African American kids in Mississippi have faced persistent barriers to education due to the state’s traditionally segregated classrooms. Racial prejudice in schools and the wider system makes things worse. To better serve the specific requirements of African American kids, this paper delves into the ideas of prominent educators and researchers who have pushed for more culturally sensitive and supportive classroom practices.
Black students in Mississippi have struggled to get a good education for a long time. Mississippi’s educational system still bears the scars of its long history of segregation. Several challenges exist for rural and urban Black American kids in Mississippi. First, there is unequal access to education. Poor school funding and staffing levels are major barriers to educational equity for Black American pupils. This is partly attributable to insufficient financing and outdated infrastructure. The second challenge affecting Mississippi students is the achievement gap (Hines, 2022). Black pupils in Mississippi and the surrounding states have consistently had lower graduation rates and test scores than their white counterparts. Inadequate resources, financing, and facilities are cited as contributing factors to the accomplishment disparity. Thirdly, racial bias is another major challenge. African American kids frequently encounter racial prejudice in the classroom and across the educational system. African-American kids may fare poorly academically because of the implicit prejudices and preconceptions held by teachers and authorities.
Carter G. Woodson was a trailblazing African American historian and educator who stressed the need for education for racial equality and self-determination. He believed Black People needed a history and cultural education to combat mainstream society’s negative preconceptions. In 1915, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History to research and celebrated African American accomplishments. However, Booker T. Washington held alternative views on the purpose of schooling. He thought African Americans should prioritize a career-oriented education that would provide them with marketable skills. Washington became a prominent advocate for vocational education after establishing the Tuskegee Institute for African American students in 1881 (Bradley, 2019). W.E.B. Dubois’s perspective on black American education was more complex. He believed a liberal arts education would give African Americans the analytical and critical thinking skills to fight racism and other types of prejudice. Dubois was a civil rights activist and NAACP co-founder.
Theresa Perry is a professor and educator who focuses on the needs of African American pupils in the classroom. Perry maintains that African-American pupils require a more culturally sensitive and affirming curriculum. This involves incorporating a curriculum that reflects Black Americans’ experiences and viewpoints and teaching pupils about the history and accomplishments of this group. Perry also stresses the significance of giving African American students chances for leadership, self-advocacy, and attending to their social and emotional needs. Asa Hilliard was a black American psychologist and educator who worked mostly with black kids (Bradley, 2019). Hilliard thought African American children should be encouraged to see themselves as agents of change and liberation via education rooted in African culture and history. He said that learning spaces should be safe, encouraging, and sensitive to students’ backgrounds. In addition, Hilliard pushed for culturally sensitive tests that would be more sensitive to the needs of African American pupils.
It is essential to recognize and remedy the structural injustices that have traditionally hampered African American pupils in Mississippi from meeting their needs. Schools in both rural and urban areas of Mississippi must get a fair share of the state’s education budget. African-American kids’ academic performance may catch up to their counterparts if they can access qualified educators, relevant materials, and modern tools. It is also crucial to craft lessons and teaching methods that are culturally sensitive to the needs of African American pupils and their unique worldviews (Lehenbauer, 2022). Including African American history and culture in the curriculum and culturally appropriate teaching approaches can achieve this. Addressing Black American children’s social and emotional needs can improve academic performance and well-being.
To address the persistent inequities Black American kids encounter in Mississippi, equal access to resources and finance, culturally relevant curriculum and teaching approaches, and student social and emotional needs are essential. Educators and academics, including Carter G. Woodson, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Theresa Perry, and Asa Hilliard, give vital ideas on making education more inclusive and empowering for African American students. Mississippi can improve education for all by addressing structural disparities.
References
Hines, M., & Fallace, T. (2022). Pedagogical progressivism and black education: A historiographical review, 1880–1957. Review of Educational Research, 00346543221105549.
Lehenbauer, M. (2022). Memory, Memoir, and Mississippi: A Decolonial Approach to Southern Identity in Jesmyn Ward, Natasha Trethewey, and Kiese Laymon.
Bradley, D. (2019). We gotta work with what we got: School and community factors that contribute to educational resilience among African American students.
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