Superintendent's Message, February 2007

Black History Month, Multicultural Education and the Achievement Gap

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Black History Month (February each year) is typically a time in our schools when we focus on the many and varied contributions of African Americans in our county. We recognize leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, Colin Powell, Carol Moseley Braun, Ralph Bunche, and many others. Writers like Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, and Alice Walker are highlighted. We also teach about the accomplishments of African American artists, civil rights leaders, scientists and inventors, scholars and educators, actors and athletes.

It's a time when we put up posters with themes like “From Slavery to Freedom,” “A Tribute to Black Fraternal Social and Civic Institutions” or “Gallantry, Courage, and Heroism.” A couple of years ago, during the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, we spent time looking into what has happened in American public schools since that landmark Supreme Court ruling. In some classes and schools, we probe a little deeper and find out about African American business leaders and entrepreneurs like Don Barden, William Washington Browne, Emma Chappell, Elizabeth Keckley, Thomy Lafon, Vera Moore, Russell Simmons, Madame C.J. Walker and one whom everyone knows, Oprah Winfrey.

Because we designate one month of the year as Black or African American History month, we highlight and learn about contributions African Americans. Certainly, there's great value in doing this, not only during the designated month but throughout the year. This approach, however, is what some call the “heroes and holidays” method to diversity in our society. Teaching about “heroes and holidays” does not ensure any discussion of oppression, social inequity, and struggles with racism and poverty. Some writers on multi-cultural education assert that the contributions approach tends to reinforce the American bootstrap myth: “If you work hard enough you can make it.” The implication is that if you don't “make it” you must not be trying hard enough.

In his book “Critical Race Theory” Richard Delgado contends that when we focus on contributions, we take these individuals out of their cultural and historical context and view our African American heroes as success stories from the perspective of the dominant culture. Delgado maintains that this approach leads to the reinforcement and perpetuation of the stereotypes by presenting a superficial and trivial understanding of the culture and experience of African Americans.

I'm not recommending that we stop celebrating Black History Month. I am suggesting that we may be able to broaden the scope from recognizing the contributions of African Americans to what James Banks calls a “decision-making and social action” approach. In a decision-making and social action approach curriculum, students develop and implement strategies to eradicate racism—or any other form of oppression—in their schools, communities, and personal lives. Students could build upon their knowledge of African American history to explore how racism, stereotypes, and detrimental policies continue to operate in their own environments and in the broader society by using self-reports, interviews, and other data to provide multiple perspectives on the topic. Then students could analyze their own values and beliefs, apply their new knowledge, identify alternative courses of action and decide what, if any, steps they will take to address these issues in their school or community. The major goal of this approach is to teach students thinking and decision-making skills, to help them acquire a sense of efficacy.

Last year on the Academic Performance Index (API), African American students had an average score of 581 while white students averaged 766 and Asian students averaged 783.* While the achievement gap has narrowed over the last four years, it is without a doubt the single greatest challenge we face in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. In my thinking, we need to link all that we do in our classrooms to improving student achievement. Using Black History Month as one catalyst for improving efficacy and thinking skills of our students will help to narrow the achievement gap.

*The API for Latino students in 2006 was 624.

Bruce Harter
Superintendent