treatment spurned on by racial bias. The government has instituted programs such as affirmative action, which allows minorities an equal chance to get a good education in elite schools that they probable would not have the chance to attend. Nonetheless, the national college drop out rate among blacks students in the 1990’s is 20 to 25 percent higher than whites. Among those that finish college, their grade point average is two thirds lower than of whites. Why? One reason may be society itself. Do we automatically lower are standards when it comes to black students. Too much coddling and handholding in order to make ourselves feel better? Alternatively, does society not do enough, neglecting them to the point of failure? On the other hand, is it the black culture itself? Poor motivation, lack of family and community support, economic deprivation. In recent years, society has come to view the middle class black family as not being deprived because of race. Why should a son of a doctor be taken over a poor truck drivers son simply because he DiLorenzo 4is black? This is a big question in the case of affirmative action. With all the opportunities afforded the black student, why the low-test scores and the high drop out rates.Claude M.Steele, a professor at Stanford University, in his article Thin Ice“Stereotype Threat” and Black College Students, describes the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype as the main reason for below average results. He goes on in his article to describe a verbal test given to both black and white students measuring ability. The results were dramatically different favoring the white students. His explanation is in matters of race we often assume that when a situation is objectively the same for different groups, it is experienced the same way by each group. This might esp...
