African American Males' Ideas about School Success: A Research Study

Today, education is arguably more important than at any other time in history. With the ever-increasing rate of technological, scientific, and social change in the world, the right to a quality education must extend to all children. The overwhelmingly negative literature on low academic achievements of African American males has presented a hopeless picture of reversing long-standing trends of academic failure for African American males. This study employs a life history approach with narrative analysis, a methodological approach compatible with critical race theory, to oppose dominant discourse concerning the social and educational status of African American men in America. Specifically, a counter-narrative about African American males' achievement is derived from face-to-face, individual interviews with five African American males who graduated from high school and are currently on probation for minor misdemeanor offenses. The research reveals African American males' ideas about school and life success. The discussion proceeds in three distinct stages: first, an exploration of human rights in education; second, an analysis of the history of education relating to African Americans; and third, an examination of critical race theory as a framework.