Black men and education

Marcus Falcão / THE GATEPOST

By Izayah Morgan Opinions Editor According to the New York Times, Howard University is arguably the most prestigious historically Black college - 30% men in general and 19% Black men. A shockingly low statistic, I know, but what makes this even more concerning that it is happening in other institutions nationwide. Black men's graduation and even enrollment in college is falling nationwide. The issue itself is, like many things, multifactored and encompasses issues that are not just personal but systemic. First let's start with how Black boys are treated in the classroom. This starts as early as in elementary schools - where Black boys often face the stereotype of being “the problem child” in the classroom. According to The National Library of Medicine, “By gender, 37% of Black boys report ever having been suspended or expelled by age 9 compared to 10% of White boys, 17% of Black girls, and 4% of White girls.” Even if they don't face suspension, they tend to be disproportionately represented in special education. The 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection tells us that Black students make up 15% of the U.S. K-12 student population, but represent 17% of the special education population. In contrast, white students - who make up 46% of the U.S. K-12 student population - only account for 13% of those students in special ed. This is part of the never-ending cycle that keeps Black families in poverty. Part of this perpetuating cycle is the fact that Black men don't have many role models who look like them in the K-12 system. I speak for myself here, but I know one reason I chose higher education was because of my strong connection with the few Black male teachers I did have. They encouraged me to learn and educate myself. Next, at least on social media, I see more succumbing to “get rich quick” schemes - which promote the idea that you can get money quickly and buy all the luxury items that will attract women to you. Well they won’t, or maybe they will attract women who just want your money. The schemes seem to target men, and the first men to get affected by this are going to be Black men. For many Black men they are raised in an environment they are trying to constantly get out of poverty, and as quickly as you can. It's a cycle that consumes Black men the moment we are of the age to start earning money at our first jobs. Since we grew up seeing some of the only people to be successful, at least in the media, are entertainers such as MJ, Lebron, Eddie Murphy, Kat Williams, etc., we as Black men have trouble seeing anything else as a way to gain wealth, especially education which has been massively increased in price. Education itself is an investment. But when you lived your entire life in poverty how can you have the confidence to invest in yourself? The thing they don’t tell you is that just as quickly as you earn it, you can lose it. A disproportionate number of wealthy Black people who gain vast amounts of wealth end up going broke. In an article from Sports Illustrated, “78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce,” and “within five years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.” According to ESPN the percentage of Black players in the NFL is 53.5% and in the NBA 70.4% were African American. If you come from an environment that doesn't know about money you're more likely to lose it all to bad decisions when you get it. Professions with some of the most millionaires include the obvious - accountants, attorneys, and engineers. But you know what else? Teachers. And the reason is because they are consistent, with good financial habits. They don't become millionaires in five to 10 years, but over many decades building themselves up. A question I have been pondering is, why don't some of these issues persist with Black women, who are getting their degrees at a higher level than Black men? According to Pew Research, 38% of Black women aged 25-34 hold a bachelor’s compared to 26% of Black men. I would argue that there are some differences in the way Black boys and girls are raised. Black women I find are more encouraged to explore education, and seeking education creates your own financial security away from a man. As many educated Black women will tell you, “They can take my house, car, job, but they can't take away my degrees.” This mentality I don't think is passed to Black men. We are not encouraged to go for a higher education, and when we get there most people don't look like us or even understand our experience. Last week I was walking in one of the University buildings, stopped, and turned around. It was another Black man. I went to his office and talked to him. I thanked him for just being here and showing up.