State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

ESSAY 6CREATING OPPORTUNITIES INSCHOOLS & HIGHER EDUCATIONYvette M. Alex-AssensohVice President, Equity & Inclusion, University of OregonKwadwo S. Alex Assensoh, WriterThere are too many Black youth inOregon’s prisons and not enough oncollege and university campuses. Thefirst challenge for Oregon educators isinterrupting school-to-prison pipelines so that moreBlack youth enter colleges and universities. Thesecond challenge is ensuring that they graduate.WHAT WORKS• Relevant curricula that prepare students forsuccess in college-level courses, includinghonors and advanced placement• Pipeline programs that evaluate youth andsupport them as they enter college life—suchas the Oregon Young Scholars Program(OYSP) and Summer Academy to InspireLearning (SAIL)• Family, adult and peer networks that reinforcea college-going culture• Mentoring programs and other communityservices that help students and familiescomplete pre-college processes like admissionsand financial aid applications. 1Black youth enrolled in unfamiliar predominantlyWhite colleges and universities need retentionresources. These can include:• Programs that foster social involvement withcultural peers• First-year programs that orient freshmen touniversity life• The opportunity to participate in faculty-ledresearch projects—experiences that underlieacademic successOther strategies include early warning systemsthat retain students likely to leave collegewithout a degree. The University of Oregon’sCenter for Multicultural Academic Excellence(CMAE) has such warning systems, triggeredthrough GPA, advising and peer-mentoringreviews. The academic success of Black malesdepends heavily on their emotional well-being.Female Black students often more easily createtheir own supportive networks. However,retention strategies for Black men need to focuson creating a similar space for engagement,dialogue and support.Mentoring programs that provide new social andprofessional networks make it easier for youthexiting the juvenile justice system to succeed.Programs like the Next Door Project help removebarriers to employment and licensure by helpingreleased prisoners demonstrate evidence ofrehabilitation.The educational status of Black youth cannotbe improved without confronting America’shistorical and contemporary race issues. It’s likeputting a band-aid on a wound that requiresinvasive surgery. It’s crucial to see education asa social good that benefits everyone. We mustalso learn to judge each person by the content oftheir character, not by the color of their skin. Thistrue healing must begin if we are to provide theequitable education that Black children deserve.54