Illiteracy Among African Americans Essay

Abstract The high rate of illiteracy is a major problem in the United States. Although there have been programs and initiatives started to eradicate this problem, illiteracy still plagues millions of Americans. Out of all ethnic groups, African Americans have a higher illiteracy rate. Within this project, the causes of illiteracy are revealed and viable solutions to this on-going problem will be discussed. Illiteracy Among African-Americans African-American adults do not have the ability or proper skills to read, write, or speak English correctly. African-Americans have the lowest level of literacy rates in the United States. The history of literacy among African- Americans depicts the levels of literacy today. Until the Civil War, it was illegal to teach Blacks to read and write. â€Å"Compulsory ignorance† as coined by writer Brent Staples relates to the reality that â€Å"Black† literacy was obstructed as a matter of law for more than a century. Until after the Civil War, it was a crime to teach â€Å"Blacks† how to read and openly literate â€Å"Blacks† were seen as destructive and even dangerous. † The stereotype of African-American adults are considered to be part-time workers, unemployed, and non-educated illiterate people. These African-American adults are individuals who make our society incapable of succeeding because of living their life on drugs or being violent. Some African-Americans choose to follow the road of poverty in the wrong direction by being caught in armed robbery, abuse, and prison. According to the 2000 US Census of Population, 15% of African-American in the poverty level are below the 8th grade reading level. An illiteracy study which focused on African- American communities to research the job opportunities, proper education, and drug usage in the urban area stressed that lifestyles have a dramatic influence on academic levels. The urban community stresses the issues of abuse, pregnancy, drugs, and violence, but few want to help the illiterate. African Americans need to have power and motivation to educate themselves and children at home. African Americans need to focus on homework, study habits, reading comprehension skills, and written English skills. African Americans need to invest in themselves and children having the power and education to read. While the slave experiences of African Americans make experiences markedly different from other citizens, we must move forward and utilize the system. It is time to demand more from our public education systems and more from us as parents and communities. Illiteracy among African Americans was people considered middle and low class families. These are African Americans with money to invest properly, productive in education, and have low paying jobs. In the South illiteracy among African American people rate at ages ten and over from the percentage level of 76. 2%-10. 7. Illiteracy among African American makes rate at ages 20 to 64 from the percentage level of 50. 0% to 9. 6%. During the 1870 to 1979 illiteracy has been a problems throughout African American culture. The government was concern whether African Americans were capable of keeping up with modern functions in the society. The literacy rate for blacks rose from 38. 2 percent in1880 to 71. 9 percent in 1910, whereas the literacy rate for whites rose only 1.9 percentage points from its 1880 level of 93. 2 percent. Literacy among African Americans has improved statistically showing things have changed in the 20th century. Individuals were capable of receiving jobs in the Civil War period compared to the African Americans then. The characteristics of African Americans ages 55-64 were tested on three documents of illiteracy were prose, documents, and quantities skills. Each African Americans within this age range scored below average. African American with a high school diploma or GED only scored poorly on the quantities literacy test. African Americans with illiteracy have lower paying jobs like service or labor, craft, and service occupation. These African Americans with low income rates are also receiving help from the government. African American illiteracy is common because researchers feel; this ability is from cognitive and physical effects of age. Researchers feel African American are not expand to assessments of printed material written. African Americans proficiencies results showed thirty-eight percent of them scored high on there examine. The United States has specialized a program in the schools, recreation centers, and after school programs from literacy. African Americans with illiteracy receive basic skills courses to enhance their reading, writing, and English skills. The African American programs illiteracy that supports the group by designing fundamental speaking and educational classes. These classes will better prepare and motivate African American to get their GED and workforce training. African Americans have the most students of 76% or more enrolled in these classes for illiteracy. African Americans also have outreach programs for illiteracy throughout the region. African American regions are processing new strategies for people below average functioning under level number one literacy. There are state officials, business leaders, and human resources who promote assessment class to determine the adequate needs for African Americans needing more help with illiteracy. The African Americans who developmental skills are not processing the schools and recreation centers conduct remedial educational opportunities for those reading skills are below average. The government has conducted two National Assessment of Adult Literacy and The National Center for Educational Statistics. The federal government has provided funds to assist states in establishing and expanding basic education programs for individuals age 16 and over who have not completed high school. The type of services and providers funded under federal legislation has changed a number of times since it began nearly 40 years ago. Originally established under the Adult Education Act of 1966, the adult education program is currently governed by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), which is Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, as amended (P. L. 105-220). WIA makes the adult education program part of a new â€Å"one-stop† career center system that includes many federally funded employment and training programs. The government was trying to examine whether illiteracy is arbitrary or misleading to society. The government also was trying to develop a system where African -Americans’ English language skills through literacy would change tremendously. The regions are always stereotyping on whether the lower class of succeeding in the socioeconomic groups. African Americans are not able of reading books, newspapers and interact with their environment. African Americans are put down because their illiteracy habits are poor in average. Some African Americans illiteracy knowledge of phonics and vocabulary is on a elementary level. African American illiteracy is high in change because other ethnicities have a stronger and diverse chance of having a better job. African Americans are not pushed to get ahead because they are motivated to look to the future. African Americans are not successful because they do not have self-confidence or the proper attitudes to care about being illiterate. African Americans value the least concern for being illiterate. African Americans cultural identity is a problem for people with no social skills. African Americans have had to suffer by competing with other culture with illiteracy. African American culture of having a different sense of belief in religion affects people ways of being are very skeptical about advancing with education. Some researchers feel African Americans are failures to society. There are African Americans who prefer to be illiterate because of the mismatch languages advise throughout the country. African Americans and Hispanics are compared to each other because they are behind on the level of grade four. A quarter million of Africans Americans were treated for illiteracy. African Americans educational programs were taught to read (book, newspaper, and application) and write (proper grammatical papers). African Americans illiteracy rates went down five percent every year. Researchers receive notes of reading ability fail tremendously in directives, forms, education, and informed consent skills (Hunter & Harman). Their theories on African Americans were concern with adequate informational literacy. Hunter and Harman wanted to examine the autonomy of the informed consent of literacy. These researchers believe the rapid increase of literacy is caused by critical implication. Also, the researchers discovered literacy could be modified the health reasons. The National Adult Literacy programmed examines the process of comprehending newspaper articles, employment forms, and quantities skills. The NAL realizes the lowest of African American literacy skills will limit competing skills. The African Americans having two levels below average had disabilities and mental problems. Some had physical and disable needs to have full activity to think properly. Also, the NAL realized the older compared to middle age adults. Illiteracy and health explore different links between direct measures of learning. Researchers studies the process of education had influence the ability of illiteracy (Cumming, Smith, & Shrestha1994-2004). Illiteracy has access information and navigates in literate environments to process cognitive and linguistics process. Some illiterate African Americans access crucial information for health care without taking medication. Researchers feel different readability strategies measure out their health reasons. In conclusion the idea to try to change illiteracy for African Americans is very important. It is possible to recognize, focus, and understanding of learning. These studies are process to decrease the rate of African American knowledge of illiteracy. African Americans need to start early receiving the proper need or help. African Americans need to understand that having a deficiency is nothing to be ashamed of. African Americans to support their group by learning to read, comprehend, write, and speak correct English.