A nation is formed by the
contribution of every single one of its citizens. It grows, flourishes,
progresses alongside its people. In the same measure, it fails to achieve its
optimal development when a section of the citizenry is denied the ability to
give their best to their homeland. In the U.S., where the fabric of society
comprises of many hues and textures, it is indeed surprising, even shocking,
that young men of color are yet to receive their due, their fair share of the
resources that the country has to give. This is most evident in the skewed
educational landscape we witness. The facts about young men of color that are
commonly known are:
- Young men of color enrolled in America’s urban schools do not demonstrate the academic excellence that paves way for successful higher education or lucrative career
- A disproportionate number of young men of color have low attendance at school and high dropout rates when compared with their counterparts
The Big Picture that is often Hidden
However, the big picture that emerges when
you start exploring why this situation exists is not quite as well known or
well publicized:
- Due to a variety of historic, cultural, social reasons, the families of these young men have been kept out of the more upscale, prosperous neighborhood, thus limiting their ability to enroll at the best urban schools in the country.
- Studies reveal that young men of color are far more likely than their peers to attend schools where the quality of teaching is below par, with fewer experienced teachers available and accessible.
- These young men are also far more likely to attend schools where educational resources are heavily limited and restricted, thus restricting their ability to take initiative for their own education in the absence of high quality teaching. These resources include science labs, libraries, athletic programs and so on.
- The schools they attend may also typically have a dearth of qualified, experienced counselors meaning that these young men of color have no one to turn to for guidance and support in making the right career choices. This is especially a huge challenge for first generation school students who come from a family where no one else has had an opportunity to study.
- A host of factors, including these prevent these young men of color from graduating from school with the necessary preparation to take up higher education at a quality institution. This means that the cycle is repeated, restricting the student’s ability to hone his inherent skills into professional qualifications that will get him a job where his full potential is utilized.
Young men of color are denied the chance to
give their best to America
The situation is a very
unfortunate one because it is not only these young men of color who are at the
losing end. It is, in fact, the country that is losing out and quite
significantly. Unfortunately, this is one aspect that does not receive the
attention it deserves. The reality is that no country can progress as well as
it should unless every section of the
population is given the opportunity to explore their own talents and skills to
the maximum. No country can flourish unless every such section has access to
resources that let them discover their inherent skills and develop them. And no
country can optimally develop and succeed unless every such section is
integrated into its workforce in areas where their skills can be leveraged to
the maximum.
In an ideal society, every
single student is given equal educational opportunities, has access to teachers
and learning resources to identify the ways in which they can excel in life.
This is a first step that lets students achieve personal success and position
themselves as an integral part of society. It also puts a full stop to the
vicious cycle of poorly educated adults failing to recognize the need to get
their children educated, thus fostering yet another generation of young men of
color unable to contribute to society and nation.
Education is Key to Safeguarding the Nation’s
Resources
Young men of color face
several prejudices, most common among them being that they are aggressive and
more likely to engage in criminal activities. The statistics that show the
immense number of young men of color engaged in unlawful activities only add
fuel to this fire. However, explore the facts with a closer look at the
causative factors and a very different picture emerges. If we are able to equip
these young men with the education they need to succeed in a constructive
career, we can effectively channelize their energies in the right way. These
students can become the men who stand first in our line of defense, who build
the businesses that will take America to new heights, who come up with
innovative ideas that will position the country as a world leader.
If we ignore that the
country is failing these young men who have untapped potential, we also close
our eyes to the fact that we are committing to reserve many, many resources to
an unproductive cause. This is because the lack of education will force many of
these current generation youngsters into the wrong path, prompting them to
engage in anti-social activities. In later life, many of these young men may
‘graduate’ into more serious crimes, requiring the investment of state and
national resources into identifying them, controlling them and incarcerating
them to keep them isolated from society.
The Great City Schools of America have already
recognized that the roots of the problem lie in the formative years of young
men of color. The 60 urban school systems have pledged to invest efforts into
eliminating the inequities that hamper the growth of these students. It is up
to every one of us to accept our share of the responsibility in ensuring that
young men of color are given the impetus, the tools to become society’s most
respected, most valuable assets instead of forcing on them a life that can only
take them and the country, with them,
