100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc.
Opens New School To Help Black Boys
By Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle
In
the first hour of the first day of school Tuesday, the sixth-grade
Oakland boy was sure he was in trouble for goofing off. 
His
teacher, Peter Wilson, had stopped his lesson in
mid-sentence and turned his attention to the African American preteen,
who now wore an uh-oh expression as he braced
for a rebuke.
"Did
you eat breakfast this morning?" Wilson asked quietly as the
confused boy shook his head no. "Your actions are telling me you're
hungry."
The
teacher, also African American, then promised to bring fruit and granola
bars the next day and returned to teaching. The boy's behavior
immediately improved.
That
might not have been the result at other Oakland middle schools, where a
third of black males were suspended
at least once last year.
But at the 100 Black Men Community School, a new
all-male public charter school, educators and organizers say they refuse
to accept those odds - or any of the other statistics associated with
black boys that include higher dropout rates, lower test scores and
disproportionate placement in special education programs.
The
school, started and financially supported by the Bay Area chapter of the
100 Black Men nonprofit organization, is open to all male students, but
it was created specifically for issues facing black boys - including
difficult family lives, street culture, community violence and lack of
male role models outside professional sports and the music industry.
"We
know our children can perform as well as any other children," said Dr. Mark Alexander, an epidemiologist and chairman of the
board for the local 100 Black Men. "We're going to create a culture that hopefully will be
stronger than the streets."
Not About Segregation
While
the idea of a black boys school might sound counterintuitive given the
efforts of past generations to desegregate public schools, it's not about
racial segregation, school organizers said.
Derrick Bulles, of the Bay Area 100 Black Men. It's about
recognizing that the status quo isn't working and identifying the
specific needs of African American young men. Not all teachers are
prepared to deal with those needs, said too
often, African American boys get marginalized; teachers don't understand
them or fear them, Bulles said.
It's about recognizing that the status
quo isn't working and identifying the specific needs of African American
young men. Not all teachers are prepared to deal with those needs, said Derrick Bulles, of the Bay Area 100 Black Men.
Too
often, African American boys get marginalized; teachers don't understand
them or fear them, Bulles said.
At 100 Black Men Community School, most of the
instructors, administrators and board members are black males.
"We
don't have that problem," he said. "They're our boys. We are
best able to manage that."
Organizers
say the school will be rigorous while focusing on African American
culture and individual identity based on a wide range of role models.
A Moment To Remember
Parent Dorcia White was among the
parents snapping first-day photos Tuesday, even though her sixth-grade
son, Drake, looked slightly annoyed. She looked at Drake's digital image
on her phone and saw a leader, not a dropout.
"I decided to send him here because of the
data on African American males in the district," White said. "I
didn't want him to get lost in that."
Students
arrived at school in their uniforms of khaki pants and white shirts, some
looking excited, others looking sleepy.
Terrell
Wrice, 11, was happy to be there.
"The
school gives us a different feeling - equal in one environment," he
said, adding that the only downside was a lack of girls.
The
school opened its doors to 90 students, but expects to enroll 120 male
students in kindergarten and first, fourth, fifth and sixth grades this
year and eventually add grades to grow into a K-12 with 900 students.
Mentors
will be an integral part of the school, which will offer pre-med,
aeronautics, robotics and other math and science programs.
Successful Model by Fellow NY Chapter
Eagle Academy for Young Men, started by the 100 Black Men New York chapter in
2004, where the graduation rate is more than 80 percent compared with 30
percent for African American males across New York City.
Back
in class, sixth-grade teacher Wilson was planting the seeds to produce
similar statistics in seven years.
Several
times throughout the morning, he asked students to repeat after him:
"I am an intelligent student. I will act intelligently."
He
also reviewed class rules and encouraged his students to take school and
themselves seriously.
"It
takes a lot of energy to be bad," he said.
"Intelligent
students don't talk with these," Wilson said, as he balled up his
fists before pointing to his head. "They talk with this."
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