Additional Information

Question twenty-four was the last question asked of the students. This question was asked in keeping with Critical race theory and capturing the voice of the minority instead of the majority. Question twenty-four asked participants if there was anything that was missed or anything that they would like to add. As with the other questions, themes surfaced. These themes were gathered in a data table by grade point average range. An X was placed by the theme each time a participant at a grade average range provided it. Table 30 lists these responses.

Table 30. Anything That Was Missed

1.0- 1.99 2.0- 2.45 2.5- 2.99 3.0- 4.0

Change in academic environment X

Realizing implications/high stakes of high school X

Don’t believe stereotypes XX X X

There is a purpose for everything X

Happy to be doing well in school. X

Nothing more to share. X XXX X

Parents shouldn’t let up on their student/Encouragement is important

X X

Stay focused, avoid distractions, work hard, be determined XX X Need more role models of color to be visible, not just rappers and

athletes

X Some courses are more difficult based on a student’s background X

Greg (18, LAS) wished that African American students could define their own success:

My last thought would be that if, if we as a people, African Americans, particularly African American males, want to succeed, we have to disassociate ourself from America’s view of success because we’re not accounted for in that view of success. Students also wanted to see a decline in stereotyping and see more role models outside of sports and the music industry.

Don (15, HS) spoke regarding role models in this way:

I didn’t want to be in this setting. I didn’t want to be in school period. Why would I want to come back and teach in one but you know those are like the jobs that you know African American males need to start taking. Just as much as not my saying that you know it should be a balance. Maybe that’s what I’m getting at there should be a balance in success throughout you know the world actually instead of their being you know all white teachers or all black rappers. There should be a side of both. Um, it’s just its really segregated in the measure of success and that goes back to some question you asked earlier but its real segregated in you know that measure in that way because you have a whole lot of people that you don’t have a lot of black people. Or you don’t have a lot of white rappers. You don’t have a lot of white superstar basketball players and that’s what you know most people are missing speaking from a White kid’s aspect. I’m not white but I do know a lot of white people so (laugh).

Minimal success (MS) students had a voice of regret regarding their schooling experience. One student poignantly lamented his attendance at a public school. He talked about how a student could still be a failure even though their grade point average may not be the lowest it could be.

Hal (18, MS) described how the system works in regard to grade point average:

Yes, I wish just – this goes back to African American males- I wish a lot of them could start off not into a Pittsburgh public school, go to a Catholic school, or a private school, or any other school to see how the environment’s there, what you have to do there, put pressure on them if they like the school, they can get kicked out or get, make their GPA for sports a little higher because the only thing you have to do now, it used to be a 2.0, 1.5 now. Only thing you have to do is really get three D’s, three C’s and you can get an E and still have a 1.5. So that and more studying, studying hard, make it mandatory for African American males for meeting after school, tutoring, if they want to stay in the school or any other school. I mean that’s basically all.

Xavier (18, MS) longed for an earlier realization of how hard school is and how it impacted life beyond school:

What I’d like to say is just like I didn’t notice how hard it was until like I said my junior year and now that I notice how important it is because I’m a senior year and it’s close to getting to the real world, like how I grew up and how it’s like I’m a man now so now it’s time to get educated and become someone.