Rationale
African-American history is not often fully studied in K-12 schools. When it is part of the curriculum it is often a skewed depiction typically written from a white point of view. African-American history told by African-Americans rarely makes it into the textbooks. There should be more focus on African-American cultural features and history in our literature. The cultural features of African-American literature can be interpreted better by all if they are studied with attention to their time and place in history. Intellectual, historical, emotional and aesthetic themes will emerge for the reader when paired with related historical teaching (Carter-Jones, 223).
All learners are more able to make connections with texts that are culturally similar to their own. All students are better able to understand cultures different from their own when they are exposed to that literature and curriculum on a regular basis and, most importantly, in a positive light. When our curriculum includes only a few novels written by African-American authors and/or a few novels with African-American characters, we do our students a great disservice. While only approximately fourteen percent (14%) of Pittsburgh's population is African-American, nearly sixty percent (60%) of the district's students are African-American. It would only make sense that we include more culturally diverse materials in our curriculum.
The idea of inundating urban youth with models of successful African Americans is not novel. Some may criticize the perceived overemphasis on role models, but it is exceedingly important. Our youth need positive African-American role models. Leonard Pitts Jr., a syndicated columnist for The Miami Herald, published an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Opinion section on June 18, 2007. The title of the article, "Why are black kids failing in disproportionate numbers? I asked some," included transcripts of interviews Pitts conducted with youth participating in the YouthBuild USA program in Philadelphia. One young lady, Dominique Williams, said, "Most of the people we see who are successful play sports or are in the music business, that's why we, as people of color, want to strive to be athletes, want to strive to be in the music business. That's where we see the most success." One of the goals of this unit will be to emphasize successful African Americans in a field (literature) other than music and sports.
The University of Pittsburgh's Center on Race and Social Problems recently (June, 2007) published "Pittsburgh's Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities." Included in this near one-hundred page report are educational data on racial and ethnic disparities in the Pittsburgh area and the nation. Topics include K-12 enrollment, reading and math skills, high school diploma recipients, bachelor degrees conferred and education attainment. The data is frightening. At the fifth, eighth and eleventh grade level, standardized reading and math test scores (Pennsylvania State System of Assessment, PSSA) are at least thirty percent lower for African-Americans compared to white students. Within the last five years, the number of African-American males in our county who receive diplomas has been substantially lower than African-American females and white males and females. More white students than any other race or ethnic group graduate from high school every year. The nation's data is similar to that of Allegheny County. Thirty-four percent of bachelors degrees awarded go to white males. African-American men receive two percent of these degrees. African-Americans in Pittsburgh fall well below the white norms in every category. Our education system is failing our students, especially our minorities.
Comments: