The Top 20

The school district for the town in which I live - a "working-class" suburb - posted the names and pictures of the top 20 students in the high school class of 2020.

Good for those kids. I hope they do well in whatever they do next, which, I suspect, means college for these students.

But seeing those smiling faces in the midst of all the current unrest following the death of George Floyd, I noticed something.

Even though there is a decent-sized African-American population in our town ( 12-13%) and in our schools, only one of the top 20 students was African-American. Asians make up about 5% of the town's population, yet they had 4 students among the top 20.

I have taught African-American students. Indeed, in one school, most of my students were African American. Many of them were bright, talented young people. Sadly, I was not certain how many of them would actually even finish high school. I remember one freshman who was already a mother - she brought her baby to the school daycare every day - and her own mother was only in her early 30's, had multiple children, and was not married. Another one of my students was in jail, and I did not get to meet him until more than a month into the school year. Yet another student died during the year, a victim of a drive-by shooting.

Of those top 20 scholars in my town, I wonder how many grew up in two-parent homes? How many of them have parents who are actually married? How many have one or both of his/her parents who have enjoyed some education success - perhaps with college or even post graduate degrees? How many grew up in families that made education a priority? How many grew up in a home where one or both parents were working in professional jobs, or owned their own businesses?

And I wonder about those who did not make the top 20. Where will they be next year?

How many of those not in the top 20 grew up in two-parent homes? How many of them have parents who are actually married? How many have one or both of his/her parents who have enjoyed some education success - perhaps with college or even post graduate degrees? How many grew up in families that made education a priority? How many grew up in a home where one or both parents were working in professional jobs, or owned their own businesses?

I think we need to look at the underlying factors that help to lead to the racial problems in our culture. We will only bring about change when we address those issues.

Pax et bonum