Educators, others hear student voices at Black High School Education Summit
May 18th, 2009
Kweku Martin, a student at DuPont Manual High School, addresses summit participants.
More than 150 black high school students and their parents from across Kentucky and southern Indiana came to the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus May 15–16 to talk about their learning experiences during the university’s first Black High School Educational Summit.
The purpose of the summit was to explore answers to tough questions related to closing the African American academic achievement gap. Data from the Kentucky Performance Report (2008) shows a decline in black achievement from elementary to high school.
Students met with education leaders, elected officials and community leaders to discuss how social, cultural and psychological influences affect them and, ultimately, their classroom experiences. They came from school districts in the Kentucky counties of Christian, Marion, Scott, Woodford, Fayette, Hardin, Oldham, Davies and Jefferson, and from Jeffersonville and New Albany, Ind.
“This summit was designed around the student — to hear the student’s voice,” said Lohelen Hambrick, director of UofL’s Minority Teacher Recruitment Project and one of the event organizers.
“We can’t possibly get to the root cause of the achievement gap unless we engage students and discuss what they need to succeed in the classroom,” she said.
The students “discussed their identity, their heritage, how they have gotten to this point, where they are now in their thinking and actions and what they need to get to where they want to be in the future,” Hambrick explained.
During the two-day summit, students and their families spent a night in a UofL dormitory, dined at the University Club and socialized at the Red Barn. UofL President James Ramsey addressed the group on Saturday, commending the students for their leadership and participation.
Parents also took part in the summit.
Norris Shelton, president of American Slaves Inc., author of “America’s Little Black Book” and Hambrick’s partner in organizing the summit, also spoke to them during dinner Friday evening. Session leaders used his book as a discussion guide during the summit.
“I want (the students) to be introduced to their identity and I hope they know that the University of Louisville, their teachers and their community stand behind them,” he said.
Students were selected for summit participation based on their leadership and a willingness to share ideas and suggestions. Several of the students led talks, took part in discussion panels and read poetry related to their own experiences.
As follow-up to the forum, Hambrick said she and her team plan to follow the students as they progress through high school and college.
