Educating the Black Child
By Asantewaa Oppong-Wadie, Ed.D.
Presented by Omni-U Virtual University
The lumbering giant called the American public school system seems, at this point, destined for certain failure. All of its spawns- the private schools, charter schools, etc.- will most likely suffer a similar fate. At the very cutting edge of research in education, are copious amounts of data confirming that much of what we have come to accept as schooling is counterproductive and oppositional to the way that children really learn.
The American model of schooling was originally set up by the titans of the industrial revolution, namely John D. Rockefeller, who, along with his colleagues, founded the General Education Board in 1902. The purpose of the board was to standardize a form of education that would foster conformity among students, thus making them suitable for a lifetime of work in a factory setting. This model promoted rote memory, regurgitation of facts, testing and obedience. Even if this “education”is what feels normal to Americans , researchers are finding that standard American education is actually toxic.
Based on findings from several studies, researchers established that, unequivocally, children learn best from play,i.e., having active engagement in joyful, meaningful tasks, having quality social interactions, and having the ability to repeat lessons until they are fully absorbed. Repeating does not suggest repeating grade levels – with all its concomitant shame, rather it suggests having a learning environment where children can make mistakes without judgement and try again until mastery is achieved. Rote memory and regurgitation often obstruct real learning, and a focus on passing “standardized tests” can suppress creativity and facilitate individualism rather than teamwork.
Perhaps one of the most damning studies against the American school system, was performed by NASA. In 1968, NASA hired Dr. George Land to investigate what portion of the population possessed creative genius, which is the most useful way of thinking and solving problems for scientists. Dr. Land and his team tested 1600 children between the ages of 3-5 and found that, in that age group, 98% of children possessed the kind of creative genius for which NASA was searching.. The team was very excited and decided to test the same children five years later when they were 10 years old. Shockingly, the creative genius level had drastically dropped to just 30 % of the children. When those same children were tested at age 15 only 15% still had genius level creativity. And, as you might be able to guess, by the time the same group are tested as adults, only 2% maintained their creative genius. Dr. Land, who has shared this study on TedTalks, placed the blame for the loss of creative genius in children squarely at the feet of the American school system.
There seems to be a strong correlation between standardized, rote learning and the literal “dumbing down” of American citizens. Even if there was a time in the early 20th century when the American model of education better served students, it is certainly not doing that now, and for many reasons it is altogether unfit to prepare students for a future where creative problem- solving will be necessary for daily survival.
What Does This Mean for Black Children and their Parents?
Where the American school system may have failed all students, arguments can be made that it has totally run rough shod over African-American students who are “educated” to think and act outside of our own long-term interests. Our children are systematically and systemically erased from the curriculum. And this problem is only getting worse. As a people who function optimally in settings of holistic and integrated knowledge, we have been disaggregated, confused, and compartmentalized by those who think in a one-dimensional fashion and are thereby unqualified to teach us.
American schooling has driven a wedge between Black students and the sources of their ancestral knowledge, which usually comes from having unbroken time with elders. Although numerous studies have confirmed that African American students learn best from African-American teachers who are less likely to have implicit bias and more likely to accurately assess the students’ developmental level. Thus, they are able to provide the right level of instruction. However, A 2021 study found that African American students make up 15% of the American school population, yet only 6% of American school teachers are African American. Only 1.3% are Black men.
Black teachers have a near magical effect on Black students. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research,in 2021, found that Black students who have been taught by just one Black teacher, during their elementary school years, are 13% less likely to drop out of school and more likely to enroll in college than their peers who did not have a Black teacher. With so many possible barriers to Black academic success, what are Black parents to do?
As an Educational Consultant, a 27-year veteran of homeschooling, and Co-Founder of The Indigo Nation Homeschool Association, I strongly recommend homeschooling and/or community-based schooling for all Black children. Even in cases where it is not possible for a family to afford to have one parent homeschool the children, Saturday schools, Church-schools, or other forms of community schooling should be a central part of each Black child’s education. One hundred per cent (100%) of Black children can have a Black teacher in home and/or community schooling. In these settings, we can center our culture, explore our holistic ways of knowing, address our historical erasure, and link our young people to their elders.
The fact is that we do not require millions of dollars to do this. Much of what is needed is already accessible to us, particularly if we belong to a church, or have access to a community center that can provide a meeting space.
The necessary pedagogical skills and historical content is usually lying dormant in our neighbors, fellow parishioners, and community leaders. Certainly, as our children see us turning on- and turning up- our creative genius to plan for curriculum and adminstrstive needs and to organize learning environments, they will be inspired to utilize their creative genius in ways that contribute to their own as well as their community's betterment.
A “Silver Lining” for Homeschoolers Under the Incoming Administration
There is no question that this country will experience an increased conservative resurgence under the incoming administration. We have already seen restrictions on the teaching of African American history in the state of Florida. We have seen the nationwide banning, from school libraries, of beautiful, impactful picture books for African children: Dr. M.L. King,Jr., Rosa Parks, and the women scientists of the film Hidden Figures are all on the “banned book list.” As a matter of fact, I can see no reason why the African American community cannot start a book- lending circle of these books at a church, or community center. We can also have read-in days when children gather just to listen to these banned books being read - by themselves and/ or volunteers from their community(ies).
The “silver lining” may be the President elect's promise to allow homeschool parents -who have created 529 education savings accounts for their students’ future college use- to access that money early and without tax penalties when they are using it for homeschool expenses. If yours is a family with a 529 savings account, this is certainly a reason to be hopeful. However, if you are not, you now have something that you can request from family and friends for your children’s birthday and holiday gifts. Instead of buying toys or video games, request that all gift-givers invest in your child(ren)'s 529 education savings account.
The education pioneers from our community, such as Ancestor Dr. Mary McCloud Bethune, knew that resources for education were hard to come by, so she sold sweet potatoes pies to help in the building of what would become Bethune-Cookman University. Dr. Bethune’s willingness to go all out to make sure that there was quality education for African American young people, should at the very least, inspire us to ask, “What can be done right now, by Us, to make better the educational outcomes for the young people in Our community?”
Asantewaa Oppong-Wadie,Ed.D.,Co- Director, Aba Educational Consultants
Recommended Reading:
Afrocentric School: a Blueprint. Nah Dove.
Nation Building: Theory and Practice.Kwame Agyei Akoto
Afrocentricity. Molefi Kete Asante.
Life With Margaret: The Official Autobiography” by Dr. Margaret T.G Burroughs.
Walking in Circles. Ancestor Dr. Barbara Sizemore, Maat Kherew.
Recommended Viewing:
“Leave No Child Behind,” Featuring: Prof. Robert T. Starks; Dr.Carol Adams; State Rep. Harold Murphy; State Rep. Monique Davis; Fannie Gibson, Prex. Chicago Alliance of Black School Educators (CABSE); Dr. Olivia Watkins, Deputy Supt, of Schools-Gary, Indiana; and Dr. Grady Jordan. Also in attendance were State Rep. Barak Obama; Dr. Harold Pates: [Ancestor] Dr. Donn Bailey; and [Ancestor] Dr. Anderson Thompson
“Reclaiming Public Education,” Featuring:
Johnathon Jackson
“Education in the Community”, Featuring Clyde El- Amin, Former President, Kennedy-King Jr. College
“What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black?...” Read by Ancestor Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, Maat Kherew:
“Hey, Black Child!” by Ancestor Useni Eugene Perkins, Maat Kherew:
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