On pg. 32, Tatum quotes a statistic: African American males make up nearly 50% of the prison population but only 13% of the total population in our country.
In addition, the recent CNN documentary: Black in America, quoted a Princeton research study which showed that African American men with only a high school education have the same statistical chance of getting a job as white men who have been incarcerated.
Respond to these startling statistics from both a personal and educational perspective.
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I try to talk about the texts we read on three levels. What does it say? What does it mean? What does it matter? When we read To Kill a Mockingbird, we talk about justice and whether or not Tom Robinson would have received a fair trial in America today. The children usually say that he would, but then I show them statistics about the disproportionate number of African American males who are incarcerated and we talk about what that means. Is there really equal justice for all, or does it depend on the color of your skin and whether or not you can afford the best lawyers? It's an eye-opening discussion for my students when I show them statistics for incarceration in South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for me to decide how to discuss this issue with my students. I had a student this week write about how he expects to die early. When I asked him why, he said he knew lots of people who have already died. Many of them were young, black men. As we talked, I asked him to think about where his worries came from and how those worries affected him and his future. I don't know exactly how to help him view his future of obstacles, whether early death, jail, or facing a life of unfair disadvantages. Especially at the age of 12. When I was 12, I thought I could be anything and do anything I put my mind to. That is how I want him to feel, despite the statistics.
ReplyDeleteIn looking at these questions and then at the above posts I am really torn. I just got finished teaching TKAM as well and the discussions my students had were amazing, so many of them are trying to be level headed and fair like Atticus now, which is cool.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics are startling and frustrate me in so many ways because I feel like we haven't moved forward. However, I know that we have, just look at our President. So, yes, we have statistics that are grim but we also can still tell our students that the sky and beyond is possible and that is the picture that I am striving to paint, despite the numbers. When they overcome numbers its a even bigger deal to celebrate. :)