Steve Boss Analysis

Steve Boss, is the coordinator for the Black Academic Excellence (BAEC) in Student Academic Services where, he serves the black students population at California Polytechnic State University. BAEC is a program that provides a safe place for black students to build a community and partake in an inclusive environment of black history and culture. In addition, it provides academic support to increase retention and degree completion. Historically, black students have being underrepresented in higher education institutions, with only 4.7 percent of the undergraduate population and have lower rate of graduating than Whites and Asians (Grier-Reed, Tabitha, Madyun, Na’im, Buckley, & Christopher, 2008). The authors cite the American Council on Education

Living in a diverse neighborhood contributed to a diverse population in the high school he attended, he recalls having many interesting diverse interactions, however, he did not reflect on them until he attended college. It was in college he became aware of the deep rooted social identities assigned. He notes, experiencing culture shock at Chino State University, similar to Cal Poly, a predominantly white student population.Though he, himself, a person of color was socialized with the assumption that black college students were disorderly and destructive, yet he experience the opposite, where white students were disorderly and destructive. Something the author, Tatum from “Can We Talk?” would define as, individuals categorizing ethnic groups on negative assumptions, including internalizing prejudice within one's ethnic groups and secondhand distorted information, noting, racism begins early and usually from historical information about “others” and stereotypical social identities. The author adds, our conceptual view of others comes from media outlets that go unchallenged by society, fostering preconceived negative judgement, thus exposure is continual. More importantly, Tatum states, “We teach what we were taught. The unexamined prejudices of the parents are passed on to the children. It is not our fault,

(2016) cites several authors in what they define myths surrounding social class, such as, the concept of the United States modeling a collective social class and all individuals partaking in education, will have a level playing field to be successful (Ortner, 1998; Ostrove & Cole, 2003; Yeskel, 2008; Zandy, 1996). Yeskel (n.d.) points out barriers exists denying accessibility to individual with less privilege, (as cited in Patton, et al. 2016, p.246). For example, the myth of “if you work hard, you will be successful”, fostering the idea that only individuals who put in the effort are seen as determined, and those that fall less, are lazy (Patton, et al. 2016). Moi, (1991); Swartz, (1977) examine, education does not fall far from that ideology, Bourdieu’s Theory of Social Reproduction stem from the idea that education creates inequality and maintains hierarchies. Moi (1991) states, The function of the education system is above all to produce the necessary