A few weeks ago I was invited to a high school basketball game. I sat riveted in the gymnasium, totally amazed at the level of intensity in which the majority young Black youths were playing. Both teams displayed a strong desire to win and the level at which they competed demonstrated that it was the desire to be victorious that pushed them to learn the game. I left the game impressed, full of hope but somewhat inwardly perturbed. I kept pondering as to how a group that has so many problems succeeding in the classroom , could excel at a sport that requires the same mental skills possessed by smart students.
What is the answer?
In circulation is the undying myth that Blacks are born with the natural ability to become exceptional athletes, Caution: In certain sports only. Such an argument lacks merit. While it may be true that on the average black men are physically larger than other races , size and strength play only a minimal role in determining one’s success as an athlete. To compete at the highest level of any sport calls for a tremendous amount of discipline, as the athlete must devote energy and time to perfecting skills such as dribbling or passing. Furthermore, and conserve this, success hinges greatly on the intelligence of the athlete. He must not only commit large amounts of information to memory but must also beagle to adapt to the play of his opponent. If he is unable to think analytically, then his jumping abilities and speed will be useless as he will simply be outsmarted by his opponent. The truth of the matter is young Black youths excel at some sports because they work at it , and they work at it because they know that they will be held to higher standards than others. EXPECTATIONS!
Moving forward from the locker room to the classroom. If we juxtapose the coach’s expectations of black male players with public secondary school teachers’ expectations of black male students,the difference is night and day. In the realm of academia young black men are expected to fail, consequently most of them do. Enter most schools and the picture remains the same. Excellence on the basketball court, failure in the classroom. Public schools reinforce
society’s low expectations of black males. The test results among this group of students are largely a matter of social conditioning. If held to a higher standard black youth would work just as hard to perfect their math, writing as they do their jump shot. However, unlike coaches, teachers do not admonish Black males as they ought to do.
Young black males must be compelled to compete in the classroom if they are ever to achieve success in life. Perhaps what is even more important than the expectations of teachers and coaches and society as a whole are the expectations of parents . Sadly, many Black parents believe that their children are unable to compete academically , so they push their child to develop athletically and public schools gladly oblige by simply reinforcing this devastating mentality on a continuous daily basis.
Aleuta continua The struggle continues.
