Stereotypes of Black Males-critical response to The Packing of Black Males in Special Education

Nastasha Pollard
Critical Response:
After reading the article, “The Packing of Black Males in Special Education,” I couldn’t agree more that there is an enormous amount of stereotypes placed on black males in our society. The black male is looked at as the “criminal” or the “aggressor” or the “ one who is misbehaving” or the “one to fear” or the “uneducated.” Their white counterparts subject black males to these judgmental, false, stereotypes everyday. Yolanda gave some perfect examples of specific cases where black males have been labeled the criminal. Since we do live in a society where a lot of white people believe these stereotypes and notions of black males, when a finger is pointed at them as committing the crime these males are immediately taken as guilty or questioned. There are smaller incidents where black males have to deal with these stereotypes everyday. My father is living proof of that. If he is in a super market walking past a white female she grabs her purse. If he is just walking around a store, sometimes he is followed as if he will steal something. He has been automatically assumed that he needs financial assistance. At work his input might be overlooked in comparison to his white colleagues. These are just a few examples to show what he encounters.
The absence of black males in education is a systemic issue that I feel is caused by these stereotypes. Within my school experience, the black male has automatically been assumed to misbehave. This is not something they don’t notice either. Less is expected of them when it comes to achieving academically. They also recognize this lack of motivation and belief in them by their teachers. Black males are given less attention in the classroom by their white teachers, but if they don’t participate they are looked at as unintelligent. I also feel this lack of attention from their white teachers is a factor that causes them to act out. When different factors like these affect black male’s performance or behavior in the classroom, they are looked as “at risk” and thrown into special education because their white teachers don’t want to deal with them.
Black males should not have to deal with these stereotypes. They should not have to consciously work to combat stereotypes about that: that they are angry, aggressive, or threatening. They try to survive in a society where bias views surround them still years after segregation and extreme racism. Statistics show black males struggle to make three-fourths of what whites make. One in three blacks will spend time in jail during their life, and some are innocent. For black males if they don’t watch their actions they could easily lose their jobs, end up in jail, or dead just because of the color of their skin. No one understands the experience that the black male endures, especially when these stereotypes are not true and don’t apply to every male wit black skin.