Presentation Draft

Internalized Identity in the Black Community:

Identity is the way you personally see yourself, not what others perceive you as because of your ethnicity, skin complexion, hair texture, or body type.

Fish Bowl Discussion/Free Write:

Young, Old

Man, Woman

Light Skin, Dark Skin

Who’s Afraid Of post Blackness?

·         Quotes: Pg80 “Was black skin a cloak of inferiority?”

·         Quotes: Pg80 “You’re black so you’re not that smart and without the helping hand of affirmative action you wouldn’t even be here.

*In the Black community do you feel that a lot of these aspects are true as far as being perceived a certain way because of your skin tone, gender, or speaking voice?

*Do you feel that these physically based assumptions mainly come from black individuals? Why?  

What Can Be Done

What can be done:

Daa’nisha Huey

August 27^th, 2012

English 4

Daraja

It’s devastating to know the statistics that have been recorded showing the dropout rates of black males particularly in the United State and particularly in Oakland California. It’s seldom to find a high percentage of black males graduating from the Oakland’s school district, but statistics commonly show black males who unfortunately  don’t live to see their graduation day due to black on black violence. The odds of black males dropping out of school or being killed before they get a chance to graduate are sky rocketing in the black low income communities of Oakland California. There are several rigorous steps that need to be put into effect in order for Oakland’s black male youth to positively prevail through the negative endeavors of their communities.

In order to overcome the statistics that have been rapidly proven to factual in the black community for black males, it’s important that the black community bands together to positively reconstruct the education system and environment for young black males to prosper from. There are not enough inspirational and motivating programs in Oakland where black males can positively be guided in a positive direction. The cycle in which black males drop out of school or choose to participate in negative activities begins at home or in their neighborhoods. Who are these young kids looking up to? Are their parents teaching them the importance of having higher education? Several would probably answer no, or sometimes.  The importance of education sadly hasn’t been reinforcement enough in their minds. If parents don’t know how to approach their youth on why negative activities catered by the streets are not the proper path to success, it would be assumed that Oakland’s community would just easily come up with a program that supported parents in talking to their children about these issues.  This would definitely improve the graduation rates in the black community. When solid foundations are set at how for youth in regards to education and street violence kids would be less likely to engage in the negative aspects that often take place in Oakland communities.

                Not only is it up to Oakland residents to push for changes within their own community, but it are up to the city as well to fund the programs. For the communities to get attention from the city they need to show that the programs that they are pithing will actually work.  It’s very obvious that the city of Oakland doesn’t really sponsor the Oakland school district or its black community. As a people blacks in Oakland must make it know that these programs are necessary for the welfare of young black males in Oakland.   

Daa'nisha Huey/Daraja English4

It’s devastating to know the statistics that have been recorded presenting the dropout rates of black males particularly in the United States in Oakland California. It’s seldom to find a high percentage of black males graduating from the Oakland’s school district, but statistics commonly show black males who unfortunately don’t live to see their graduation day due to black on black violence. The odds of black males dropping out of school or being killed before they get a chance to graduate are sky rocketing in the low income black communities of Oakland California. There are several rigorous steps that need to be put into effect in order for Oakland’s black male youth to positively prevail through the negative endeavors of their communities. In order to overcome the statistics that have been repeatedly proven to be factual in the black community for black males, it’s important that the black community bands together. Taking a stance to positively reconstruct the educational system and environment for young black males will greatly be beneficial to black males seeking higher education.