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Dropouts Fail Themselves, The Nation

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JOSEPH H. BROWN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 3, 2008

According to a report released last month, Florida is the fifth worst state in the nation when it comes to graduating black males, trailing only Louisiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan. Only 38 percent of black males in Florida graduate on time, according to the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

Hillsborough County is slightly above average at 40 percent, but only 30 percent of black males living in Pinellas manage to finish school in four years. This is a disgrace, but the response will likely be, again, more money.

Why do so many black males fail to finish high school? It certainly can't be because they can't afford to stay. School is free to all through 12th grade. They obviously fail to see the connection between education and a good job. It's tied to youth who, for whatever reason, do not believe that education is relevant to their future, and apparently neither do their parents.

Should this continue, this represents an economic death sentence for our inner-city communities and a direct charge against our nation's future prosperity.

We're Now In A Global Economy
Once upon a time, like back when I was growing up, failing to finish high school was not as suicidal as it is today. Many of the breadwinners in my working-class neighborhood dropped out of school - as did about half the nation before World War II - but they were able to secure decent-paying jobs in steel mills, stockyards and auto plants. Today those jobs are gone or disappearing rapidly.

In an era of global economic competition, there is little room to argue with the fact that it is a national crisis to find so many children of any race dropping out of school. But it is especially disturbing to me when I think of all the black civil rights pioneers who worked hard and even risked their lives to open educational opportunities for all.

Many of these dropouts will go on to get a GED (General Educational Development), but that's still not preparing them for 21st-century careers. Comedian Chris Rock, who dropped out of school, refers to his GED as a "good enough diploma."

"You know a GED is (crap)," said Rock. "Let me get this straight, I can make up four years in six hours?"

Finishing School Is A Must

Commenting on the abysmal dropout numbers of students in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg foreshadowed their dark future. "In today's knowledge-based economy," he said, "that means that more than 90 percent of those students are in danger of permanent status as second-class citizens."

This, after people like Martin Luther King gave their lives to end the system that made some people second-class citizens by birth.

That's why this dropout epidemic should be the No. 1 focus of civil rights groups. They must also acknowledge that the dropout problem is cultural, not financial.

Changing a culture is hard work, and it doesn't have the political theater of a mass demonstration or rally. It requires close-up engagement and a lot of patience, but it's the logical next step in a movement designed to achieve equality.

Joseph H. Brown is a Tribune editorial writer.

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