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Expert: Educational Desire Equal for Races Professor Says "Acting White" Not a Fear Factor for Black Students in Classroom

Posted on: Monday, 31 October 2005, 15:00 CST

By MARTHA WAGGONER

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Black students value education and good grades just as much as white students, a Harvard University professor said Friday, challenging the idea that an achievement gap between the races is caused by black students' fears that doing well in school will lead to criticism of "acting white."

"You'll find ... very few indications that black kids don't value school as much or even don't work as hard," said Ron Ferguson, an economist and lecturer in public policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Ferguson spoke Friday at the opening of the second annual Youth & Race Conference sponsored by the University of North Carolina and Duke University. This year's seminar focuses on a 1986 paper titled "Black Students School Success: Coping With the Burden of 'Acting White.' "

The paper by Signithia Fordham and John Ogbu concluded that black students turn against academic success out of fear they will be accused of "acting white."

But Ferguson said his surveys of students have found no differences in time spent on homework among those in the same classes. He did find some differences among the races in areas such as homework completion rates and in behaviors, such as leisure reading.

Ogbu, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has since died.

But Fordham attended Ferguson's speech and will speak today at the seminar. Fordham, a professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Rochester, stands by her work. She is black, as is Ferguson.

She's suspicious of Ferguson's studies because she believes children will tell an interviewer what they think the adult wants to hear, and that the best way to examine students is to observe them.

"Belonging (to a social group) is essential," she said. "You don't want to lose your membership."

Ferguson said it is important to figure out why some racial groups perform better in school than others, because by the mid- 21st century, the majority of the labor force in the United States will be nonwhite.

"The value of Wall Street folks' 401(k)s will depend upon the quality of the schooling we provide to black and brown children over the next 20 years," he said. "It's in everybody's best interest now to bring up the level of achievement across the population, but ... to bring up more rapidly the achievement levels of groups that tend to be behind."

Ferguson said that one survey shows that for all races, boys and girls feel better about themselves if they get higher grades, with one exception.

Black boys have a higher self-esteem if they get a B than an A, which he described as an area of "murkiness" in his studies.

"But black girls have high self-esteem throughout, and it rises with grades," he said.

None of his data, he said, "suggest any disengagement from the idea or lack of endorsement of the idea that high grades and working are important" for all races.

Ferguson's work includes studies for the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, one of 10 regional labs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and the Tripod Project, which asks students and teachers about their views of their schools.

In spring 2005, his work included questioning sixth- through 12th- graders in 17 secondary schools about whether "people like me are accused of acting white."

The data suggest "there's not a tremendous relationship between GPA and fears of being accused of acting white," he said.

Instead, Ferguson found that some behaviors, such as reading for leisure - which may help a student get better grades - will bring on that accusation. But that's true of all races, not just black students, he said.

In addition, Ferguson found that black students report their self- esteem is very closely linked to hip-hop music and that listening to rock music is one way to bring on the accusation of acting white.

After his speech, Ferguson described the issue of "acting white" as "an interesting side issue" that has distracted people from the true problems, such as improving teacher quality.

"All black students do better in school when they believe teachers are willing to help and set high standards," he said.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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