6/5/2017 WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?

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WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?
EditorialObserver

ByBRENTSTAPLES APRIL20,2017

IstartedfirstgradeatanallblackelementaryschoolinChester,Pa.,adeeply
segregatedfactorytownnearPhiladelphia,in1957threeyearsaftertheSupreme
CourtruledinBrownv.BoardofEducationthatschoolsegregationwas
unconstitutional.

Thecrisplydressedfirstgraderswhomovedhesitantlythatdaythroughthe
hallsoftheBookerT.WashingtonElementarySchoolbuiltexpresslyforcolored
childrenwouldbethefirstintheirfamiliestofindrelieffromsomeofthemost
egregioushumiliationsthathadcomewithbeingblackinourtown.

Apopularrestaurantnearbythatusedtoturnawayblackpatronshad
begrudginglybeguntoseatthem.Themovietheaters(includingtheonewhereblack
townspeoplehadwatchedGoneWiththeWindfromcoloredseatsinthe
balcony)nolongerseparatedpatronsbyrace.TheskatingrinkwastheloneJim
Crowholdout:Blackskaterscouldattendonlyifitwasebonynight.

Segregatedschoolsforblackstudentswereoftendecrepit,poorlystaffedand
crushinglyovercrowded.ButIrecallnosuchinfirmitiesatBookerT.,aswecalledit.
Itwassparklyclean,quietasalibraryandfirmlyunderthecontrolofsteely,well
educatedAfricanAmericanwomenwhoweresticklersforgrammar,couldfreeze
yourmisbehavingheartwithaglareandhadtheunnervinghabitofengagingour
parentsinconversationonthestreet.

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6/5/2017 WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?TheNewYorkTimes

Today,manyofthewomenwhotaughtatBookerT.wouldinsteadhavebecome
lawyers,bankersorexecutives.Butbackthen,discriminationthatwouldeasewith
thepassageoftimehadruledoutthosecareersandmadeteachingthedefaultchoice
forthecapableNegrowomenwhothenpouredtheiraspirationsintous.

Thesignificanceofwhattheygaveusisbeingdrivenhomeinagrowingbodyof
researchshowingthatblackchildrenparticularlythosefromimpoverished
familiesbenefitfromhavingblackteachers.

Importantstudiesshow,forexample,thatchildrenwhoencounterAfrican
Americanteachersaremorelikelytoberecognizedasbrightenoughforgiftedand
talentedprograms,morelikelytobeviewedascapableofsuccessandmorelikelyto
graduatefromhighschoolandaimforcollege.

Thesestudiessuggestthatblackteachersarepowerfulrolemodels,particularly
forblackboysthattheyaremorelikelythanwhiteteacherstorecognizecompetence
intheirblackstudentsandthatsubjectivejudgmentsbyteachersplayavitalrolein
determiningsuccessatschool.Allthemorereasonforpublicschoolsacrossthe
countrytodomoretorecruitandretainteachersofcolor.

Icontinuedinallblackschoolsuntilthefirstdayoffifthgrade,whenthespirit
ofBrownfinallyreachedoutforme.Outoftheblue,Iwassummonedtothe
principalsoffice,handedmyrecordsheldtogetherwithrubberbandsandgiven
directionstoaschoolIhadneverheardofatthefarendoftown.

Withinafewhours,IwassurroundedbywhiteclassmatesattheWilliamPenn
School,ahandsomenewbrickandglassbuildingthathadbeenbuiltto
accommodatenearbyhousingdevelopmentsthatexcludedAfricanAmericansand
wouldcontinuetodosoforyearstocome.Iwassurprisedtofindthattheloneblack
teacherwasanauntwhohadrecentlygraduatedfromcollege.

Integration,ofcourse,didnotguaranteeagreateducation.Districtsthat
technicallyintegratedtheirschoolspostBrownoftenpracticedJimCrowlite,by
labelingAfricanAmericansdeficientandshuntingthemintolowleveland
nonacademictracks.ButWilliamPennwasawelcomingplaceandmyformer
teachershadpreparedmewell.Iarrivedaneagerreaderandscribbler.

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6/5/2017 WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?TheNewYorkTimes

TheblackschoolsIleftbehindcontinuedonasblackfordecades,becausethe
areawasmainlyblack.Thatwasnotthecaseinpartsofthecountrythathad
maintaineddual,raciallydistinctschoolsystemsthatwereatleastpartlycombined
aftertheSupremeCourtoutlaweddeliberatesegregation.

Whenblackschoolswereshutteredorabsorbed,celebratedblackprincipals
weredemotedorfired.Bysomeestimates,nearlyathirdofAfricanAmerican
teacherslosttheirjobs.Thosewhosurvivedthepurgeweresometimesselectedon
thebasisofalighterskincolorthatmadethemmorepalatabletowhite
communities.

Ina50thanniversaryreappraisalofBrownpublishedinTheJournalofNegro
Education,aresearcherfamiliarwiththatperiodspokeofhowwhitecommunities
regardedthearrivalofevenafewblackteachersasanattackontheirschools.Not
surprisingly,thesehorrorstoriesdeterredblackstudentsfrompursuingteaching
careers.

Statesandlocalitieswithsignificantblackpopulationsarebeginningto
recognizethewhitenessoftheteachercorpsasanobstacletostudentachievement.
Atthesametime,statisticsshowthatdistrictsaredoingamiserablejobofretaining
teachersofcolorandthatmoreleavethefieldeachyearthanenterit.A2016report
bytheEducationTrustshowswhy.Amongotherthings,AfricanAmericans
interestedinteachingblackstudentsfindtheyaresteeredintopositionswherethey
teachonlyblackstudents.Thesameteacherscomplainofbeingpigeonholedas
disciplinarians,theirothertalentsrenderedinvisible.

TheforcesthataredrivingAfricanAmericanteachersoutoftheclassroomare
takingatollnotjustonblackchildrenbutontheeducationalsystemasawhole.The
countrywillneverovercomethisproblemunlessitbeginstotreatitwithurgency.

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AversionofthiseditorialappearsinprintonApril20,2017,onPageA22oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?.

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6/5/2017 WhereDidAlltheBlackTeachersGo?TheNewYorkTimes

2017TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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