Black boys can make it : how they overcome the obstacles to university in the UK and USA / Cheron Byfield ; foreword by Herman Ouseley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Byfield, Cheron.

Contributor:

James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African American teenage boys--Education (Higher).

African American teenage boys.

Teenagers, Black--Great Britain.

Teenagers, Black.

African American college students.

College students, Black--Great Britain.

College students, Black.

Universities and colleges--United States--Admission.

Universities and colleges.

Education, Higher.

United States.

Universities and colleges--Great Britain--Admission.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

xiv, 163 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Stoke-on-Trent, UK ; Sterling, VA : Trentham, 2008.

Summary:

This book dispels the myth that Black boys are synonymous with underachievement. It shows how a good many progress into universities, albeit against the odds, and discusses the implications for policy and practice on both sides of the Atlantic.

There is abundant research on the underachievement of Black boys but little attention has been given to their positive achievement until this author's research. Black Boys Can Make It follows Black male students in both the USA and UK who have successfully accessed higher education - at elite universities (Oxford and Harvard) and less selective institutions. It sets out to establish the extent to which they have been exposed to the factors known to correlate with the underachievement of Black male youths, and to identify the factors that have led to their educational success and influenced their access to and choice of universities. And it gives a detailed account of the barriers they found in their path and how they overcame them.

Part One sets the educational scene in each country. Part Two looks at the obstacles they encountered, with chapters examining social class; parents' involvement in their sons' education; racism and racial identity; and the boys' own misbehaviour and negative attitudes. Part Three unravels the factors leading to success, devoting chapters to how parents steer their sons; the contributions of schools, teachers and community projects; the effect of religion; and the students' personal qualities and navigational tactics. Part Four reviews the processes of choosing and entering university and the final section looks at the implications for educational policy and practice.

Here is a book that can be used as an essential guide to policy development and also as a practical tool for parents, teachers and Black boys themselves who are seeking to gain access to higher education.

Contents:

Part 2 Obstacles Overcome

Chapter 2 The lens of social class 21

Chapter 3 The parents' involvement 29

Chapter 4 Racism and racial identity 35

Chapter 5 Boys with attitude 47

Part 3 Unravelling the Factors That Generate Success

Chapter 6 How parents steer their sons towards educational success 59

Chapter 7 Teachers in schools and community projects 73

Chapter 8 Religion and its effect 91

Chapter 9 Personal qualities and navigational smarts 101

Part 4 Progressing Into Higher Education

Chapter 10 Going to university 115

Chapter 11 Implications for policy and practice 133

Appendix Interview Schedule 147.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-160) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Hosmer Penniman Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781858564319

185856431X

OCLC:

228374350