Ethnic studies / Ethnicity Books

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisChallenging a prevailing attitude, this account disputes the idea that racism is no longer a factor in American life. Based on cultural and literary evidence—including Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn—it argues that, in some ways, the United States very much resembles the country of the 1850s. Not only are the representations of blacks in popular culture throwbacks to the days of minstrelsy, but politicians are also raising stereotypes reminiscent of those which fugitive slaves found it necessary to combat: that African Americans are lazy, dependent, and in need of management. Bold and direct, this book brings an important debate to the surface.Trade Review“In the past 40 years, Reed has published more than 20 books and has also made his mark as an editor, publisher, critic, journalist, songwriter, librettist, and fearsome letter-to-the-editor writer. . . . Reed is among the most American of American writers, if by ‘American’ we mean a quality defined by its indefinability and its perpetual transformations as new ideas, influences and traditions enter our cultural conversation.” —New York Times“Just when you think that Reed is exaggerating or being one-dimensional in his analysis of racial issues, he’ll open another page of American history and show you something new.” —David Homel, Rover Arts“There is brutal candor in Reed’s argument, which often feels refreshing in light of the euphemisms and platitudes typically expressed in both polite discourse and the media’s self-scrutiny. . . . Whether or not one agrees with Reed, one can only be entertained by his gleeful barbs and edgy turns-of-phrase. He names names and shames with derision.” —Caroline Brown, English professor, Université de Montréal for Montreal Review of Books

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Book SynopsisCajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader's History traces the four-hundred-year history of this distinct American ethnic group. While written in a format comprehensible to junior-high and high-school students, it will prove appealing and informative as well to adult readers seeking a one-volume exploration of these remarkable people and their predecessors. The narrative follows the Cajuns' early ancestors, the Acadians, from seventeenth-century France to Nova Scotia, where they flourished until British soldiers expelled them in a tragic event called Le Grand Dérangement (The Great Upheaval)--an episode regarded by many historians as an instance of ethnic cleansing or genocide. Up to one-half of the Acadian population died from disease, starvation, exposure, or outright violence in the expulsion. Nearly three thousand survivors journeyed through the thirteen American colonies to Spanish-controlled Louisiana. There they resettled, intermarried with members of the local population, and evolved into the Cajun people, who today number over a half-million. Since their arrival in Louisiana, the Cajuns have developed an unmistakable identity and a strong sense of ethnic pride. In recent decades they have contributed their exotic cuisine and accordion-and-fiddle dance music to American popular culture. Cajuns and Their Acadian Ancestors: A Young Reader's History includes numerous images and over a dozen sidebars on topics ranging from Cajun music to Mardi Gras.

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Book SynopsisThis challenge to influential educator Ruby Payne's theories about the impact of class differences and economics on teaching and learning puts forward other factors as better predictors of student performance. Pointing to success stories in schools that serve low-income students, this refutation of Payne's popular teacher-training program asserts that teacher expectations, time on task, and the principal's leadership are the main factors in determining educational outcomes at a school. Abandoning Payne's framework of teacher-student income disparities, racial makeup, and per-pupil expenditure, this critical analysis asserts the human component as the most powerful tool for improving education in failing schools.

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Book SynopsisGeared towards African American parents, this handbook offers more than 100 tips on successfully guiding boys into manhood and helping them avoid common pitfalls. By understanding the detrimental impact that peer pressure, rap music, and television have on today’s youth, especially males, parents can learn how to effectively support their children.

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Book SynopsisBecause the attrition rate for new teachers in high-poverty schools averages between 40% and 50% over the first five years of teaching, this investigation offers practical solutions to more than 100 of the daily challenges they face. With an emphasis on pragmatic approaches that can be accomplished in the classroom, the book argues that many of the skills necessary for teaching in urban schools are not properly taught in university programs and that most white teachers simply have to learn by experience. Written from a black perspective and supported by real-life examples and details rather than theory, this helpful compendium of advice and expertise tackles issues of race and class while outlining the many ways in which the American school system is designed to contribute to a teacher's struggle.

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Book SynopsisParents and teachers of black children who wish to confront the failures of the education system that have not been remedied by the No Child Left Behind Act will appreciate this dissection of the root issues affecting academic achievement. Postulating that teachers' expectations of black children are too low, the book argues the importance of nurturing needy students even under nondiscriminatory standardization policies that can help raise a school's overall level of excellence. It also addresses the problem of new teachers not being adequately educated to understand the wide variety of learning styles, therefore unintentionally eliminating the best methods to reach a child. Finally, by pinpointing the irrelevance of certain aspects of the curriculum to particular subsets of students, the book makes a powerful argument that black children could be better educated with a more directed approach.

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Book SynopsisWritten from the perspective of black parents advocating for their children, this summation of problems within today's educational system maintains that challenges arise not from the home environment but from school insensitivity and lower expectations. Parents must often resist misconceptions of white teachers to prevent their children from being suspended or unfairly placed in special education. With knowledgeable advice and sympathetic solutions for confronting racism, classism, lack of understanding, and lack of appreciation for cultural differences, the study draws from a wealth of experience to teach parents everything they need to know about their rights to fight for prime education for their children, including how to evaluate schools and what alternative options they have to unacceptable ones.

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Book SynopsisWith an emphasis on pragmatic approaches that can be accomplished in the classroom, this almanac of teaching solutions provides inner-city educators with 100 all-new strategies to daily challenges. As turnover rates remain excessively high among teachers in urban schools—83 percent of whom are white females who were ill-prepared by their college programs—the type of firsthand experience offered by this helpful manual continues to be an essential source of training. The advice and expertise presented is fully supported by real-life examples rather than intangible theory, and the details directly tackle issues of race and class while offering a legitimate criticism of the American school system that poses many of the problems that teachers face.

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Book SynopsisOutlining the 10 most significant reasons behind the high drop-out rate amongst black male students, this guide provides more than 30 solutions towards addressing this national crisis. Revealing that currently close to one half of black males do not graduate from high school, this exploration pursues the causes behind this alarming statistic and looks at many angles of the issue, including poor parental involvement, low expectations from teachers, boredom, negative peer pressure, and lack of positive role models. The solutions presented—including smaller classes, single gender classrooms, relevant Afro-centric curriculums, cooperative learning, motivational speakers, and higher expectations from teachers—are designed to provide prevention strategies for administrators and teachers, as well as empowerment principles for students.

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Book SynopsisMaking use of the latest trends and statistics, Educating Black Girls is a guidebook that looks at the academic performances of African American girls from kindergarten through high school. This work dissects such issues as the disproportionate number of black girls suspended from school; the low expectations of teachers; and the small number of African American girls who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also offers more than 50 potential solutions for improving academic achievement.

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Book SynopsisAsa Hilliard was an educator, historian, and psychologist whose research on IQ testing and cultural bias was respected nationwide, and this definitive book captures the full magnitude and lasting impact of his scholarship. The book looks at all aspects of his life and offers his perspective in several different academic areas, including early childhood, kindergarten through 12th grade, and college education; test bias; and the importance of African history and culture. Ideal for historians, educators, and psychologists, the book also explores how Hilliard’s legacy can be applied to current educational and cultural issues.

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