipped him ahead two grades (I didn't agree with that, because he was one of my son's good friends and now he doesn't see him anymore).

Not all black boys do particularly badly in school, I guess it just depends on who their parents are.

-----------
After reading more of the responses, I began to wonder how many people who answered here ACTUALLY know black people or have them as friends or peers? It seems like many people are responding only to what they hear on the media or with their limited experience with Black people.

I've known many black people who are upper middle class, well educated and have BOTH parents. Unfortunately I went to an all girls high school, so i did not include that information since the question specifically asked about black BOYS.

I don't know how the rest of the world works, but in my experience the black people I've come across have been as intelligent as anyone else, and sometimes more so.

The only time, I've come across ignorant black kids was when I tutored reading in poor school districts, but many of the kids were ignorant regardless of race. Yes, those kids had tough lives and had bad role models. Many wanted to work in Mc Donalds when they grew up so they wouldn't be hungry. But the ignorance WASN'T race dependent. And I found that the ignorance could be rectified. All the kids needed was someone to believe in them, to work with them and someone to look up to.

BTW, I'm Asian American.

Answer 2

You have asked a complicated question here.

There are several socioeconomic factors that determine how well ANY group will do. First off, the Asians:

Many Asians are first or second generation immigrants. They come from a society that emphasizes respect for the elders and those in authority, and to succeed. It's not that Asians have a higher IQ, or more drive than any other group, but a different mindset.

The Blacks of this country, on the other hand, are more often than not descendants of slaves. When slavery was abolished, the Nottherners (who worked so hard to free them) didn't want them (and they migrated North by the droves, and were blamed for taking jobs away from Whites, much like Americans are blaming immigrants today), and the Southerners DID want them--in their place in the fields.

When the Northerners came to encourage Blacks to vote, then left, Southerners would do all in their power to prevent Blacks from voting, from Grandfather clauses to plain old murder.

Things only started to get better when the Civil Rights era came to pass, but it was brutal.

Psychologically, one can see how damaging this can be to the psyche of a people, to have to fight for what others take for granted just because your skin is a different color!

Another thing is that Blacks are more apt to share their wealth with family members than other social groups. They have a greater sense of community and even if they have the opportunity to move up, they often don't.

Everyone wants to be successful. When the ghettos that formed when the Blacks moved north lost their factories to the suburbs, many of the economic opportunities left as well. Drugs, however are a viable source of income when everyone in the family is making minimum wage (because the good schools left with the money), and along with it, the unfortunate violence.

Answer 3

This is an argument that has been raging for decades.

Many years ago there was a Cyril Burt who did statistical studies on twins separated at birth, and decided that his results proved that intelligence was hereditary and nothing to do with the environment (the separated twins tended to have the same IQ as each other).

Jensen, in the US, later used these results and applied them to the relatively low IQ scores of blacks against whites. He argued that, since intelligence was entirely hereditary, blacks were therefore genetically stupid, and education support programmes for poorer black areas should be dumped.

Leon Kamin read Jensen's paper and decided to go into Burt's original data. Burt was dead by this point. Kamin discovered that Burt had invented all of his data! Which leaved Jensen's theory rather up the creek without a paddle.

The argument carried on. I'm no expert but I think the environmental factors are now widely recognised to be crucial. So it might be the lack of role models or the fact that asian cultures were not smashed in part by slavery the way african cultures were - the length and strength of the tradition may be working in their favour there - or a million other factors which are to do with society, culture, support, opportunity, etc - environment, in other words.

What I am certain of

most people can be good at most things
everyone can be great at some things
some people can be outstanding at one thing

regardless of their ethnic or cultural background, provided they get the right encouragement and support at the right stage.

Answer 4

Umm I feel that this question is quite stereotypical, almost to the point of rudeness. Where is your information coming from? Where are your statistics? It's not that black boys are still being oppressed by the white perpetrators of slavery. It's not that they're stupider naturally than white boys (definitely not). It could be because often people of minorities come from poorer background than whites (which has to do with the aftermath of many years of segregation in our country) and poorer families often don't have equal access to the same resources for education or books or supplies or tutoring as others might. But I hope you do not find this a reason to look down on minorities. And when you ask this question, remember that you're giving into stereotypes and ignorance. You're not getting to know someone by yourself--you're categorizing them based on a background that they have no control over.

Answer 5

ok, so that you reported that you've an interest in drumming instructions. go there! that is an fantastic theory. discover human beings your own type, and get really close. Booze up your self belief. discover an outside interest. Do belongings you want! What do you want? DO IT! :D you may do this. Then, commence about the belongings you hate about your self, and, then, replace them! you'll in no way get your motivation transferring except once you've a position form, and human beings you care about. See, you're inspired, yet, there is not some thing that can flow it. because you do not comprehend what to modify first. when you artwork on that, meet new human beings. New type. you at the instantaneous are not "strange,". you're Shy. Plus, it truly is not what you reported that concerns. that's that you reported some thing contained in the first position that does. reliable success! Plus, keep sensible. Smile, laugh, and chortle. :D Positivity ROCKS!

Answer 6

It's usually peer pressure, if a black kid does well in school, he is called whitey, or Oreo, black on the outside and white on the inside. As if having smarts was only a white thing.
So often rather than do their best, they slough off their school work, and try to be cool to the other guys.
Those attitudes, need to be changed, and they need more people, like Bill Cosby, standing up and telling the truth.
And they do need better role models that those gangsta rap singers.

Answer 7

It used to be, and still is a bit, that mostly, coloured people tend to live in poorer areas. ( not always true ). Therefore, schools in the area may not be as good, also the area may contain social problems such as drugs and violence which may entice some youngsters.

Then there is the need to leave to earn money, in poorer areas kids need to leave school earlier to help the family or themselves, results aren't important when leaving.

These problems effect other races also, but ethnic groups tend to live in groups.

Answer 8

I would hazard a guess that we as a society treated them the worst of anyone. Period! I don't believe we are responsible for all of the problems that they face, only that my father abused me my entire life and I still have a hard time forgeting my experiences. I can't imagine what it must be like to have life experiences handed down over the generations since slavery.

By the way Mac Daddy KAsh, what a bullshit answer. You are the problem that we face in society today. You should be ashamed of yourself..... It's obivious you don't have a command of English with your answer. I guess you can't spell. Can you?

Answer 9

Like most respondents to your question, I agree that this is a difficult question to answer. If it were easily answered, it would most likely be easily rectified.
I was very amused at the tirade "outspokenone" wrote. She started rather quietly, then started SHOUTING her hate of the white race.
But to answer your question; in my opinion the major cause for this problem and many others that are currently being suffered by the black communities EVERYWHERE in the non-African world is the fact that (widely known statistically) 7 out of 10 black children are illigitimate. They have no idea who their father is. Now you feminists out there may think this isnt important. It takes a man and a woman to make a child and it more importantly takes a man and a woman to raise one properly.
I am white and have done my best not to dislike the black race. It has been my opinion most of my life that the black race has been dealt a poor hand and it simply isnt fair, to say the least. I can do nothing about that however but try and understand. I have failed to understand why blacks act the way they do, ie poor grades in school, gangster culture, reverse discrimination and hatred, dressing like clowns, drug use and violence, crying about their poor lot in life simply because of their colour, breeding like cockroaches, the design of music that has detsroyed the enjoyment of the art by more discerning listeners, etc, etc, etc.
If a child has no father to look up to, copy, learn from and admire and love, then he/she turns to what can fill that gap. Unfortunately that can mean the local gangs, drug dealers etc. become his/her father.
What do most black boys want to be when they grow up? Basketball players, rappers, rich drug dealers......hell fire! What are their chances of becoming a basketball, football player? So the way to riches is drugs, violence, so called black respect professions.
The black community MUST learn that in order to fix this increasingly dangerous situation the black men need to stand up for what is right. Dont breed and run. Stand by the woman that you made pregnant and raise your child to be a respectful member of society. Teach him/her to better themselves with an education and then go on to teach what you have learned to others. Let the old values of respect for your parents, country and God be the new infection of the black community and chase out the gangsters, drug pushers and the criminals.
Incidently, "outspokenone" said that the English started slavery.....tut, tut, tut my dear but you are ignorant. Muslims started black slavery. They have been providing black meat to the slave market for thousands of years and now deal with white and yellow meat. Read your history people. I dont mean to downplay the role whites played in the filthy mess but stop claiming that all your problems are the white mans fault. I dont suppose you have ever questioned why many blacks are turning toward Islam. Its because its a black religion. Strange isnt it that the religion that earned fortunes from the slave business should be the religion that "white hating blacks" have decided to turn to.
Also you claimed that the English took America away from the indians. That, to an extent is true but more properly the white man did this with the help of a lot of black people. Did you know however that the American Indian took the land that they lost from an earlier culture called the Mississipian culture. They were mound builders that appeared in America long before the Asian Indians came over the Bearing straights and took their land from them.
I could go on and on but I'm sick to death of the crying and whining blacks today do. Look at your continent of origin "AFRICA". There is turmoil from coast to coast. Blacks killing blacks in the most heinous bloodletting since the continent rose out of the mist.
Perhaps the answer lies in all the blacks of the world migrating back to Africa. Take your education provided by the white man with you and build hospitals, industry, schools and cities. Take your drugs with you to ease the pain of those who are ill in Africa from disease and injury. Teach them how to play basketball, how to break dance and dress like fools and stop moaning and do something good for this planet. Africa needs you, the white world has grown tired of your whining and pollution.
Lets immigrate more Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Eastern Europeans to the west. They at least respect the opportunities freely given in the west. Thats why they prosper and do well in school and in their communities.

Answer 10

If you're speaking of prepubescent African American males of the lower socioeconomic echelon, they don't do well because they get no help at home. The same goes for poor kids of every other ethnic group..