The Trouble With Black Boys

For many years to come, race will continue to be a source of controversy and conflict in American society. For many of us it will continue to shape where we live, pray, go to school, and socialize. We cannot simply wish away the existence of race or racism, but we can take steps to lessen the ways in which the categories trap and confine us. Educators, who should be committed to helping young people realize their intellectual potential as they make their way toward adulthood, have a responsibility to help them find ways to expand identities related to race so that they can experience the fullest possibility of all that they may become. In this brutally honest—yet ultimately hopeful— book Pedro Noguera examines the many facets of race in schools and society and reveals what it will take to improve outcomes for all students. From achievement gaps to immigration, Noguera offers a rich and compelling picture of a complex issue that affects all of us.

The Author ix

Introduction xi

Part One: The Student Experience 1

1. Joaquin’s Dilemma: Understanding the Link Between Racial Identity and School-Related Behaviors 3

2. The Trouble with Black Boys: The Impact of Social and Cultural Forces on the Academic Achievement of African American Males 17

3. And What Will Become of Children Like Miguel Fernández?/Y Qué Pasará Con Jóvenes Como Miguel Fernández? Education, Immigration, and the Future of Latinos in the United States 43

4. How Listening to Students Can Help Schools to Improve 61

Part Two: The Search for Equity 73

5. Latino Youth: Immigration, Education, and the Future 75

6. Preventing and Producing Violence: A Critical Analysis of Responses to School Violence 83

7. Schools, Prisons, and Social Implications of Punishment: Rethinking Disciplinary Practices 111

8. Racial Politics and the Elusive Quest for Excellence and Equity in Education 131

Part Three: The Schools We Need 159

9. Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education With Alan Blankstein 161

10. Standards for What? Accountability for Whom? Rethinking Standards-Based Reform in Public Education 171

11. Racial Isolation, Poverty, and the Limits of Local Control as a Means for Holding Public Schools Accountable 189

12. Transforming Urban Schools Through Investments in Social Capital 217

Notes and References 251

Epilogue: Joaquin’s Dilemma Revisited 307

Index 311

Discussion Questions 323

PEDRO A. NOGUERA is a professor at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University, the executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, and the co-director of the Institute for the Study of Globalization and Education in Metropolitan Settings (IGEMS). Noguera received the 2008 Race and Gender Equity Award from the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

THE TROUBLE WITH BLACK BOYS

American Educational Studies Association 2008 Critics Choice Award

"In this compelling series of essays, Noguera cites research and his own personal experience—as a minority, a father, and an educator—to explore the myriad ways that young black and Hispanic males are expected to run afoul of middle-class American norms and often do.... A thoughtful look at issues of race and educational equity."
—BOOKLIST

"I needed this wise and richly resourced book forty years ago. Noguera's work and words have never been more critically needed."
—DEBORAH W. MEIER, senior scholar and adjunct professor, Steinhardt School of Education, New York University, and author, The Power of Their Ideas

"This book demonstrates, once again, that Pedro Noguera is one of the nation's most eloquent, authoritative, compassionate, and forceful voices that speaks for our most neglected children and youth."
—JAMES A. BANKS, Kerry and Linda Killinger Professor of Diversity Studies, and director, Center for Multicultural Education, University of Washington, Seattle

"Pedro Noguera has provided here an accessible account of the role race plays in the continuing disenfranchisement of students of color. These essays challenge educators to look at what we can do in schools rather than focus on factors out of our control."
—LISA DELPIT, eminent scholar and executive director for the Center for Urban Education and Innovation, Florida International University