The past few decades have borne witness to some prolific changes within the realm of multicultural education. In this vein, there has been a significant increase in the number of African-American males enrolled in academic institutions of higher learning throughout the United States. This is had a significant effect on the administration of multicultural education and begs the question of how multicultural policies affect those individuals.
Operating with the aim of impacting social justice for all irrespective of race, ethnicity, or other factors, multicultural policy has been effective in bringing about change for many individuals but oftentimes at the expense of self-identity (Griffiths, 1993).
Much of this has resulted in an underrepresentation of African American males in the world of academia. In April of 2001, Morehouse College organized a two-day symposium entitled Reconnecting Males to Liberal Education. It was the aim of this symposium to answer one very important question—what is it about higher education that serves as a barrier to the entry of African American males. The outcome of this symposium was that there were several findings with regard to the achievement of African American males.
The most profound of those findings were such that the disproportionate failure of African-American males within institutions of higher learning can be attributed to cultural resistance, gender, and self-identity, the unavailability of African-American teachers as well as societal priorities. In fact, it was determined that these factors affect African-American males way before college (Clayton, Hewitt & Gaffney, 2004).
In an attempt to demystify the situation with regards to the failure of African-American males within academic institutions, this problem was assessed using several theoretical frameworks. One of the most significant frameworks was that of institutionalized racism and cultural resistance. Clayton, Hewitt & Gaffney (2004) delineate a system that has categorically and imperatively failed the African-American male. It is one that is plagued with many social injustices under the guise of multi-cultural policy and procedures.
The system which is in place to gain a conceptual understanding of the dynamics of the lives of students through a mutual understanding of the impact made by culture and race is one that effectively serves to proliferate the ideals of individual differences as well as the notion that some individuals are inferior based on their race or gender. Much of this is facilitated through policy change under the guise of multicultural education and has a profound effect on the self-identity of the African-American male (Osborne, 1999).
One of the most profound statements with regards to African-American student achievement and the role of multicultural policy can be seen in the body of work done by Fordham & Ogbu (1986). In their study, they examined the notion that the policies within learning institutions throughout the United States had a profound effect on the self-identity of the African-American male. Its effect was such that the African-American male felt the necessity to portray a different self-image in order to be perceived as being an educated individual.
It was felt in order for the African-American male to be afforded the same or similar opportunities, he had to abandon his culture and “act white”. This proved to be very disparaging to African-American males in that the notion that they needed to abandon culture in order to embrace education oftentimes meant that obtaining a quality education was a foresight. In lieu of dealing with the notion of being perceived as “acting white” many African-American males did not see the need to pursue higher education.
In examining the notion that there is an inextricable link between self-identity and multicultural policies within institutions of higher learning, one can clearly see that many of the policies which are designed to advance the opportunities available to African-Americans work to the detriment of self-identity (Boler, 2004). It is felt that enacting policies aimed at leveling the playing field for African-American males only serves to proliferate a distinction between the African-American male and everyone else. In order for such policies to even have a positive effect on the individual male, it is prudent that those policies be impacted from a culturally sensitive perspective and by realizing their impact on the self-identity of the African-American male.
References
Boler, M. (2004). Democratic Dialogue in Education: Troubling Speech, Disturbing Silence. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Clayton, O., Hewitt, C.L. & Gaffney, E.D. (2004). Reflecting on Reconnecting Males to Higher Education. New Directions For Student Services, 107, 9-22.
Fordham, S., & Ogbu, J. (1986). Black students’ school success: Coping with the “burden of acting white.” Urban Review, 18 (3), 176-205.
Griffiths, M. (1993). Self-identity and self-esteem: Achieving equality in education. Oxford Review of Education, 19(3), 301-316.
Osborne, J. W. (1999). Unraveling Underachievement Among African American Boys from an Identification with Academics Perspective. Journal of Negro Education, 68(4), 555–565.