The Article

Assistant Professor Christopher Dunbar, Jr., relays in this article experiences and conversations with three African American male middle school students enrolled in a Midwest alternative school.  Dunbar describes the students as “forgotten, written off" by the mainstream and through these stories seeks to provide insight into their lives and the lives of an increasing number of African American males placed in alternative schools.

Discussion

Dunbar first told Roger's story, which illustrated the potency of on-going neglect and abandonment on a young person.  Dunbar described the day Roger was to be picked up after school by his biological parents (deemed unfit by the court) and taken shopping for shoes and other items he desperately needed.  Two hours after school, his parents hadn't come and a staff member at the school walked Roger to the bus stop.  All day he had bragged about the shopping spree and the new pair of Michael Jordan basketball shoes he was going to get.  The next day Roger was teased because he had on the same pair of ragged sneakers.  The disappointments and false promises from his parents were a common occurrence in his life, and it took a big toll on Roger.  That day, he had problems in every class, including fights and cursing teachers.  Dunbar questioned what hurt more, not getting fancy shoes or being forgotten, again.  Next Dunbar described a day at the courthouse concerning Peter, a student he had gotten to know through his interviews at school.  Of all those Dunbar interviewed, he thought of Peter as the most mature, and quite helpful in shedding light on alternative school issues.  Peter had asked Dunbar to come to his sentencing hearing for possession of an unloaded gun.  Once there, Dunbar met Peter's lawyer, who asked him to testify on Peter's behalf.  Dunbar agreed, but during the hearing he had a sinking feeling that the judge had already made his decision.  Despite Dunbar's testimony, the judge sentenced 13-year-old Peter to prison.  Dunbar then described how the boy became a man before his eyes, determined to be stoic and show no fear.  This story gave a vivid description of how male youths are lost in the penal system, and what a sense of helplessness and waste remains.  The third story was about Bobby, who despite his intelligence, energy and eloquence, lost his way in school.  Dunbar described Bobby as a student with signs of neglect, but the savvy to understand what people "wanted" from him.  With an endless list of people who had come in and out of his life assessing him and his family, Bobby developed thick skin to protect himself from further abuse.  Dunbar found Bobby eager to talk, and by the end of his study transcribed several pages of Bobby's words.  When Dunbar showed him the notebook, Bobby was eager to hear his own words, but when Dunbar asked him to read aloud, Bobby lost interest.  Dunbar suddenly realized that Bobby couldn't read.  This youth had always been told he was slow by teachers, but Dunbar had seen otherwise and felt alone with this knowledge.

What It Means to You

As the number of African American males sent to alternative schools continues to increase, educators need to probe deeper to find out why these youths are at risk, how to best help them and to look beyond unkempt clothes to find their potential, not their faults.

For More Information

Dunbar, C. (1999). Three short stories. Qualitative Inquiry, 5(1), 130-140.

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