Black Students on White Campuses: The Impact of Increased Black Enrollments.

Background/Context One of the most critical functions of a well-integrated school is the development of “culturally flexible” students who, over the course of their social development, effectively navigate diverse social environs such as the workplace, communities, and neighborhoods. Most studies, albeit with some exceptions, have investigated the impact of desegregation on short- and long-term gains in achievement and attainment, as opposed to its impact on intergroup relations. Mixed-race schools are vital not only for bolstering achievement outcomes of previously disadvantaged students but also for promoting social cohesion in a diverse society. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Specifically, this article examines the difference in cultural flexibility between black and white students enrolled in schools with different racial and ethnic compositions. Cultural flexibility is defined as the propensity to value and move across different cultural and social peer groups and environments. Furthermore, this article provides some insight into how students in different mixed-race and desegregated educational contexts experience their school's social organization and cultural environments, which influence their interactions and academic behaviors. Setting The study was conducted over a 6-month period in four high schools: a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a northeastern city, and a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a southern city. Research Design Survey data were gathered from a randomly stratified sample of 471 Black and White students attending. In addition, ethnographic notes from weeks of school observations and transcribed interview data from 57 group interviews conducted in the four schools with students in Grades 9–12 complemented the survey research. Data Collection and Analysis Findings reveal significant associations among self-esteem, academic and extracurricular placement, and cultural flexibility for black students. Also, black students in majority-minority schools scored significantly higher on the cultural flexibility scale than those in majority-white schools. Among white students, regional location and academic placement showed statistically significant associations with cultural flexibility. The ethnographic and interview data further explicate why these patterns occurred and illuminate how certain school contextual factors are likely linked to students’ cultural flexibility. Overall, this study's findings highlight some connections between student and school behaviors as they pertain to both students’ and educators’ willingness and ability to realize the visions of racial and ethnic integration wholly.

Download Full-text

Outcomes for Black Students in Team-Based Learning Courses

Journal of Black Studies ◽

10.1177/0021934718810124 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 66-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Caroline Macke ◽

James Canfield ◽

Karen Tapp ◽

Vanessa Hunn

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Black Students ◽

Postsecondary Education ◽

Academic Outcomes ◽

Social Work Students ◽

Grade Point ◽

Course Grades ◽

White Institutions ◽

Team Based Learning ◽

The Impact

Racial inequity in postsecondary education is a significant social problem. Black students’ academic success is often hindered by feelings of isolation, particularly at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Educators should ensure that their teaching strategies promote a sense of belonging. Team-based learning (TBL) is a small-group pedagogy that is being used at an increasing rate. The extant literature has not yet examined the impact of TBL on Black students. The current study compared the academic outcomes of White and Black students enrolled in TBL courses. In this study of 148 social work students, academic outcomes were operationalized as grade point average (GPA), course grade, and peer evaluation score. Findings indicate that although Black students had comparable GPAs and course grades, they scored significantly lower on peer evaluations. Implications are discussed.

Download Full-text

Africana Studies Catalytic Consciousness (ASCC) Theory: A Cosmic Understanding of the Impact of Africana Studies

Journal of Black Studies ◽

10.1177/0021934720935628 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (7) ◽

pp. 635-653

Author(s):

Serie McDougal

Keyword(s):

Black Students ◽

African Descent ◽

Black Communities ◽

Africana Studies ◽

University Campuses ◽

College And University ◽

African Black ◽

The Impact ◽

College And University Campuses ◽

The Relationship

Colonization, enslavement, and institutionalized oppression have disrupted the relationship between the educational experiences of Black students and the fate of African/Black communities. Research has shown that Africana studies has demonstrated the capacity to realign the education of Black students in higher education, leading to the advancement of communities of African descent. This analysis aims to present Africana studies catalytic consciousness theory as a framework for determining the effects of taking Africana studies classes on students who self-identify as being of African descent on college and university campuses—particularly at institutions where they are underrepresented. The main elements of the effects of Africana studies are illustrated through the lens of the Dagara cosmic wheel and its elements: fire, water, earth, mineral/stone, and nature/vegetation.

Download Full-text

African Americans in World Language Study: The Forged Path and Future Directions

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics ◽

10.1017/s0267190520000070 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 ◽

pp. 97-112

Author(s):

Uju Anya

Keyword(s):

Second Language Acquisition ◽

African Americans ◽

Black Students ◽

Language Learning ◽

Language Education ◽

World Language ◽

Future Directions ◽

World Languages ◽

Language Study ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis article examines the history of African Americans in the academic study of world languages and presents an overview of inquiry on the topic. The paper focuses on the impact of race in second language acquisition (SLA) as exemplified through the experience of black students in language education and study abroad. It discusses objectives, policies, instructional priorities and strategies, conditions, and materials related to how black students have in the past, are currently, or should be engaged in language learning. The article examines the path forged by African Americans in world language study, signals gaps in the present body of knowledge, and suggests future directions for investigations into this important topic in the field of applied linguistics and SLA for ARAL's 40th anniversary.

Download Full-text

Reflections on Brown to Understand Milliken v. Bradley: What If We are Focusing on the Wrong Policy Questions?

Teachers College Record ◽

10.1177/016146811611800304 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 118 (3) ◽

pp. 1-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H. Richard Milner ◽

Lori A. Delale-O'Connor ◽

Ira E. Murray ◽

Abiola A. Farinde

Keyword(s):

Black Students ◽

Role Models ◽

Black Teachers ◽

Black Communities ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Organizational Challenges ◽

Data Collection And Analysis ◽

Success Experience ◽

Indicators Of Success ◽

The Impact

Background/Context Prior research on Milliken v. Bradley focuses on the failure of this case to implement interdistrict busing in the highly segregated Detroit schools. Much of this work focuses explicitly on desegregation, rather than on equity and addressing individual, systemic, institutional, and organizational challenges that may prevent the advancement and actualization of desegregation to benefit Black students, teachers, and communities. Purpose/Objective In this study, we shed light on the impacts of desegregation on Black students, teachers, and communities. We argue that Brown, Milliken, and associated policies that attempt to address segregation focus mostly on student assignment policies. Our focus instead is on highlighting the underconceptualized microlevel realities of desegregation, which include the losses of cultural and community connections, strong role models, and connections to school. Population/Participants This study draws from interview data collected from three experts in the field of education whose research focuses on school desegregation. The interview participants have written scholarly articles and/or book chapters about desegregation and related influences on/for Black teachers, Black students, and Black communities spanning the PreK–12 and higher education spectrum. Research Design This study employs in-depth qualitative interviewing. Data Collection and Analysis Interviews were conducted by phone and lasted approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Participants in the study were asked questions about the impact of desegregation and education on Black teachers’ experience, self-concept, dedication, and retention; Black students’ experience of schools and school-related success; experience and connection of Black communities; and “next steps” in educating Black students. An interpretive perspective was used to guide the interview analyses in this study. Findings/Results Analysis of the expert interviews reveals the underexplored microlevel losses and harmful effects of desegregation policies and politics on Black children, families, and communities. Conclusions/Recommendations Evidence from these researchers who have studied desegregation suggests that for many Black students and educators, desegregation was unsuccessful— even when there were superficial indicators of success. We suggest that both researchers and policy makers should consider drawing from the potential losses associated with desegregation and focusing on equity, regardless of schooling location and population.

Download Full-text

Black Doctors and Discrimination under South Africa’s Apartheid Regime

Medical History ◽

10.1017/mdh.2012.106 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 269-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Anne Digby

Keyword(s):

Black Students ◽

South African ◽

Transformational Change ◽

Political Activism ◽

African Experience ◽

South African Universities ◽

Apartheid Regime ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis article discusses an under-researched group and provides an analytical overview of the comparative experiences of African, Indian and Coloured doctors at South African universities during the apartheid era. It probes diversity of experience in training and practice as well as gendered differentiation amongst black students before going on to discuss the careers and political activism of black doctors as well as the impact of recent transformational change on their position. It briefly assesses how singular this South African experience was.

Download Full-text

“You’re Supposed to Help Me”: The Perils of Mass Counseling Norms for Working-Class Black Students

Urban Education ◽

10.1177/0042085916652178 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 004208591665217 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Melanie Jones Gast

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Social Capital ◽

Social Class ◽

Working Class ◽

Black Students ◽

College Counseling ◽

Urban Settings ◽

Class Background ◽

The Impact

How do educators reconcile the growing college-for-all norm—the notion that all students should pursue college—with the diverse needs of students in urban settings? What is the impact on Black students across social-class background? Using interviews and fieldwork with teachers, counselors, and diverse Black students in a large Californian high school, I examine college-counseling norms under a social capital framework. With high caseloads, I find that educators support mass outreach and vague encouragements for 4-year colleges. Ultimately, my findings problematize one-size-fits-all counseling norms and highlight the need for more targeted counseling for urban and working-class Black students.

Download Full-text