Since we are right in the middle of Black History Month, I thought I would take some time to look back on some of the more memorable posts I have dropped about Black boys, culture, and how these things all relate to education. Here are my top 5 posts on Black culture and Education.
“I feel that all the hip-hop albums I have ever listened to, from Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle to Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly have taught me more valuable life lessons and offered more insight into my world than any public school educational resource I was ever handed.”
A look at how hip-hop culture affects education. Merely using rap lyrics in English courses is not the solution. Infusing hip-hop culture and education must be more meaningful.
“If the Black boy was striving for acceptance amongst his peers as validation for his Blackness, what he struggled with was notions of how academia fit into it all.”
Memoir-style narrative on how black males experience high school; an experience that is undoubtedly unique due to discourse surrounding black masculinity and subjective identity construction.
“Two different lives, two different experiences, two varying opinions. But one thing is in common. Black lives matter but society seems to tell us otherwise. Barack’s blackness shouldn’t be up for debate.”
A blog that was sparked by a convo I had with a friend over the President himself.
“There is great luxury in being oblivious to privilege. So the dominant group stands aside and gives Blacks their month to mourn, reflect, and re-envision. And when it’s over we all go back to the status quo.”
Dilemmas faced by schools and teachers during our short month of February.
“I am a young, black male working in a profession largely dominated by older, white females. My identity and essentially everything about me clashes with the norms of “elementary teaching” almost on a daily basis.”
The quote pretty much sums it up.
Hopefully these posts can stir up discussion, provide some insight, or even be used in your classroom as a resource. I know we’ve got a little over a week left in February; remember that doesn’t mean that representing, validating and centering the voices of black students (and many others) need to halt.
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