All-Star Panel Participates in “Men of Color and Education: A Discussion on the Pursuit of Excellence”
For Immediate Release
Contact: Rebecca Neale | Teach For America
(202) 906-9207 | Rebecca.Neale@teachforamerica.org
NEW YORK CITY, March 2, 2010—Teach For America today convened a forum of distinguished community and industry leaders to examine the educational disparities impacting young men of color in the United States and identify actionable solutions to help all students reach their full potential. Musicians Common and John Legend; educators David C. Banks, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Dr. Pedro Noguera; Bronx Borough President Rubén Diaz, Jr.; and NBA veteran Eric Snow joined the interactive dialogue at Lincoln Center, titled Men of Color and Education: A Discussion on the Pursuit of Excellence.
Sponsored by State Farm®, with additional support from FedEx and Morgan Stanley, today’s forum explored the challenges young men of color face and ways to better ensure all students receive a rigorous, high-quality education to prepare them for college and life success. The panel discussion concluded a daylong series of events highlighting the importance of community engagement in educational improvement for underrepresented youth, including an ecumenical breakfast featuring religious leaders and education officials and keynoted by White House Office of Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrión.
“We think it’s important to engage members of the Teach For America community in reflection around what more we must do to ensure that African-American and Latino children, who represent more than 90 percent of the students we reach, have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. We’re grateful to the panelists for committing themselves to this discourse and for what we know they will do to stimulate further thinking and action in pursuit of educational excellence and equity,” said Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive officer of Teach For America.
Today’s events continue Teach For America’s efforts to end educational inequity by addressing the opportunities and challenges impacting men of color, particularly African-American and Latino males, and encouraging more men of color to engage in the work of closing the achievement gap. Statistics show that one of every five black males in the U. S. drops out of high school, and the current dropout rate for Hispanic males is almost four times that of white males. At the same time, estimates indicate only 2 percent of all teachers in the U. S. are African-American males and less than 5 percent of all teachers are Latino males.
“Teach For America-New York is delighted to host this important conversation,” said Jemina Bernard, executive director of Teach For America in New York. “Nationally, more than 90 percent of our students identify as African-American or Hispanic. The importance of bringing more men of color into the teaching profession cannot be understated when we see firsthand the impact a teacher can make when he shares the background of his students.”
“As someone who has experienced all of the rewards of a higher education thanks to my years at Michigan State University, I am honored to have this chance to discuss the impact education has on the lives of young men of color,” said retired NBA veteran and author Eric Snow. “We are at a critical point in our history where the development of our future leaders hinges on their ability to secure a full education. My athletic ability may have opened a number of doors in my life, but the education that I received is what has truly prepared me for my post-NBA career. Without the same access to educational opportunities, today’s young men will be confronted with near-insurmountable obstacles in their quest to become tomorrow’s leaders.”
“If we are to improve educational outcomes for our men of color we must immediately address the challenges that they currently face and put into action the needed investments, interventions and policy changes to avoid the loss of a generation of these young men,” said Bronx Borough President Rubén Diaz Jr. “I look forward to working with all to implement the necessary changes so that we can provide all our men of color the opportunities they need and deserve to achieve success.“
Men of Color and Education: A Discussion on the Pursuit of Excellence is the second Teach For America Community Speaker Series event. Both forums connect communities and educators in conversations about the educational opportunities and challenges impacting men of color.
About Teach For America
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This year, more than 7,300 corps members are teaching in 35 regions across the country, while nearly 17,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org.
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