Academia Is Stil Segregated
Investigating the journey of African American students from Detroit Public Schools to UM
—By Jamilah Omnia-M’Hawa Cissoko-Willis
I was just a freshman that went from living off of Joy Road to cutting through the Diag, passing one of the richest and wealthiest libraries in the country, to get to class. My roommate Julia from Boston asked me, “Do you hang out with the Black kids at your school?” I was shocked she asked me a bizarre question. I had always gone to school with students that looked like me. This is when I realized that my roommate went to one of the wealthiest high schools in the nation and from her rich educational experience schools always had a majority white population of students. She never realized that a school might be predominantly Black and what that might mean for the curriculum.
We need to create forums and ways to have conversations about the continued segregation in the school system. It makes me upset and it appears that there isn’t enough attention and focus on the problem and the need to find or create a solution. It needs to be treated with a sense of urgency. Furthermore, the experiences of Black students from Detroit Public Schools (DPS) that go on to attend Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) experience continued segregation due both a lack of preparedness and the cultural insensitivity of the university.
In order to get a helpful perspective on the subject, I spoke with four Black UM students and alumni that all attended the Detroit Public Schools system. These DPS graduates can speak to the lack of resources in DPS and how students feel about DPS’s educational environment. They have special insight on the different levels of support within a predominantly Black public school system and its relationship to their college experience, and how this experience reveals an ever-present racial division in the country.
DPS student experiences
Danielle Williams, a former student of Social Work at UM, recalls performing well and being singled out by classmates for “talking white.” Like many other students in DPS, Williams identifies as a Black American. And this comment came from not one but multiple students at her elementary school. What is especially concerning is that the students teasing Williams were also Black American students. For her entire K-12 experience Williams went to DPS. This also means around 82 percent of her classmates were Black.
During the earliest years, children are learning about themselves and how they relate to the world and are also learning to recognize patterns. DPS students, in recognizing that most of the student body is Black, are comfortable saying they go to a “Black school.”
Yes, students in 2022 say they attend a Black school. There is a common understanding amongst DPS students that segregation of school districts is still present. Students at a very young age are most likely starting to notice that their experiences in life may be affected because of their skin color.
Although we tend to try and shield youth from the complexities of life, the world will show them first. The resources available per student for DPS students were and are still far less than students in the suburban schools, hence the availability of class offerings, resources, and staff all impact the quality of education they will receive. The literacy curriculum in the city of Detroit neglects many students’ needs when it comes to reading and writing. This lack of resources and programming is undoubtedly in relation to the racial redlining of Michigan Districts.
Williams’s classmates acknowledge that she seemed to “talk white” or “proper” because of her grammar usage. It is a form of bullying or harassment, but the students are picking at the deep seated vulnerability within the Detroit Public Schools district. Williams’s life experiences took her to spaces where she had exposure and access to additional resources. But most DPS students won’t have that advantage.
Some DPS students make an extended effort to get involved with programs outside of school, in order to gain a curricular advantage. Williams was also participating in plenty of extracurricular activities in school and with her church group. Williams experienced a stark contrast in interactions amongst her peers in DPS versus with her church family. “I went to church camp and attended Bible study faithfully as a kid.” Williams believes that although she is no longer a member at the ICOC church, she benefited from the Bible study she attended. “We practiced reading the bible… I became comfortable with it and started reading other books for leisure. I was at least 11.” Williams considers herself as always being a high achieving student and she performed fairly well in the classroom.
Still, the issue of literacy in Detroit Public Schools is ever present. Williams was one of many black students in DPS being targeted by her fellow classmates.
Grant Cutler had a similar feeling towards the Detroit school district. Cutler was a student in the DPS system. Cutler had issues with reading, spelling, and counting as a K-12 student in the system, which he recounted was “extremely tight on resources. I barely had the current textbooks or a teacher to constantly teach me.” Cutler says he was lucky that his mother, a teacher at a Detroit charter school, prepared him well through elementary and high school because they had one-on-one tutoring sessions. Many students in DPS do not have access to teachers because of the crowded public school system. There is a lack of teachers to cater to the ratio of students to teachers. Every student might not have time to study individually with a teacher. Not all families have the resources that is why it is the job of the educational institution to engage with students with the proper resources.
Regis Haynes graduated from Renaissance High School and entered the University of Michigan in the Fall of 2017. He says “(I was) feeling very behind, coming from the number one city high school.” Many high achieving students in Detroit want to attend one of the three best schools in the city: Cass, King, and Renaissance. As a student getting accepted into Renaissance is a point of recognition. This is why Haynes was surprised to be so underprepared for college.
Cydney Gardner-Brown, Graduate from the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy, regards her time in DPS as an overall good experience. “I had a positive experience attending a DPS high school for the most part.” Gardner-Brown also remembers “milking resources that were made available…. I was lucky to come from Renaissance, which is a magnet school in Detroit”
As she was aware, the benefits of attending the best school in the city meant better programs and an adequate staff. She was granted opportunities in this space that was a privilege in comparison to the other schools in her district. Gardner-Brown notes that she was only in the DPS school system during high school. She was also a well performing student at one of Detroit’s most popular charter schools, University Prep Science and Math. Her experience was far greater than the average DPS student and yet, in comparison to other school districts in the state of Michigan, they are still deficient.
Culture shock at university
There is very clearly segregation living with school systems like DPS, and this pattern continues into higher forms of education.
It still seems that there is a segregated school system seeing that African Americans get to take part in cutting edge educational programs likely when in proximity to white privilege. “(I did not receive) a single year of adequate language learning when I was in highschool,” claims Gardner-Brown. This shortage in staff has everything to do with budget cuts within DPS. The budgeting for public schools is directly correlated to property value of the racialized neighborhood.
This was an obstacle for Gardner-Brown and many other students transitioning from the Detroit Public School system. “There was academic culture shock and even though I was coming from the best (school in Detroit) I was facing a big learning curve.”
Gardner-Brown emphasizes with gratitude, “(I can only ) imagine the conditions and college preparations of schools that are not magnet schools.”
The University of Michigan has responded to the individual needs of the Black community in specific ways. There are many examples of this including the Comprehensive Studies Program (CSP) created to support minority students entering the university.
Another program is the Preparation Initiative (PI), working with students that want to enter the business school but need support in the application process “specifically but not limited to students with minoritized identities.”
Cutler was a part of the PI program. Cutler graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business class of 2021. Cutler shared his experience in the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan.
“Of course 100% at the collegiate level they need more help! Imposter syndrome.” He also explains that he feels this is a complex situation. Cutler does not believe institutions of higher education can be completely and independently held responsible for the injustice within the public school system. He advises that students can help themselves by “reaching out to the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI) at the University of Michigan for resources, and looking for the type of people that can understand.”
Cutler remembers finding ways to address these feelings of unworthiness is challenging through mental health resources, “I did not think Counseling and Psychological Services was helpful. CAPS professionals were not familiar with my specific struggles as a Black student coming from a public school,” a population he sees as underserved. Although Cutler kept up in this competitive environment, alongside his peers, he still felt ill prepared. “Ultimately I got through the material, I was proud of myself and heavily utilized the resources such as the OAMI office.”
Campus climate for Black students
The University has an uneven approach to handling racialized matters on campus. Beyond the popular understanding that Ann Arbor is a liberal bubble, when it comes to race, students of color are in a constant battle to establish a safe space for themselves. There are several examples of racialized matters impacting the climate of campus. For example: tone-deaf professors and classroom environment. One Black student who would like to remain anonymous had to report inappropriate classroom discussion where a professor in the Museum Studies Department said things like: “(slave) plantations are a beautiful historical site.” While the intent of the comment may not have been malicious, that statement could be perceived as harsh, insensitive and even cruel considering the history of Black people and plantations.
The response to racism is very political and not a universal “no-no.” During the 2017 Stop Spencer Campaign, African American students had no confidence in the University of Michigan’s ability to advocate for students of color. This was after the University Regents’ response was pacifying Richard Spencer’s request to speak at the University. Richard Spencer is popularly known as a neo-Nazi, antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and white supremacist. The University did not take a stand against Spencer due to “risk of litigation.”
At the head of very powerful diversity and inclusion initiatives is not usually administration but Black students leaders. Other resources specifically catering to the black student population on campus were born out of the Black Action Movement (BAM).
The segregation of students in DPS and lack of resources within the predominantly Black space and lack of support in these types of school systems continues to create a disadvantage for students entering higher education, making the educational space feel, once again, segregated by the University.
By nature of supporting Black students on campus, these resources could also be considered a part of an anti-racist movement. In conversation with RA and Black student leader Solomon Lucy, we discussed coming into the elite space of privilege and how many students of color feel they need to take on the role of activist. Students are the ones calling out injustice and demanding better all while trying to graduate. It is a privilege to be in this institution of higher education and only focus on academics.
Solomon Lucy graduated from Renaissance High School in 2017 and is currently a graduating senior as a Communication and Media Major in the class of 2022. Solomon has made it a point to be more than engaged with the Black student population at the University of Michigan. He is also an executive member of the Black Student Union and a mentor to other students of color on campus. Lucy believes his experience as a black student on campus is less than perfect, as evidenced by his experience having posters he put up as an RA vandalized.
Lucy, like many other students of color, has experienced a very ugly side of the University of Michigan. Racial division on campus is another reason that Black students deserve more support in their studies. These issues are an added stress and impact individuals about to focus and feel safe. This is why students of color are dealing with astronomical rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout in college.
Solutions to educational inequality
Despite these challenges these UM students are giving back to their communities in plenty of ways. For example Lucy has made a commitment to improve the University’s climate for students of color.
Williams has found herself most concerned with building her own life after college. She says, “I will prioritize my path first. I still plan to give back. First I want to invest in myself so that I have the stability to change the system.” Williams plans to return to academia and grow more spaces for American African students to feel welcomed.
Haynes, who is currently teaching in the Detroit Public School System notes, “As a teacher, I observe many of my students, majority Black students, not having enough resources and getting students engaged is a struggle, I teach 1st grade. Teachers have to think creatively when there is no teacher’s assistant, or special aid programs.” Haynes explains that the absence of funding in grade school has a much bigger impact on the trajectory of student success in school
In a crowded public school students are lucky to receive the proper care and attention. Grade schools with a majority Black student population do not have programs that are meant to detect when students have trouble in class or with classwork.
As a student, being responsible for your own learning means aligning yourself with resources that will make you successful. A part of being a successful student is knowing your specific learning style so you can get the most out of your educational experience. It is time to start noticing, addressing and advocating for African American students and their specific educational needs.
As a teacher Haynes has a clear understanding of how the teaching and administrative operations are handled in DPS. Hanes teaches 1st grade students at Vernor Elementary School in Detroit. “(A) teacher has to think creatively,” he says.
Parents and teachers especially can mistake this as a behavioral problem. Sometimes students struggling with a need for educational assistance are mistaken for just having behavioral problems. Sometimes the reality is that students that are considered to misbehave in class are in desperate need of a personalized teaching approach. African-American grade school students are often seen as mature at an early age and criminalization/punished behaviors that could be early signs of mental health issues or learning struggles. In some cases, when teachers do bring the possibility of a child’s learning need, parents refuse to acknowledge the issue because of the stigma against learning disabilities. Overall, minoritized communities need access to resources such as funding for specialized teachers, student educational aid programs, and educational materials.
Gardner-Brown wants to see DPS become a thriving and competitive school beyond the city level, she also understands this is an immensely intense task. Still she believes in this goal. Gardner-Brown has made herself a part of the collective movement against segregation in institutions. As a graduate of the school of Public Policy and connected to many leadership organizations in the city of Detroit, she is a proud advocate for equality for all.
While the work of these African American Michigan Alumni is so important, we cannot forget that fighting injustice is an opportunity for all individuals to take a stand against systemic racism.
The fight continues and EVERY student should make it their business to support and acknowledge these challenges that students are facing. As people in higher forms of education, we have the privilege of education and we should bring solutions and increasing awareness if we expect to see improvement and racial justice on a systemic level.