Integration Interrupted and Aboubacar Ndiaye’s article “Black Boys Have an Easier Time Fitting in at Suburban Schools than Black Girls” both highlight the importance of making school a place where black students feel like they belong. Tyson writes about how the institutional and social association of whiteness with academic achievement can contribute to negative academic and social outcomes for black students, and points out in Chapter Three that students who have a strong sense of self and who feel as though academic achievement is a part of their identity are better able to resist ‘oppositional culture’ and continue doing well in school. Ndiaye notes that white suburban students are more socially accepting of black boys than black girls, creating better social outcomes for black boys. In both these works, students’ identities are such that school validates who they are and tangibly rewards their identities (although it may not reward all parts of their individual identities). Du Bois also highlights this in his essay “Does the Negro Need Separate Schools?”, pointing out that white schools will not accept and value black children or their culture.

This trend reminded me of Lisa Delpit’s book Other People’s Children, which advocates for a restructured and rethought approach to teaching non-white children (specifically, black children and Native Alaskan children). Part of her argument states that the cultural disconnect between white-led public schools and white teachers creates an unwelcoming and oppressive environment for black children. She talks about how good teaching means teachers create spaces and curricula that value AAVE and African-American history and culture just as it does so for white students and their culture. While Du Bois’s essay discusses the teacher’s role in reproducing demeaning spaces, the other works we read glossed over this point (though Integration Interrupted talks about racist interactions between teachers and black students, Tyson doesn’t explore the individual interactions and elements of teaching that produce racial inequality – though she could have if she had explored how students get placed in gifted programs). I think that studying the individual interactions between teachers, curriculum, and black students can give more insight into how black students are treated in a school setting. According to the above sources, the way that students feel and their sense of belonging have a huge impact on how they perform in school. It is important to study their experiences in school in a deep way – like Delpit did – to understand exactly where these feelings come from and how they are influenced by institutional actors like teachers.