Dreams for Black Boys
There is a part of me that internally groans every time I hear another black boy that I teach say that his dream is to be an NFL player. Every teacher has heard of this dream and somehow, someway there is another 30% of the boys in that same class that have the same dream. Where, oh, where is the representation for black little boys to be more than sports players? I am waiting for the day that more black men are showcased in positive ways where black boys can see that they can be MORE.
I am no dream killer but I always challenge my students to, “think about the millions of other boys in America that have the same dream. How are you going to showcase that you are better, stronger, faster, and qualified to be in the NFL?” According to LeagueSide, There are 1,093,234 high school football players in the United States, and 6.5% of those high school players (or 71,060) will play in college. The drop-off from college to the pros is even more dramatic: only 1.2% of college-level players will get drafted to the NFL. I always force my students to think logically and this dream is EXTREMELY challenging to achieve however it is not unachievable. I always tell them to fight for their dreams no matter what but remember all the competition you are up against. Many of them are ready for the challenge, but some black boys have NO IDEA what career path they should pursue. Unfortunately, I am just one teacher. I am a black woman gifted with the opportunity to shape and challenge the minds of these kids and I think, ‘Damn, you can be so much more, you beautiful child.”
I wonder what happened to school assemblies. In my six years of working at a 6th-12th grade school in New Orleans, we held less than five assemblies. I remember being a kid and seeing so many different black women and men who made it a point to visit my school and talk to us about their careers and personal achievements. My primary school gave me the opportunity to be immersed in black excellence by reading, meeting, and experiencing events catered specifically for people of color. Every morning we sung the “black national anthem” ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and I found myself reciting the whole song by the time I was in 2nd grade. I always heard songs like “Young, Gifted and Black” by Nina Simone and read poems like “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes. There was just a sense of pride in who we were as black people when I was younger and it feels like that pride has slowly left the education system.
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Since I was raised in this environment, I knew I had the options of becoming a newscaster, an engineer, a Disney crew member, a marine biologist, and an entrepreneur. The assemblies I attended and the career days I witnessed allowed me to dream bigger than the dreams I hear today from my black students. According to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, black women hold a large lead over black men in almost every facet of higher education. Black women currently earn about two thirds of all African-American bachelor’s degree awards, 70 percent of all master’s degrees, and more than 60 percent of all doctorates. These are heavy odds against black men in higher education, but why? There are many factors we can attribute to this such as lack of representation, tough environments, academic history, behavioral challenges, etc. As an educator, my role is to allow black boys to access every opportunity that is available to them! I just want them to dream more, dream bigger, and see that it is possible for black boys and black men to lead, inspire, and create in any career path.
I encourage fellow educators, parents, and others that work with children to find positive role models for black boys outside of sports. I am a sports fan much like many others but this should not be the ONLY profession we promote for our black boys. There are successful black business owners, scientists, engineers, artists, historians, public speakers, lawyers, police officers, etc. We should UPLIFT the black men in our local communities who creates an impact in their careers daily. We should reach out to our local police department, fire department, community center, etc. to visit schools and talk to our students so they can SEE real people excel in their chosen careers.
I dream of black boys leading in all career paths. I dream of black boys enciting joy in their art, their style, their skills, their smiles. I dream for black boys so that one day, my own sons, can look up to my students who defied the odds and carved their own path for their careers. Maybe I am biased, but I know my black students, my black boys in particular, need a little more love and a little more help in identifying who they want to become in this world.
