[NIFL-POVRACELIT:1093] Re: HELP!!!--Motivating young African-American males to read

From: Catherine B. King (cb.king@verizon.net)
Date: Wed Mar 19 2003 - 23:00:54 EST


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From: "Catherine B. King" <cb.king@verizon.net>
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Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1093] Re: HELP!!!--Motivating young African-American males to read 
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Hello Ms. Scott:

You may want to read some of Shelby Steele's work on the
notion among many black people of being "oreo" (meaning
white on the inside and black on the outside).  Also, check out
the RethinkingSchools.com website for many articles on
race and education, as well as many authors who write about
such things.  Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is another good reference,
as well as bell hooks and a classic in the field, "The Souls of
Black Folks" by W.E.B. duBois.

All address the problem of many young black people who
misunderstand getting an education as a "white" thing and
ultimately a betrayal of an entire history of being black, in this
country at least,  that is in many regards separated from, often
conflicted with, but yet intricately related to, being white in
America.  Ultimately, it's a self-destructive notion, but based in
a need to remain identified with the culture from which they
came.  That culture has its roots in an entirely different history
as a group.  By the way, deTocqueville in his classic work
Democracy in American also talks about the split histories of
this country, as distinct from most other countries that share the
same story, and how they would always cause problems here.

I hope this helps.

Catherine King
Adjunct Instructor
Department of Education
National University
San Diego, CA

----- Original Message -----
From: <fugugirl@juno.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 11:19 AM
Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1088] HELP!!!--Motivating young African-American
males to read


> Hi,
>
>      I'm a library student at Dominican University. I am taking a course
on literacy. One of the course requirements is that we monitor discussions
on a few listservs. We must also ask a question. I am especially interested
in information about successes that people have had with regard to
motivating young African-American males to read or improve their literacy. I
have read a few articles and have noted that often the authors indicate that
young African-American males regard the activity of reading as "acting
white." Has anyone come up against this attitude, and if so, how have you
managed to change it?
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Lynn Scott
>
>
>
>
>



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