Instilling “Black Pride” In Children Helps Them Perform Better Academically

[Camille]

Nothing we didn't already know...sharing nonetheless...

http://www.yourblackworld.net/2013/...ldren-helps-them-perform-better-academically/

It is imperative that you share black history with your children because it really pays off in the longterm. New research shows that when parents engage their children in activities that promote feelings of racial knowledge, pride, and connection, it offsets racial discrimination’s potentially negative impact on students’ academic development.

“Our findings challenge the notion that ‘race blindness’ is a universally ideal parenting approach, especially since previous research has shown that racially conscious parenting strategies at either extreme—either ‘race blindness’ or promoting mistrust of other races—are associated with negative outcomes for African American youth,” says lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology in education at the University of Pittsburgh, Ming-Te Wäng. Wäng co-authored the study with Harvard University’s James P. Huguley. “When African American parents instill a proud, informed, and sober perspective of race in their sons and daughters, these children are more likely to experience increased academic success,” says Wäng.

Scholarly research has shown that African American students, especially males, are at risk of being unfairly disciplined, being discouraged from taking advanced classes, or receiving lower grades than they deserved, solely due to their race. Other studies point to negative peer treatment because of race — fist fighting, being bullied, or not being selected for teams or activities. The research may be a telling factor in explaining why 53 percent of the dozen four- and five-year-olds — who were suspended from NYC schools — were African American.

“Our study provides empirical evidence that the longstanding practice in the African American community of cultivating racial pride and preparing children to face racial bias in society should be considered among appropriate and beneficial practices in parenting Black children,” says Wäng, who plans to conduct the same kind of research with Latino and Asian American teenagers.

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[respiration]

I'm a living witness to the truth of this.

 

[thoughtone]

source: Daily Mail

How watching TV lowers self-esteem levels in children - except young white boys

• Young white boys are influenced by the 'powerful' and 'prestigious' men they often see portrayed on TV
• Young girls and black children are influenced by characters who appear to be less empowered

Watching TV helps to improve self-esteem levels in young white boys - but lowers those in white girls and black children, a new study has showed.

Researchers at Indiana University and the University Of Michigan found that children tend to compare themselves to the characters they watch on the tube.

The study stated that young white males are influenced by older white male characters who are successful, while young females are influenced by often 'one-dimensional' white female characters.

Over a one year period, the study looked at a group of 400 black and white preadolescence students from communities throughout the Midwest.

The results, which were published in the June 2012 edition of Communication Research, found that young white boys are offered generally positive ideals of their older selves.

Nicole Martins, an assistant professor of telecommunications in the Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences who led the research, said: 'Regardless of what show you're watching, if you're a white male, things in life are pretty good for you.

'You tend to be in positions of power, you have prestigious occupations, high education, glamorous houses, a beautiful wife, with very little portrayals of how hard you worked to get there,' she continued.

Young girls are offered very different versions of their older selves.

Dr Martins said: 'If you are a girl or a woman, what you see is that women on television are not given a variety of roles '

The roles that they see are pretty simplistic,' she added. 'They're almost always one-dimensional and focused on the success they have because of how they look, not what they do or what they think or how they got there.

'Young black children were singled out due to the fact they were found to watch an extra ten hours of TV per week than white children.

The study found that black men are often portrayed as negative characters such as hoodlums and hard criminals.

Dr Martins said: 'Young black boys are getting the opposite message: that there is not lots of good things that you can aspire to.

'If we think just about the sheer amount of time they're spending [watching TV], and not the messages, these kids are spending so much time with the media that they're not given a chance to explore other things they're good at that could boost their self-esteem.

'Researchers said they looked at schools in the Midwest due to their diversity but African-Americans were the predominant minority group.

 

[playahaitian]

I would also say young Black girls are not encouraged at all when it comes to the hard sciences and are also disciplined more strongly. And held to a higher standard and quick to be labeled difficult or distant. I've had to be more involved because when schools see the "Black Father" come to parent meetings and pick the kids up more often they tend to mind themselves better.

 

[QueEx]

It is imperative that you share black history with your children because it really pays off in the longterm.


“Our study provides empirical evidence that the longstanding practice in the African American community of cultivating racial pride and preparing children to face racial bias in society should be considered among appropriate and beneficial practices in parenting Black children,” says Wäng, who plans to conduct the same kind of research with Latino and Asian American teenagers.