How can educators help Blacks avoid the Freddie Gray incident?

In a recent article, a local newspaper discusses the economical tragedies that contribute to the downfall of Black like Freddie Gray. The article fails to include the systemic contributions of the economic failures of Blacks. Educators play a major role in the economic possibilities for Blacks like Freddie Gray.

According to the article, the economic realities facing men like Freddie Gray — and many of the young people who took to the streets after his funeral — are indeed harsh. The unemployment rate for black men in Baltimore between the ages of 20 and 24 was 37 percent in 2013, the latest data available; for white men of the same age range, the rate was 10 percent. Nor do the prospects for black men improve much as they grow older: Just 59 percent of black men between the ages of 25 and 54 are working, compared with 79 percent of white men. Just 1 in 10 black men in Baltimore has a college degree, compared with half of whites (for ages 25 and up). And the median income for black households, at about $33,000, is little more than half that of whites. Moreover, none of those figures takes into account the high incarceration rate for African-Americans, which makes the disparities even starker.

Determining the systemic structure that contributes to the economical tragedies of Blacks like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown will reverse the epidemic that many Black teenagers face.

Systemic Structure

Behind each pattern of behavior is a systemic structure which includes a set of unrelated factors that interact, even though they may be widely separated in time and place, and even though their relationships may be difficult to recognize. When studied, these structures reveal points of greatest leverage which are the places where the lest amount of effort provides the greatest influence for change. These are not necessarily the points of highest authority instead they maybe the places where the ingrained channels of cause and effect are most susceptible to influence.

What is the inflection point that will end the poverty cycle for Blacks like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown?

There are several common factors that contribute to the development of all people. The first factor is the family. The second factor is education. Even a closer look at education, each person faces teachers in classrooms that can determine the economical outcome for Black men like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown.

For Blacks the educational experience is different than Whites. For example, according to the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights reported that even though Black children represent 18% of preschool enrollment, the represent 48% of children receiving more than one out-of-school suspension. While White students represent 43% of preschool enrollment but only 26% of preschool children receiving more than one out of school suspension. This same pattern continues for Black students. Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than white students. On average, 5% of White students are suspended, compared to 16% of Black students. The experience that Blacks have with law enforcement is different than that of Whites. While Black students represent 16% of student enrollment, they represent 27% of students referred to law enforcement and 31% of students subjected to a school-related arrest. In comparison, White students represent 51% of enrollment, 41% of students referred to law enforcement, and 39% of those arrested.

The Raccelerate Phenomenon is the major contributor to the economical demise of Blacks like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown.

Educators can play a major role in enhancing the economical possibilities for Black men by:

• Using the Raccelerate Racism Formula to ensure that Blacks are not victimized by the Raccelerate Phenomenon
• Eliminate classroom racism (Elcloomism) by promoting positive racial teacher student classroom relationships (Properateasclaships)

Educators can reverse the poverty cycle that contributes to the economical status of Blacks like Freddie Gray and Michael Brown

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Dr. Derrick L. Campbell, Ed.D.
www.positiveracialrelationships.com
PO Box 1668 Blackwood, NJ 08012

 

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