African American children disproportionately compared to other races do not complete high school and/or attend post general studies education. Why?

I suspect it is a case of the failure of adults in their life to “lead by example”. Children, who come from homes where their loved ones are pro-education and who are encouraged to do their best academically, tend to excel. If their parents obtained a college degree, more than likely the children of these graduates will at least have college mentioned as an option to pursue.

The children most adversely affected appear to be those of parents who have not completed high school. There is no one to offer higher education as an option. No one to lead by example. If everyone you know works down at the local mall as a retail associate then the probability of you working in that same mall is greater. Children watch what we do. They pattern themselves after our lives.

One would think with the over exposure of the internet and television that children without role models in their household could be informed through these resources. The effect is the opposite, however. Only a small portion of these children are inspired to the point of setting goals to obtain the benefits that life has to offer.

The adverse reaction to the internet and television exposure is that children fail to see the years of hard work and sacrifice that is involved in obtaining the finer things in life. They see the “ends” without being exposed to the “means” used to get there. They are repeatedly and constantly besieged with images of alcohol or drug induced partying, expensive cars, mini-mansions, and pure excess with no emphasis to the hard work involved to acquire such a lifestyle..

With the burst of reality shows in our television programming tell me why is there not a reality show chronicling the life of college students? Is it because hard work is not glamorous enough?

Karen Hills Brown

Internet Reporter/Virginia