Tyson_2011_IntegrationInterruptedCH2

Overview

• Examination of the "acting white" phenomenon related to academic achievement among black students.

Definitions and Context

• Acting White: Accusation towards black individuals that implies their behavior, style, or tastes align more with white cultural patterns than black cultural traditions.

• This accusation questions their racial authenticity and is often deemed insulting within the black community.

• Historical context: Terms like "Oreo" (black outside, white inside) have been in use since 1912, framing cultural perceptions of blackness and authenticity.

Cultural Implications

• Scholars argue that there is no single definition of being authentically black, reflecting diverse experiences and responses within the black community.

• Racialized name-calling resolves historical tensions within black culture, with academics noting this as a central theme in social and artistic movements like the Harlem Renaissance.

• The current manifestation of "acting white" has shifted to include academic achievement as a form of insult. Academic success has become a cultural object that some black youth associate with whiteness.

Academic Achievement and Social Dynamics

• The concept of acting white was primarily used to ridicule language and political alignment up until the 1970s. Recent attitudes suggest academic success now symbolizes an alignment with white cultural norms.

• The slur highlights an oppositional youth culture that reflects collective social identity rooted in racial dynamics, with a need to maintain boundaries between black and white cultural spaces.

Experiences in Elementary School

• Research indicates that preadolescents do not commonly use the acting white slur, suggesting a lack of initial bias towards achievement in racial terms.

• Elementary students at Georgetown (87% black, 11% white) demonstrated desire to achieve despite witnessing racial disparities in gifted programs where white students predominated.

• A classroom scenario at Holt School exemplified racialized perceptions of ability, where only white students identified as gifted highlighted racial stereotypes regarding intelligence.

Middle and High School Racial Dynamics

• As students transition to middle and high school, awareness of racial identity and its impact on achievement increases.

• Black adolescents expressed greater racial awareness with implications on social dynamics, such as friendship and peer acceptance being influenced by academic achievement.

• High-achieving black students often faced accusations of acting white from their peers. These narratives draw a clear line between academic success and cultural expectations.

Case Studies and Individual Narratives

• Personal testimonies from students (e.g., Yvette, Sandra) illustrate different experiences based on school environments and class compositions.

• Students in predominantly black schools (e.g., Banaker, Flamingo) faced less ridicule for achievement compared to peers in mixed settings, highlighting the nuanced impact of school context on racial identity and acceptance.

• Narratives show that some students embrace and identify with their academic success, whereas others feel alienated as a result of their demographic and academic positioning.

Racialized Tracking System

• The analysis emphasizes that tracking in schools contributes to perceptions of racial inferiority and superiority, which can lead to social isolation for high-achieving black students in predominantly white or racially integrated schools.

• Observations of classroom dynamics reflected that underrepresentation in advanced classes resulted in greater scrutiny and potential ridicule for academically successful black students.

Conclusion and Future Considerations

• Performative aspects of black identity shift based on academic environments and peer interactions, affecting how the youth internalize racialized perceptions of achievement.

• In summary, the chapter illustrates that the claim of acting white serves as a symbolic assertion to navigate the complexities of racial and academic identity, posing challenges among peers in school settings.