Why are black people underachieving academically?

In 2010 a minor survey was conducted at De Montfort University in Leicester, addressing the ambition in young black people. A group of black students were asked what they would like to do when they finish their studies and all stated that they hoped to ‘get a job’ in the subject field that they were studying. None said they desire to be an employer, to start their own company nor to progress in academia i.e. study a PhD. Compared with White and Asian students there seems to be a lack of ambition amongst the majority of black students. Often young black people complain about discrimination in the workplace but none seek to be an employer in order to ensure that they contribute to their society and eliminate discrimination.

If you carry your own research you will find that the range of subjects that black students tend to choose are Psychology, Sociology, Media studies, Performing Arts Marketing etc. They tend to reject and neglect Maths, English Sciences, Law, Engineering etc. These are fundamental subjects that will enable one to achieve a dominant professional career, or go on to become an employer. The subjects that black students tend to choose too often lead them into jobs stacking shelves in supermarkets, warehouses or the workhouse (prison). You always find Asian students doing valued subjects such as Pharmaceutical Science and Bio Chemistry, but you rarely find black students on these courses. How many black students actually get a job in the Media or in Marketing after doing these courses? They just play into the hands of Universities that invent these courses for their own financial gain which do not lead students to a sustainable career. There are increasingly new types of degree courses that are being formulated by universities. You can almost do a degree in anything these days.
A report in the Guardian online claimed, “Black students are more than three times less likely to be awarded a first-class university degree than their white classmates, a major study has revealed. Researchers tracked all students who were born in the UK and took full-time degrees between 2002 and 2006. They found that just 3.5% of those who were black achieved a first class degree, compared with 11% of those who were white”.

The American ‘Journal of Black in Education’ stated; ‘Nationwide, the black student college graduation rate remains at a dismally low 43 %. But the college completion rate has improved by 4% over the past three years. As ever, the black-white gap in college graduation rates remains very large and little or no progress has been achieved in bridging the divide.’
The highest percentages of students that drop out of university or higher education are black students. Often they squander their student loans and/ or grants on designer clothes, false hair/nails and nightclubs. You always see groups of young black male students going around University campus wearing jeans almost down to their ankles showing their underwear, which signifies sodomy. It is so disgusting to see men wearing their trousers in such a despicable manner. You never find top students dressed in this manner. It is a known fact that what you wear affects yur attitude and how you conduct yourself. It also affects how you are perceived by others. You can often tell what type of music students listens to by how they dress and. what you listen to cannot help but have an influence in your life I have yet to hear any rappers preaching education and a positive message to black people. All they are known to preach is ‘murder, hate, sex, get rich quick and breed every bitch’. The only way to fulfil the messages being preached in these songs is a life of crime, which too many young black people choose to go into.

In America there have long been concerns for black students dropping out of school as they are almost twice as likely as high school graduates: to be unemployed or dissatisfied with their jobs, earn less money, have increased psychological dysfunction, experience health problems, engage in drug/alcohol abuse and violent acts, become incarcerated, and become parents at an early age. The sad fact is dropouts are often very talented but never able to fully realise their potential and make positive contributions to their community.

A report by Antonia Corrbett for the National Black Parent Association stated, “The educational system in America is designed to meet white middle class norms and values. What is more, the majority of elementary school teachers are white, middle class females; hence the most pressing ethical issue relating to the dropout crisis surrounds the issues of race and class. More specifically, many teachers and administrators believe that economically disadvantaged children and children of colour cannot excel. Regrettably, this belief often leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy, which says disadvantaged minority children often leave school before graduating”.

I totally disagree with the above statement as it is typical of black people to always blame racism or finance for poor achievements. I am not saying that racism in schools and universities does not exist and does not affect black students; but you cannot blame finance in countries such as Britain where there are student loans and grants. In Cuba there are proportionally more qualified doctors than any country in the world and Cuba is one of the poorest nations in the world. Black people need to take charge of their own destiny and parents need to participate in their children’s educational development. It cannot be left to the schools because there is a systematic ‘dumbing down’ of the education system particularly in Britain and America. How is it that Asian people manage to succeed academically far more and in their careers in Britain and America? Parents of black children need to take more interest in their children’s education and the black community need to invest in ensuring that the future generation is educated and do not drop out of higher education.
Now let us imagine how you would feel as a parent if you took your child’s education seriously, worked hard with your child at home to ensure that they are up to speed and ahead in their studies only for your child to be held back by other children who have bad attitude, no manners, are disruptive and disrespectful to teachers. Too often black pupils are the perpetrators of such behaviour and when the schools take action black pupils too often claim they are being discriminated against. What is a teacher supposed to do when addressing the needs of a class of 40 pupils? Surely they must put the needs of those who want to learn and who work hard above the rest. A high number of black kids fail at school, not because of their ability but because of bad attitude and behaviour. Teachers and schools should not have to bear the brunt of the responsibility for a child’s education and how they behave at school, as this should be dealt with by the parents in the home.

The black community are quick to request grants and handouts from government to fund schemes and when they do receive these handouts they mismanage and squander it and within no time the relevant projects go into meltdown. If you look at the Asian and Jewish community they invest their own time and money in their children’s education. They build their own schools and educational facilities and they complain less about racism. If the black community was to put their own money into setting up projects, schemes and schools that enhance their children’s education, then they would take more care and diligence as to how their money is spent and not squander it. Black people are one of the biggest consumers in the world who are always willing to spend money on the best designer clothes, leather sofas, flash cars etc.
The problem is there is a deficiency of role models where black people who are successful academically and in their careers are either not acknowledged or they fail themselves to put time and effort into helping someone else to achieve. The ‘black crab syndrome’ that has plagued black people for centuries is at work here. The term ‘black crab syndrome’ is derived from the phenomenon where you can keep a group of black crabs contained in a bucket without a lid, you are assured that none will allow any of the others to escape. As soon as one tries to climb out, another prevents them by dragging them back down. It is ‘every black man for himself’ in a ‘winner takes all’ black society.

There are disproportionately very few black upper and middle class families in Britain and I put this down to lack of ambition. As long as a black man has a car, a council flat and a few hundred pounds in the bank, designer clothes, several girlfriends and baby mothers he is content and happy. A fair minded White Administrator of a prominent university In Leicester when asked to comment on a large influx of black students into the university at the start of the first semester said “I am not stereotyping but the sad truth is that many will drop out before the end of the first year”. She was proved correct as many of these students dropped out. Some had taken up private rented accommodation squandered their student loans and ran up rent arrears/debts and some even committed criminal activities such as theft and gang violence on campus and in the city and were prominent on the night club scene.

There is a critical need for black organisations that work mentoring, supporting and addressing the academic needs of Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) students. One such as organisation is Emmanu’-EL Apostolic Gospel Academy (EAGA) who are a Christian society based at De Montfort University in Leicester; who must be commended for the great work they have done over the years it the community by guiding and shaping the careers of young BME school children and students. Some of these students have come from a life of crime, substance abuse and prostitution and have excelled academically. The academy is self funded and does not rely on handouts from council of any public or private bodies. EAGA is a growing community which care about the future of their brothers and sisters and have a vision of creating the first black sustainable community in Britain and realise it can only be achieved though education and the doctrine and the principles of Jesus Christ.

It is so important that successful black students and those who go on to successful careers don’t kick away the ladder and mentor and help others to achieve. If every successful black student or professional did this there would certainly be a change. However there is now a gang mentality (fuelled by the entertainment industry) among young students who often come from deprived inner city neighbourhoods fuelled by America ‘the great whore’ where you have hip hop , films , X box Games topped up by the distraction of face book and Blackberry BBM. Too many young black people are dining from the devil’s menu of music, films and games that glorify crime, violence and sex outside of marriage. This devil’s broth is the staple diet of the majority of the black community which is the source of the moral and ethical decline of our so-called black community over the past decades and it is getting worse. When will black people wake up and realise that the entertainment industry is an instrumental tool in the ‘dumbing down’ of society, designed to distract and keep the mind of the masses occupied so they do not educate themselves.
The black society have rejected and neglected Godly teachings, principles and values and this have resulted in the breakdown of the black family. With the breakdown of the black family there is little hope of insulating our black kids from the receding education system in Britain. I also encourage you to consider the fact that Africa has long been a broken community and also to consider where it all started. It was because of tribal war and divided communities that a situation arose where the majority of slaves taken across the Atlantic where sold into bondage by their own people for alcohol, tobacco and other materialistic items.

What is wrong with the Blackman?

This link should provide you with an interesting starting point. http://www.el-eaga.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=326

Comments

+4 #3 Odocha Ogechi 2012-07-16 17:53

The fact remains, we need to wake up and take our place in affairs. We are resilient, we need to channel our enery to raising ourselves from where we are and giving our children a better future.

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0 #2 Albert and Tempie Ltd. 2012-05-21 06:18

"What is wrong with the Black man?", Nothing is wrong with the black man. Give him a fair chance, and he will succeed.

Give him a fair opportunity, and he will surpass your expectations. But don't put him down by what a few examples are doing, but let us use opportunists and forums like this to bring to their attention that they are loved and valued members of our society, and we expect great things from them.

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+14 #1 Robert Barker 2012-01-12 23:19

I disagree Vanessa. If these comments are not posted on black peoples' website like this one where do you want it posted for us (black people) to read?

Also remember sticking our head in the sand like Ostriches is not going to make our problems go away. If anything, it gets worse.

Identifying the cause alone means we are halfway through into solving the problem...still keep our head above the waters...refuse to sink...

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