The Great Black Hope: An Examination of African American Parent Perspectives at Utopian Academy

• In Event: Parents' Perspectives and Concerns With School Choice

Abstract

Since the conception of education in the United States, schools have been the battlegrounds for equal opportunities among African American students. In an effort to improve educational options and achievement for such students, charter schools have emerged as a popular solution for African American parents. Findings from this study shed light on African American parents’ perceptions of charter schools and placed value on the experiences of African American parents who enrolled their children in Utopian Academy for the Arts. The level of hope that was evident from the parent narratives centered on non-quantitative measures such as cultural pride and caring environments and mirrored that of pre-Brown schools that served African American students.

Author

• Andrea Smith, University of Georgia - Athens