Sports homage hurts students

By Etienne LeGrand

School is back in session, public education reform is back on the radar and, with the first black U.S. president in office, the stubborn academic achievement gap between black and white students is leading education-related discourse. The facts continue to tell a disturbing story:

● There are significant gaps between blacks and whites in virtually every measure of achievement: math and reading test scores, high school completion rates, college enrollment and college completion rates.

● Blacks are not faring well in high school graduation rates — only 55 percent, compared to 78 percent for white students and 72 percent for Asian students.

● National data reveals one of the top three reasons students drop out of school is they are influenced by a “subculture” that is not interested in school.

These are the facts pushing the achievement gap back into public dialogue, but the discourse is leaving out one larger-than-life elephant in the room: the reality that African-American children are growing up in a peer culture and community network that celebrates achievements in sports and entertainment more than academic achievement.

President Barack Obama, in his speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, pointed to this unspoken culprit, the elephant in the room that enables this persistent gap. He pointedly told the group that not all African-American youth can aspire to be “ballers” and rappers — that we must expect and encourage them to be scientists, engineers, teachers, Supreme Court justices and presidents of the United States.

It’s time administrators, educators and parents opened their eyes to the impact of the peer culture and community norms on how African-American children are faring compared to their peers in other racial/ethnic groups. It’s time to consider new approaches for motivating student engagement in learning and commitment to achieve.

As the president of an organization that makes it our mission to influence this culture, by spotlighting and rewarding academic excellence and improvement among African-American students, I realize this is a controversial and often unpopular point of view. But, we can’t ignore it any longer.

Consider the time and energy many parents invest in their sons’ and daughters’ athletic careers, yet they may not take 60 minutes to review their child’s academic standing or assist with homework. And, consider that students in general, and African-American students in particular are often ashamed to excel academically. According to Laurence Steinberg’s “Beyond the Classroom: Why school reform has failed and what parents need to do about it,” one out of every six students hides her intelligence and interest in academic achievement because she is worried about what her peers think.

Considering all this, we have to remove the blinders that relegate us to standard approaches to remedying this problem. We have to recognize that school reform, while a viable part of the solution, is only a part of the solution. We must supplement reform by confronting the overwhelming and powerful influence of peer, family and community culture — promoting a culture that routinely recognizes and rewards academic achievement as much as, if not more than, achievement in athletics and entertainment.

Students must be held accountable to high academic expectations despite the circumstances of their birth — no one has written their destiny; it is in their hands. President Obama echoed this in his education speech to the nation’s students, explaining to students that they are ultimately responsible for their success.

Parents must choose after-school activities that promote, stimulate and motivate a love of learning. If that’s not possible, they might consider picking up a book and reading to their child or turning off the television set and talking to one another. And educators must recognize that the entire school environment, not just the teacher in the classroom, should motivate and reinforce academic excellence through its traditions, customs and celebrations.

This is a battle we can win, but we must recognize the elephant in the room and see that a culture that respects education pays dividends.

Etienne LeGrand is president of the W.E.B. Du Bois Society in Atlanta.