Superstar or Scholar? African American Male Youths’ Perceptions of Opportunity in a Time of Change

Abstract

Through a Multiple Marginality Framework, this exploratory case study highlights how African American male youth in an urban high school setting perceive the opportunity structure during the historic election of the first African American President. Youth optimism generated by Obama's election gives students a sense of hope despite the persistent inequality they face in inner-city communities and schools. Findings suggest that the pervasive influence of both structural and cultural factors-such as poverty, racial ideology, racial tracking in schools, and street socialization-help explain students' aspirations and constrained expectations to pursue professional athletics. The implications of this study call for a reemphasis on the relevancy of school and community factors and influences in improving the perceptions of opportunity for African American males.

Metacognitive Knowledge, Skills, and Awareness: A Possible Solution to Enhancing Academic Achievement in African American Adolescents

“…Also, adolescence is a period when academic motivation usually decreases for many reasons. Metacognition helps to motivate students as they become aware of the power of thinking to solve problems and set goals (Cleary, 2004; Conchas et al, 2015; Schwonke, 2015).…”

“…“Only approximately 60 percent of students in urban areas graduated in 2005, and many of those who do mange to graduate are ill-prepared for higher education or the workplace” (Byars-Winton, Branchaw, Pfund, Leverett, & Newton, 2015, p. 34). According to Conchas, Lin, Oseguera, and Drake (2015), low school performance in learners in urban settings is attributed to structural inequalities, stereotypes by the media, and the American society. The researchers contended that such structural inequalities are deeply rooted in U.S. history and negative perceptions and depictions further add to the challenges associated with the schooling experiences of Black American students in urban environments.…”

A comparison of hometown socioeconomics and demographics for black and white elite football players in the US

“…Rudman (1986) argues that limited labor market and educational opportunity in low-socioeconomic status areas fosters aspirations to sport as an available career pathway. This may be particularly true for black men who face racial bias and discrimination in education and workplace settings and who, on average, live in more disadvantaged hometowns than white men (Conchas et al, 2014). Although this proposition has not been tested, it has some indirect empirical support at the familial-level.…”

That Smart Dude: A Qualitative Investigation of the African American Male Scholar-Baller Identity

“…Young African American males are socialized to believe that athletics, and not academics, is the “prime vehicle of self-realization and social-economic advancement” (Edwards, 2000, p. 9). Increasingly, research is revealing that many African American males, including those participating in college athletics, have (unrealistic) aspirations to achieve professional careers in athletics (e.g., Beamon, 2012; Conchas, Lin, Oseguera, & Drake, 2015). As a result, they construct their overall identity and self-worth around their athletic identity, sometimes to the exclusion of their academic identities (Beamon, 2012).…”

“…Unaware of the deleterious effects of an identity foreclosed around athletics, these African American males become victims of an “institutionalized tragedy” as they exit the educational system without the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to become productive members of society (Edwards, 2000, p. 9; Fuller et al, 2016). Thus, an identity foreclosed around athletics produces and reproduces marginality for African American males (Conchas et al, 2015).…”