Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Prince George’s schools, UMBC are helping black students succeed - The Washington Post

Prince George’s schools, UMBC are helping black students succeed - The Washington Post: Donald Richardson graduated in May from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He majored in mathematics, was president of the school’s mathematics honors society and crew team. This month, he’ll head off to the University of Michigan to work toward a doctorate in industrial engineering.

He’s also a graduate of Suitland High School in Prince George’s County.

Let’s face it, when you hear “Prince George’s County,” academic achievement is not the first thing that comes to mind. And yet, there are far more young black men like Richardson than like the ones we so often read about in newspaper crime briefs.

Inundated with reports of black pathology and deprived of everyday good news about black people, we often assume the worst about ourselves. When Maryland school officials announced this year that black students were making academic progress, some blacks could not contain their disbelief.