Blog Post #6: A Prevalent Stigma in Public School Classrooms

In most United States public schools, there is a preconceived notion that all black boys are troublemakers who do not work hard in academia. Black boys are most likely, out of all racial and gender groups, to qualify for special education, because they are more likely to act out and pay little attention to the teacher. There are many factors that contribute to this, including the child’s home environment, temperament, and past school and child care experiences. Generally, black boys have less school readiness skills than white boys, because they tend to not have the same resources as the typical white boy. 

I have seen this stigma applied by teachers in public school classrooms. Generally, black boys are watched more closely by their teachers than black girls, because they are seen as individuals who are more likely to cause trouble in the classroom. Also, if a child acts in an inappropriate manner, it is more likely to be caught by the teacher if this child is a black boy, than if the child was of a different gender or race.

 One of the reasons for this is because black men tend to be stereotyped in the media as violent and mean. Frequently, there are stories on the news about black men committing a crime and/or murdering another person, especially if it was a white person that was murdered. Most Americans are not involved or going through something because of one of these news stories, rather they are used to grab the attention of news watchers.

It shocks people because these are bad actions, but it is usually considered as not a big deal, because it is considered casual and popular for black men to do. If a white man murdered someone or committed a crime, they would be frowned upon by general society, because they are expected to know better than that. But there is a perception out there that black men do not know better, because black men generally come from households of lower income, where it is not expected to be enforced by parents. However, not all black men fit these stereotypes, that they are trying to attack white individuals, rather the United States has millions of black men who have different values and beliefs. 

This pressing stigma against Black men and boys in the United States public school system is important to be aware of as a future educator, because it affects all of the future students that I will work with. Children, of all backgrounds and races, come into school with preconceived notions about black boys; some of them may have never been around a black boy or man in their life. This stigma tends to not be as strong in younger children, because they usually look over skin color when choosing their friends, but each race represented in a classroom is real to that individual and all of their classmates. Children question race in society throughout their public education, and it is important that I give them a critical and open mindset towards themselves and individuals from different backgrounds.