Why are African American children disproportionally present in special education programs? Why would African American youth prefer to be cool rather than smart? Why are African American girls more likely to have children as teenagers? And why are there more Black men in prison than in college? Patricia A. Edwards, Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon, & Jennifer D. Turner hope to provide readers with answers to these questions in this insightful and thought-provoking book. Based on a strong body of empirical evidence and connected to the lived experiences of classroom teachers, the book addresses the enigma of teaching African American literacy learners “in a holistic way, from multiple perspectives” (xvi). It looks back to inform readers of the rich legacy created by African Americans in their fight for access to literacy, and pushes us to move forward by proposing the best theories, practices, and perspectives on transforming literacy education for African American children.
The book is composed of six chapters. In the introduction, the authors offer an overview of the current state of African American education and discuss the possible reasons why African American children perform so poorly in schools. In Chs. 1–4, the authors elaborate on the four major debates on the education of African American students. In Ch. 1, the authors reflect on the history of African Americans' fight for access to literacy. They argue that although African Americans have won several important battles for civil rights, these victories remain at a superficial level. There is continued inequality and discrimination in education, which severely limits African American children's access to school literacy.
In Ch. 2, the authors discuss the multiple meanings of “success” from the perspective of African American students: life success, community success, and school success. They suggest that learning is contextually constrained and that it is the way in which African American children interpret success that leads them to resist or to reclaim literacy success.
In Ch. 3, the authors put forward their belief that the best practices and approaches for teaching African American students should be those that are culturally relevant and culturally responsive to them. They call on teachers and educators to try to implement classroom strategies and teaching techniques that help to upgrade the academic achievement of African American students.
In Ch. 4, the authors focus on the roles that African American families play in the literacy lives of their children. Drawing on research on in-home behaviors of African American parents and knowledge about the evolution of African American families, the authors remind readers of the importance of parental involvement and participation in promoting the academic growth of their children.
In the final chapter, the authors propose solutions and strategies to help bring about better literacy education for African American children. Admitting that there is no one-size-fits-all format or single “magic bullet” for such complex and challenging tasks, the authors strongly urge all parties, including policy makers, researchers, teachers, and parents, to collaborate in making a change in the lives of African American children.
