Comments on: Dr. Boyce Video: Are Black People Running Away from Education?

By: onesilverbac

onesilverbac — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:19:26 +0000

yep!It’s been that way for 50 years, we can dance and sing however when it comes to education, (I’m just keeping it real) is the order of the day.

All kind of excuse’s. it’s the teachers fault, they don’t put enough money into the schools all of the white teachers are racist.

The youth can make babies but have not a clue about how to make a dollar.

We depend upon the government for hand outs so we don’t need to have a education.

It does not apply to everyone, I would guess ten in two hundred have the education of suburban white students, and its not because of the books being used. Have you been to one of our schools lately? I’ve seen kids from Somalia who spoke no English at all 5 years ago and now is the valedictorian of the graduating class. It’s all about attitude and the importance that’s placed on education. Stop thinking it’s someone else’s fault that your child can’t even fill out a job app.

Get old fashion, become a real parent.
Take away the games, no excuses for not having work completed, show some interest in the work they do………

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:19:00 +0000

While the media continual flaunts the antics and lifestyles of the rich and famous athletes, none of the children feel the need for an education. Likewise the parents feel their children dont’t have to learn, just play ball and you’ve got it made. Or become a hip hop artist. No worries. Just act real stupid and earn stupid money.

By: Tee

Tee — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:25:26 +0000

Yes Blacks are running away from education. On any given Saturday, during peewee football season you can go by any park in the neighborhood and it is full with parents cheering on their soon to be NFL players.Or so they think! Yet you can’t get these same parents to attend a PTA meeting or a parent teacher conference. Whose fault is that? How many black parents make sure that their kid get’s the help they need even when it’s free? How many black parents ask their kid how their day was at school and do they have any homework? Black kids are not going to do better in school until their parents step up. It is ridiculous to think that teachers in crowded classrooms can give a kid the one on one attention he or she probably needs. And if Mitt Romney is elected no one should expect the school system to get any better. His attention is on going after the teachers union, he could care less about the kids! And dual parent households as Romney seems to think means nothing, if the parents are not committed to their kid being the best they can be.

By: Etania

Etania — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:58:33 +0000

THANK YOU DR. WATKINS FOR THIS DISCUSSION! Please do more op-ed or discussions surrounding this, because I believe value of education has been severly diminshed amongst the African “American” community. I agree with the sister about the parents being more concerned with trying to live a particular lifestyle, instead of focusing on what can actually sustain monetary success, which every other group of people understand is education. I live in Oakland, CA and the value of education amongst the.Black community is almost non-existent and its really sad. My sister started up a education consultant company, with the target being Black kids in the hood, and it amazed me how even a lot of these non-profits headed by mostly Black people felt as if what my sister offered was unnecessary! So even a lot of the “Poverty Pimps” think education is not important, because that means in the long-run those people will not need those so called services they provide, and there goes their funding!

By: Joseph L. Bass, EdD

Joseph L. Bass, EdD — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:16:46 +0000

The fact that many black Americans run away from education isn’t news. This has been going on for decades and is a cultural trait that goes back to slavery. There were house slaves and field slaves. The house slaves lived close to the master and lived better than field slaves. The field slaves saw the house slaves in a negative light. The house slaves that kowtowed to the masters became known as Uncle Toms. The field slaves often fought against the masters and were celebrated in the mini-series Roots in the person of Kunta Kinta. Today those that strive to be a part of the mainstream economy, taking advantage of educational opportunities, are still seen as Uncle Toms and are said to be “selling out.” Uncle Toms are also said to be “not black enough.” The Kunta Kintas are said to be “black enough” and they are the ones that beat up on black children that try to learn in school. They are also the ones out selling drugs in the open and getting caught by the police. White, Hispanic, and Asian drug dealers don’t sell their drugs out in the open like the blacks and they don’t get caught as often.

During segregation the Kunta Kintas and the Uncle Toms had to live in the same geographic areas. Of course the Uncle Toms were making more money then the Kunta Kintas and when legal integration went into effect, the somewhat better off Uncle Toms purchased houses in other areas and moved out, leaving the angry Kunta Kintas who are still angry today. With the War on Poverty the Kunta Kintas went on welfare and starting living in public housing where they still live today.

The “black enough” and “not black enough” situation is a major factor greatly hindering black Americans from achieving economic and educational parity with white and Asian Americans. For black Americans to become a part of the mainstream economy, this division must be overcome. Joseph L. Bass, Ed.D. http://www.abettersociety.info

By: D McGee

D McGee — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Parents do not have control of their households. We were not allowed to turn on television or play until we finished our housework(washing dishes, making bed, sweeping the floor,washing clothes or what ever else my father thought needed to be done). Church was a must until you moved from my fathers house. Had to do community service and help the old peple.

Next there was a time to do your homework. Then we had to read to our mother so that she could make sure that we could read.
All nine of us graduated from high school and six went to college.
It all start at home. My kids had to go through the same routine, but they cried a lot. I got the thanks from them once they moved away from home on their own. They said if I had not stuck to my guns they never would have been able to make it out in the world. And NO they do not and can not live with me. I reared them to be self reliable.

By: etreman

etreman — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:51:45 +0000

Excuses, excuses! White people have to ‘spend time’ in school to get an education too! Why do you think the education systems are being systematically dismantled?…because they know they can count on black people to make excuses for their faliures giving the whites a ‘free pass’ to move ahead of us. As I ride the city subway I listen to young white kida and young black kids talk. It’s scary how far apart they are in communication skills and intellectual demeanor. These are the same people looking for the same jobs in the future. Who do you think’s gonna get it? My parents refused to allow me to ‘hang out’ with the ‘cool’ kids. I almost hated them for it but once I got an education, came back and saw where all the ‘cool’ kids ended up I loved them for it! We have choices! If you don’t get your “free” education you’re forced to survive in other ways; most of which may be illegal. It’s been said before….do the work and stop making ‘cool’ the priority.

By: DIABLO

DIABLO — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:30:22 +0000

big will you full of shit tv and music has nothing to do with it

By: BigWill

BigWill — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:14:04 +0000

Negative Rap Music and Negative Television Images have killed more brain cells in the black community than hydroencephalitis.

By: Jacqueline Wiggins

Jacqueline Wiggins — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:48:11 +0000

As an educator readying for retirement, I think that all that was said in the video is right on time. If the message in the music of some hip hop artists can get into the minds and hearts of some of our children, then perhaps parental messages as stated by Dr. Duncan need to be composed and distributed to the parental masses. Don’t tell me it couldn’t happen! It’s all in the will!