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Standing Out While Fitting in (SOFI): A Counternarrative on Black Males’ Strivings for Inclusiveness at a Predominantly Black High School

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Research for Inclusive Quality Education

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development Goals Series ((SDGS))

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Abstract

This chapter examines the idea of inclusiveness from the perspective of Black males, with a special emphasis on the strategies they use to stand out while fitting in (SOFI) at school. Relative to ethnic and gender groups in the United States, Black males receive more disciplinary referrals and are thus more likely to be subjected to exclusionary practices that prohibit their full participation in scholastic activities in the school environment. Using the critical race theory methodology of counter-storytelling, we outline themes emerging from focus groups that are designed to understand the ways in which Black males go about addressing their social desires for uniqueness and similarity to peers. The voices and perspectives of Black males in this chapter provide a roadmap for educators seeking to honor and affirm the intersectional identities of these students in a manner that is culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate.

“Stereotypes of a Black male misunderstood…and it’s still all good.”

Christopher Wallace

Juicy (1994)

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Like many other locations across the United States, African American students in the Raleigh-Durham area were allowed into, or forbidden from, schools on the basis of their race. High schools that were erected for the purpose of educating African American students hold the special designation of being “historically Black” high schools. These schools can carry unique traditions and the evolution and impact of these schools is preserved in various museums and exhibit halls. Readers who are interested in learning more about Historically Black high schools in the Raleigh-Durham area are encouraged to explore A Lost Legacy: Our Historically Black High Schools Conference and Exhibit, which can be found at http://bit.ly/13QibHY.

  2. 2.

    The term, bad, as used here, must be distinguished from its literal meaning. Ordinarily, an individual may refer to a person as bad if the individual is wicked, poor in quality, or morally corrupt. Here, the term is used in a flattering sense to refer to a person who is visibly attractive and/or superior to others on dimensions that are important to the appraiser.

  3. 3.

    Black Fraternity Chapters often maintain strong connections with Historically Black high schools in the Raleigh-Durham area. For example, Kappa League is a leadership development initiative of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. This program is designed to groom young men at Oxon Hill to be achievers who assume leadership roles in their communities in order to make substantive contributions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    DeLeon L. Gray, Diane Johnson, Shayne Zimmerman & Jason Wornoff

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Nicole Leach

  3. Department of Psychology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, USA

    Quinton Baker

Authors
  1. DeLeon L. Gray
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  2. Nicole Leach
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  3. Diane Johnson
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  4. Shayne Zimmerman
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  5. Jason Wornoff
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  6. Quinton Baker
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education,, The University of Adelaide,, Adelaide,, SA, Australia

    Christopher Boyle

  2. Monash University,, Clayton,, VIC, Australia

    Kelly-Ann Allen

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Gray, D.L., Leach, N., Johnson, D., Zimmerman, S., Wornoff, J., Baker, Q. (2023). Standing Out While Fitting in (SOFI): A Counternarrative on Black Males’ Strivings for Inclusiveness at a Predominantly Black High School. In: Boyle, C., Allen, KA. (eds) Research for Inclusive Quality Education. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5908-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5908-9_7

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