Educating Black Male Students, Breaking the Deficit Cycle

• In Event: Educating Black Male Students: Breaking the Deficit Cycle

Abstract

This paper addresses the disparities in Black male student participation in higher education by exploring several pervasive myths that have been espoused as rationales for the continued low enrollment and engagement of this group. A Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework is used to challenge assumptions and offer new insight regarding low collegiate enrollment and engagement as an outcome of various structural inequities. In this paper, we pay particular attention to counter stories by analyzing the myths, presuppositions, and meta-narratives spurred by the “common” culture (Delgado, 1995). Our social world, with its rules, practices and assignments of prestige and power is not fixed (Delgado, p. xiv); therefore we attempt to deconstruct the current meta-narratives that proliferate the extant literature with counter stories in the hopes of breaking the cycle of deficit model thinking among current and future researchers, faculty, staff and other educational stakeholders. It will conclude with recommendations for individuals within and outside of educational contexts to assist in not only debunking the identified myths, but also for improving the current and future educational status of Black male student in the academy.

A majority of the literature that exists on Black male students focuses on “within-child”, home “deficits” and school failure. Hughes and Bonner (2006) and Delpit (1995) describe within-child and home “deficit thinking” as where both children and their families are held singularly responsible for the student’s academic failure. In a majority of research, Black and minority students fall into this category far too often. As a matter of fact, the majority of research on Black male students and other students of color is looked at through a deficit lens simply because of the color of their skin and phenotype (Orefield, 2002). Thought there has been some research that refutes and attacks the “deficit” category, this paper suggests that institutions and faculty work together in an unconscious alliance to create “deficit” environments, and “at risk” labels for Black male students (Haberman, 2003; Brown, 2006; Ferguson, 2001; Dunbar, 2001) and their families. In other words, successful and unsuccessful educational experiences for Black male students are more complicated than what is evidenced by categorizing them using the deficit model or deficit model thinking as a result of their socioeconomic status, parental income and/or family structure.

Instead, what Bonner and Hughes (2006), Fries-Britt (2004) and Harper (2004; 2008) suggest is that researchers work towards a paradigm shift and focus inquiry on highlighting the educational characteristics of high achieving and gifted Black male students, and educational institutions that promote success for all of students. This approach fosters intentionality among faculty, administrators and other educational stakeholders in pushing Black male students towards academic achievement and success, but more importantly, encourages those same people to think differently these students and their families.

Authors

• Demetrees Lee Hutchins, Indiana University

• Robin L. Hughes, Indiana University - Indianapolis

• Fred Arthur Bonner, Rutgers University - New Brunswick/Piscataway