The Ascent of African American Females and the Decline of African American Males
The Ascent of African American Females and the Decline of African American Males
Introduction
Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have been discriminated against in all areas of life including academics. African Americans are still lagging behind their white counterparts in various academic achievement areas. In Oakland High School, only 40.8% of graduating African Americans have completed their UC/CSU requirements. It is a telltale sign that something is wrong. Moreover, there is a growing disparity within the group in that African American females are performing better than their male counterparts. Around 73% of African American girls graduate from Oakland High School whereas only 63% of African American boys do.
Since African American women are attaining higher education in higher rates than African American men, this difference can have larger social implications. We know that African American men are more likely than men of other races to go down the path toward incarceration (Ferguson 2000). On the other hand, African American women represent 63% of the total black college student population which indicates that they are heading toward the path to success (Kimmel 2004:172). This gender gap will create a disruption to the social dynamics within the African American community. Marriage rates will be low as women do not want to marry men who are not capable of finding a job. All the efforts during the civil rights movement will be wasted if the African American community is in disarray. In order to continue the progress of social equality for African Americans, we need to tackle the problem from the roots. Schooling is an important factor in elevating social status; therefore, my research question is why are African American female students achieving higher rates of academic success than African American male students in Oakland High School? This research will pave the road toward understanding racial and gender differences that
Introduction
Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have been discriminated against in all areas of life including academics. African Americans are still lagging behind their white counterparts in various academic achievement areas. In Oakland High School, only 40.8% of graduating African Americans have completed their UC/CSU requirements. It is a telltale sign that something is wrong. Moreover, there is a growing disparity within the group in that African American females are performing better than their male counterparts. Around 73% of African American girls graduate from Oakland High School whereas only 63% of African American boys do.
Since African American women are attaining higher education in higher rates than African American men, this difference can have larger social implications. We know that African American men are more likely than men of other races to go down the path toward incarceration (Ferguson 2000). On the other hand, African American women represent 63% of the total black college student population which indicates that they are heading toward the path to success (Kimmel 2004:172). This gender gap will create a disruption to the social dynamics within the African American community. Marriage rates will be low as women do not want to marry men who are not capable of finding a job. All the efforts during the civil rights movement will be wasted if the African American community is in disarray. In order to continue the progress of social equality for African Americans, we need to tackle the problem from the roots. Schooling is an important factor in elevating social status; therefore, my research question is why are African American female students achieving higher rates of academic success than African American male students in Oakland High School? This research will pave the road toward understanding racial and gender differences that
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