Educational Differences: A Urban Perspective
Educational Differences
College Material: An Urban Perspective
Thank God for sports. Sports, more than anything else gave me a voice. It gave me an outlet to express myself, to share my athletic gifts with the masses. For most African American Males growing up in the inner-city, sports put us on a fast-track to success. Thanks to sports, I saw light at the end of the tunnel in an environment where crime, violence, failure was prevalent. I have pretty good relationships with my Professors from college, but they all know, that when asked, I tell them, despite their investment in me, sports, the game of football in particular, was my best teacher.
In our community, not all of us have access to college. To be honest, most of our parents never went to begin with so, to not go is an acceptable excuse. But the excuse that was most heard in communities plagued with despair was feeling as if we were not "College Material." This thought, which often times turned into a belief fostered feelings of inadequacy. At least for me it did.....
What is College Material?
If my memory serves me correctly, I was accepted to Michigan State University on a trial bases, some type of program for minority students who were not college-ready, students from low income families and first generation students. I recieved a Public School Education, whether you believe Public Schools to be good or bad, I was not prepared when I arrived in East Lansing, Michigan. From the moment I stepped into my class, I knew I did not belong. My lecture styled classes had at least 300 students in each class. This looked nothing like the 25 students I was accustom to in High School. It also didn't help that most students in my classes appeared to be over-achievers, no matter how early I got to class, there were no seats available in the front. I found myself in the nose-bleed section of the class. I could barely see my professor I sat so high up in class.
There were many signs from the moment I arrived at MSU that I knew I did not belong. In class, the other students seemed so much more advanced, so much more ready and prepared, almost as if someone came before them and told them what to expect. I was unaware of resources available to students on campus or where to go for help. I was so worried about trying to look like I belonged, that I refused to ask for help anyway, only making matters worse. Nobody in class or at the offices around campus looked like me. At the time I thought, black people don't come to college, thats why I don't see anyone that looks familiar. These things reinforced my beliefs, These things validated my feelings of inadequacy. I questioned was college for me. Was I college material?
Thank God for the football program and the members of the team, that was the only time I seen some folk that looked remotely close to me. Thank God for the support services aimed at high profile athletes. I was assigned a tutor, study table was mandatory, going to class was the expectation.....still I felt, aside from football, I did not belong. I was not college material. I asked myself once, "What if the football program did not exist? Would I fit in here?" Away from home, in an environment that is foreign and that was once unaccessible coupled with the fact Professors or no one occupying any offices on campus at the time shared your experiences,...just reiterated for me that I did not belong here. But........
I refused to go home. I couldn't go home. Returning home was not an option. I know all to well what awaits me in my neighborhood; Drugs, Violence, Crime, Domestic Abuse, Liquor Stores, Trap Houses -- See, so many of us never make it out the hood, so to be the first to attempt something no one else in my family had done, was worth a shot. I remember the white kids in college would never help me. They would put their arms over there paper indicating I needed to or was trying to copy their work. They would use there non-writing arm/hand as an attempt to cover up correct answers as if I was trying to copy off of their work. It was during that moment I decided to turn the tables. Football wasn't going the best either at the time, so the kids insinuating I tried to copy their work was all the motivation I needed.
See most of the white kids at MSU hadn't survived the things I had survived. They hadn't seen the things I had seen. The scary thing about being a gifted athlete is that our competitive nature boils over into other areas of our lives. In this case it was the classroom. I had the drive to be the best athlete. One day I decided I can do this. College is nothing. I began to dedicate that same level of effort and energy to being the best student. I learned how to study. I taught myself time management skills. Someone finally explained to me what the purpose of "office hours" were. I began to take advantage of that. Professors began to notice me. Some actually remembered my name. Thats rare at big Division 1 schools. I learned that being smart is a mindset. Most college kids are just book smart. I learned the difference between School vs. Edcuation. I stopped caring about the educational experience other students had prior to arriving at MSU and the advantages they had. Not only could I read, write and conjugate verbs, not one white student or any other student that was non-African American, of the 44,000 + enrolled at MSU was fortunate enough to be Book Smart, Street Smart and have Common Sense. Not one possessed all three. That evened the playing field in my mind and once I realized that, I dominated the educational system. I don't believe my perspective is unique by any means, but rather the individuals that share a somewhat similar perspective are spending their life behind bars so college campuses across the country miss out (Michigan will invest in your Incarceration but not your Education). My Professors and I are close, but I am certain, before I blew the roof off of their classes, they hadn't experienced a well groomed Urban student in the classroom. What a journey. I am thankful for the journey. It is one I will never forget. Even after earning advanced degrees, I still don't know if I am college material, but what I do know is that MSU, Wayne St. and Saginaw Valley State University will never be the same. The Urban Perspective!!!!
If you are interested in having me at your college, email me. I will do my best to meet your budget but I feel educators around the country need to know the story behind the numbers (data)....Unfortunately many of them don't. And very few will admit it. I can change that. I will change that. One school, at a time. Please share this with your circle and make sure to discuss these issues in your classrooms across the country. ~ God Bless
I had a similar experience as a student at the University of Michigan. What becomes quite clear when you look at the student body of schools like MSU and Michigan - not to mention Ivy League schools - is that we have two Americas.
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that yours and my classmates were blessed to be the exception rather than the rule. When I was at Michigan, the average family income of the student body was in the low six figures. And most students had parents (plural) who had at least bachelor's degrees. Many students' parents were doctors, lawyers, or engineers.
Those students enjoyed the advantage of not just a relatively stable home, but exposure to the world's possibilities. That exposure meant that these students started college not just thinking they wanted to be a doctor, for instance, but knowing the different types of doctors and what it took to achieve that goal. That exposure is priceless.
However, like you, I did begin to notice some distinct advantages I had over some classmates. Many had never dealt with rejection or failure - two things that every successful person will face at some point. For some, a 'B' meant failure.
I think that a discussion on who is "college material" is invaluable. We can't afford to let colleges - particularly the elite institutions - be accessible only to those with pedigree. People need to be made aware that making it 18 years in some neighborhoods with the ability to read and write, and without a criminal record, means that a young person can do anything with the right opportunities. And that should be a component of college admissions. Traditional admissions criteria is important but is not as merit-based as we'd like to assume. You can hire a tutor to help you achieve a high test score - if you can afford one; and if your high school doesn't offer AP classes, good grades alone won't be enough to even make you competitive for admission to the most elite universities.