Can Black Boarding Schools Save Our Boys and Why You Should Care
Back in March I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Chanel Gaither while she was completing her doctoral studies at the University of Delaware. I am always fascinated with dissertation topics, so I asked Dr. Gaither if she would be willing to discuss the focus of her study. To my surprise, she proceed to give me a history lesson on Black boarding schools, and how she was planning to start her own once she completed her studies.
I was fascinated!
I knew wealthy Blacks used to send their kids to boarding schools in the 50’s and early 60’s because I once owned a home that was previously occupied by a prominent Black doctor who sent all of his sons to boarding schools (I found letters that the youngest son had written to his mother regarding him being home sick. What I didn’t realize was those schools were created specifically for Black kids because of segregation - kind of like historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Did you know before the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. The Board of Education, there were over 100 Black boarding schools in the United States? After the segregation of public schools was outlawed, enrollment in Black boarding schools begin to decrease because Blacks started sending their children to local public schools. Since that time, the number of Black boarding schools has slowly dwindled down to four, along with the quality of education for Black children.
Despite Blacks begin delighted to have an equal opportunity to a fair education, what we have seen transpire over the years is the creation of a system that grooms our children, especially Black males, for another type of slavery - that of free prison labor. Since the ending of forced busing and white flight in housing, America has slowly returned to segregated schools that are far from equal due to poor taxes and lack of resources in marginalized areas.
As I listened to Dr. Gaither, I found myself wanting to learn more…and to help! Having worked in K-12 education as a former social worker for a large part of my career, I know first hand the challenges that most Black children face - especially Black males. Trapped in a pipeline to prison system, if their parents do not learn how to advocate for them (most don’t know where to start or that they can speak up at all) those kids will eventually fall through the cracks, which continues the vicious cycle of illiteracy, poverty, and crime.
The mother of two Black boys, I remember an elementary principal demanding that I place my oldest son, on Ritalin BEFORE she would admitted him into her school. Somehow she had come to the conclusion that he appeared to have undiagnosed ADHD. She also believed he needed to be tested for special education. What she didn’t know was that he had been tested for special education - the GIFTED PROGRAM. He failed the test by 10 points, which should have allowed him to still enter the program on a provisional bases and be retested in 3 years. Where we lived this was called the Scholastic Academy Program. Jorden was special, but not in the way she wanted him to be. I politely declined and enrolled him elsewhere.
A similar incident happened with my now deceased youngest son. He was talented in the arts. While enrolled in a performing arts middle school, I asked to have him tested for the talented program (which also falls under special education). This would have allowed him access to teachers who specialized in the arts, in addition to resources that kids in regular art classes didn’t have. The teacher that was over the testing adding an entire column to the scoring rubric and put zero’s (the scale started at 1). She stated she didn’t think he was talented, so she added the zero’s because she felt the scoring rubric the school district used was inaccurate (I couldn’t make this up even if I wanted too). The school had violated his rights in other ways by not giving us a booklet that explained his federal rights, the testing procedure, and what happens when a child doesn’t pass (you can hire an outside source to test your kid and the results will count). So I requested a meeting with the teacher and the school administration and explained how I could sue the hell out of them because of their negligence. The teacher, who was white, told me, “You people get all dressed up and come down here thinking your kids are special - well they are not!” I politely asked who was “You people?” as I took off my earrings and positioned my chair to face her directly. She remained silent. I went on to explain that I had worked for the school districts special education department for over five years as an evaluator (part of a testing team) so I knew exactly what I was talking about!
As a parent, I realized that both of my sons were most successful when they were enrolled in elite private schools, but that get’s expensive, especially when you’re going through a divorce and the other parent refuses to pay for a private education. My sons both attended Episcopal High School of Baton Rouge, and later my oldest son attended Southern University Laboratory School. At these schools they excelled! I realized that the improvement in their academics was due to the one-on-one attention they received, smaller classes, and having instructors who truly cared and were not teaching for them to pass a standardized test. I also noticed that with my oldest, having Black male teachers was the icing on the cake.
Although my sons did not attend a Black boarding school, I know they are needed now more than ever, especially for Black males. This is where Dr. Gaither is going to close the gap. Her plan is to change the trajectory for young Black males starting in the Fall of 2024 with the opening of Ascend Legacy Academy.
Dr. Gaither’s vision is that every Black Male scholar who attends her boarding school will return to his community and become a leader and create a legacy that extends beyond himself. Her goal is to disrupt the current educational ecosystem for Black Scholars.
This Giving Tuesday you and I can help Dr. Gaither and Ascend Legacy Academy to reach their Capital Campaign goal by making a donation. No matter how big or small, your gift will help a Black male to escape the pipeline to prison system, and receive a quality education that will put him on the path to success vs a jail cell. If you are interested in helping Dr. Gaither to make her vision a reality, click here and give today!
To learn more about Dr. Gaither, click here.
To learn more about Black boarding schools, click here.
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