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The proponents of the
“acting white” hypothesis claim that black students
experience much more academic teasing than white students,
but they have never presented any direct evidence to
support this assertion.
The educational researcher
Ronald F. Ferguson has found that the key to popularity
for black and for white students lies in having cool
clothes and being funny. For both groups, scholastic
achievement is not important to being popular. Black
leaders and black public intellectuals have therefore
been condemning black children for behaving like average
American students. Much of the concern with “acting
white” has been based on a desire to address the very
real achievement gap between black and white students.
But while leaders have been fixated on the “acting white”
hypothesis, they have neglected the real reasons for
the gap.
Five Steps to Reducing
the Black-White Achievement Gap
While misguided leaders
have been calling for a cultural transformation to address
the supposed “acting white” crisis, they have ignored
far more important educational reforms:
1. Improving and expanding
early childhood education. A large body of research
shows that black students begin kindergarten behind
white students. If we expand and improve the quality
of the pre-kindergarten education received by black
children we will significantly reduce the testing gap.
2. Improving teacher
quality in black schools. A recent study by the
Illinois Education Research Council found that 45 percent
of black high school students in Illinois attended schools
with the lowest teacher-quality ratings. Only 8 percent
of white students attended such low teacher-quality
schools. Until we eliminate the teacher-quality gap,
we will have a test-score gap.
3. Providing small
classes and creating small schools. Black students,
who are often behind, benefit from the extra attention
available in very small classes. Reductions in class
size have been shown to boost black student achievement.
Smaller schools have been shown to increase black students’
graduation rates.
4. Increasing school
integration. While black leaders have been condemning
black students based on flawed “acting white” research,
America’s schools have been becoming increasingly segregated.
Few black leaders have said a word about this issue.
Yet historically, integration has been one means by
which blacks have gained access to higher quality schools.
Effective school integration can also help break down
the racial stereotypes of whites and blacks.
5. Making college
more affordable. Research suggests that if college
were more affordable there would be higher black college
enrollment and graduation rates.
It is time to address
the real issues holding black students back.
For a detailed discussion of the flaws in the “acting
white” research of Signithia Fordham and John Ogbu—the
originators of the hypothesis—send a check or money
order for $9 made out to “Thora Institute LLC” to “Truth
about ‘Acting White’,” Thora Institute LLC, P.O. Box
367, New Haven, CT 06513-0367.
To keep abreast of the
latest high-quality social science research on black
America, subscribe to the Black Directions newsletter.
Send a check or money order for $36 (33% off) made out
to “Thora Institute LLC” for a year’s Black Directions
subscription (six issues) to Thora Institute LLC, P.O.
Box 367, New Haven, CT 06513-0367. Only Black Directions
separates the myths from the facts about black America.
CONTACT:
Algeron Austin
203-772-4418
contact@thorainstitute.com
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