"Middle-class whites with easy access to high-quality educational institutions and a social network comprised of similarly advantaged persons tend to think that Americans can be self-made achievers if they try hard enough. In contrast, many inner-city black youths find school one of the least worthwhile places to be. Real effort pays off in earning street respect rather than getting a good grade on a book report. Thus, it is entirely possible to place two representative persons who are nonetheless American and get starkly different outlooks on what is worth doing and how best to do it" (62).
This particular passage stuck out to me for effectively explaining the problem of how black culture is often critiqued; as individuals who not only have our basic needs met but are also predisposed to succeed- with access to top equation and access to numerous professional opportunities, it can be hard to even come to close to understanding the motivations of those who have far less. For many black youths, "succeeding" is not a goal because surviving must be. Many have a number of other stress factors that deter their focus: food, shelter, safety, and any combination of the three. Arguing that living this lifestyle should only be more of a motivation to somehow "try harder" and find a way out of the culture ignorantly neglects the way that struggle engrosses one's whole life. Being able to succeed (especially in upper-class terms) is a luxury- not a predetermined right- and ought to be understood as such.
I know that the idea of success plays a large role in American society and of course, individuals have many deferring opinions on the issue. I would like to explore even further the nature of the term, and how we can best conceive of it. Lebron's account helps to demonstrate how differing cultures (often defined by or at least influenced largely by race) may produce different definitions of the word, and how certain societal circumstances (like his version of implicit institutional injustice) lead individuals to look for success in non-traditional ways, such as criminal activities like drug-dealing or stealing. Although he does not condone nor justify such actions, Lebron successfully emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of the problem as "historically and socially embedded power" (44).
I would like to draw out the idea that "differing cultures ... may produce different definitions of the word." The institutional problems facing disadvantaged communities are certainly huge, and the cultural problems are as well. I think back to my high school, where many of the students who had invested and capable teachers but refused to learn or succeed in the normative sense of the term because none of their friends were. For quite a few students, doing well in school was seen as "uncool." In essence, failing one's classes was actually succeeding, and a marker of social status. These sorts of cultural problems are difficult because there is often not a clear starting point for when they emerge in a child's life, maybe its the first time they fail a test, maybe its when they have a terrible teacher, maybe it starts at home with a parent who tells them that they will never do well in school so they shouldn't try. Regardless of where it begins, once one kid decides to redefine success, it can spread to an entire friend group, or perhaps a generation.
ReplyDeleteI really like this aspect of Lebron's account that you guys have drawn out here, but I don't think Tyler's comment is entirely fair/on the same track as what Lebron/Francesca are talking about. I don't think that it's fair to characterize the difference between definitions of success for different races as a result of failing a test or having a terrible teacher. I especially think it isn't fair to say that students "refuse to learn or succeed" just because "none of their friends [do]." I think Lebron's point with this passage is that there is a much more deeply embedded, and sadly necessary, rationale behind why many black students don't demonstrate the same levels of "success" as white students. This is that black students don't have what Fran calls the "luxury" of academic success. Though a certain culture and mindset might have developed out of the necessity of focusing on non-academic forms of success (success in basic survival, as Fran points out), the difference between white and black students' definitions of success has not come simply because "one kid [decided] to redefine success." That redefinition is necessary because of the kinds of conditions and treatment that American society has imposed on black people.
ReplyDelete