Customer Reviews

Raising Black Boys

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I must say that I was very apprehensive about purchasing this book because I didn't get a chance to preview any pages. However, the title alone caught my attention. I recommend this book for any woman or man raising a black child (especially a boy). You should get this book before your son or daughter turns 12 because they WILL try you and this book is a good guide on getting and keeping them on the right track.

Just in case you're wondering what's inside the book here's a heads up:

a)Women you will see why you shouldn't attempt to raise your sons to be men alone or keep them from seeing their (possibly dead beat) dads.

b)Women you will also be able to question youselves on whether you are raising you sons to be future husbands and fathers or a 40 year old boy that will (pimp you)live with you forever.

c)Dads it will give you a good follow up on how to father and be a man even if you never had instruction in your own life growing up.

Lastly, it is helpful material on not giving up on your child; sons, nephews, or male neighbors.
Jawanza Kunjufu did a great job with this book. I'm taking a trip with my son and nephew to Morehouse and practicing his methods effective immediately!!

Wow, what a wonderful read!!! To any parent raising a black boy you must get this book. I plan on giving this book to several men for christmas!!!! It is indepth and touch on every subject! It should be titled the bible for raising black boys!

This is an excellent parenting handbook for parents of all children - regardless of the color of their skin! The suggestions and insights apply to all boys ... not just "black" boys! I would highly-recommend this book for any single-parents raising young boys. I only wish I had read it 9 years earlier ... I would have done some things differently!

I am reading this book because I teach in a 99% African-American High School in the South side of Chicago, and I am going to have all male classrooms next year. The book is not bad, but in my humble opinion, it contains three very controversial issues that make it more than questionable:

1. The author is homophobic, and suggests strategies to make sure boys are raised to men, not "sissies". I do not think there is absolutely anything wrong with anybody being homosexual.

2. The author, in chapter 11 "Discipline", indicates "the belt" as the last of four steps to punish. Later on, in page 81, he specifically instructs how to use the belt. This is far more than unbelievable! Physical punishment denigrates the individual, and teaches the child that violence can be a means to solve problems. Further down the road, most likely a child who was physically abused, will be an abuser himself.

3. The inclusion of the Bible, and God, and Jesus as part of a good education for children, is absolutely bias. What about those African Americans who may be Muslims, of Jewish, or those who may be atheists? "God made all of us empty (...) until they give their lives to Christ, they will remain empty." (p. 83). All individuals can be responsible, self-disciplined, positive contributors to society regardless of their religious affiliation. This is bigotry.

Dr. Kunjufu was invited to speak at a P.D. in our school, and although I may like and/or agree with some of his ideas, the ones I pointed out above and his sectarian articulation of his ideas make him more than questionable. For example, he defended that the socio-economic status of a child has nothing to do with his academic performance. As a teacher, I know that all students can learn. But we have to admit, and research shows, that a child raised in a low-income home (where for example there are no books, or computers) is behind than some of his/her peers (for example, by 3rd grade, a home where reading is a habit makes a child knowledgable of about 30,000 words, whereas a child raised in a home where books are not around, may be knowledgable of about 10,000 words). He bluntly refused that point, and suggested it was the teacher's fault that the student did not succeed in school due to lack of high expectations. However, in this book he states the fact that a parent is 24/7 for at least 18 years, against the 180 days a child spends in school. So you do the math, who is responsible that the child does not know how to read by 3rd grade, the teacher, or the home where he already spent 8 years but parents were so economically stressed, that they did not have the means to buy books and read to/with their children?

Again, the book contains some good ideas to raise children, particularly African American boys, but the bias and bigotry found throughout the book speaks for itself, and I can't give this book more than 2 stars.

At first I was ignorantly opposed to the suggestion of raising black boys is any different from other ethnicities but decided to lay aside random assumptions and read the book. Dr. Kunjufu produces a reasonably good work for acknowledging the inequities of educating our young boys and providing alternative solutions based on quantifiable evidence that the teaching methods and a dysfunctional public school system have predetermined the outcome of our black adolescence. Simple chapters on Discipline, Character, Goals bring to light some very notable issues that plague the black community that are systematic and often self-imposed.

The most powerful 5 chapters in my opinion was on Chapter 13: Preschool Years, Chapter 14: Schools, Chapter 15: Three Critical Grade Levels, Chapter 16: Reading/Algebra and Chapter 17: Special Education. These chapters revealed the most substance in this book concerning how the young enthusiasm and excitement of learning at 5 years old becomes stagnate and destroyed by middle school. Although I agree with his findings, his evidence is not well documented or footnoted to further study and research on the subject or find where he received his statistics. Referring to other books that he has written became a nuisance during the reading of the book. This self-grandizement of past published works is not a substitute for hard, scientific data and dated,published facts.

Other than his ridiculous criticisms of caution of prominent, educated and accomplished black men such as Ward Connerly and Clarence Thomas as mentors (really, a Surpreme Court Justice and a successful business man are not qualified to mentor black youth? really?) and the frequent overtones of racism also disrupted the flow of the book, but despite those minor infractions the read was very useful for those with young, black adolescent children.

This is a must read for any parent, person who works with youth - - and youth! Very insightful on raising young men. Initially I borrowed it from the library because I'd heard about it. I loved it so much, that I bought it! A keeper!

This book is like my Bible.. There are a couple of chapters that I don't particularly agree with but for the most part I found the book extremely enlightening and the author has really taken his time in breaking down the dynamics of what it is black boys are need of, I am a single mother of a son and raising a black boy is NO cake walk. This book help guide me through several experiences I experienced first hand. This book provided me with tools on how to deal with teachers and school staff based on labels that kept being put on my son and I wouldn't have known how to handle those situations without this book. Overall, I am very happy I purchased this book. The price and the shipping for this book were great.

Thank goodness there are such things as libraries because I would hate to think I wasted one precious dime to have this Fountainhead of black male insecurity tell me how to raise my son.
Much of the good in this book was marred by the author's obvious Christian sentiment and homophobic ideas. The last thing I want is to produce yet another black male hating on gays and in the name of a white Jesus.
The author of this book proposes that anyone not steeped in the Christian faith is doomed. He also takes the stance that "sissies" are bred, not born, and all should be done to eliminate a black son's exposure to any life outside of those parameters. Never mind the majority of males who commit violent crimes against women and children are heterosexual males, a black boy would be irreparably damaged if he by chance saw to black males kissing!
The author also goes on to state that a mother cannot possibly understand the male pecking order on streets and is therefore clueless of the kinds of peer pressure her son would be under. Obviously the author does not have a clear understanding that girls who grow up in the hood are also under similar pecking orders and have to fight tooth and nail to survive, just like the boys.
A mother who grew up under those circumstances would have more than a clue of what her son faces every time he leaves her home.
The only thing I can really agree with the author on is the need for a young black boy to:
a) Learn martial arts so he can protect himself and develop self discipline
b) Have positive black male role models in his life (preferably those devoid of sexual contact with the mother unless within the confines of marriage or a solid relationship.)
I think black boys in this day and age need so much love, love, love from their parent(s) that to continually saddle them with negative ideas of other people's lifestyles is ludicrous. Furthermore, what are you supposed to do if it turns out your son is gay? Beat it out of him? Pray it out of him? Isn't there enough intolerance and hate in the world without somebody telling us we need to instill this bile into our sons?
Though this book makes many valid points about raising black boys in racist America, it is also best read with a grain of salt, especially for those of us who are not bible thumping Christians yet understand the unique dynamics our sons will have to face in this country as well as the world.

This book was/is awesome. I would recommend it to anyone raising boys. Very insightful and eye opening. Wish I had it 15 years ago. The author really knows his subject matter and has invested a lot of time into this masterpiece.

THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR THE SINGLE MOTHER! IT IS AN INTERESTING LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF YOUNG BOYS. I WILL DEFINITELY INSTITUTE MANY OF HIS RECCOMMENDATIONS INTO MY PARENTING STYLE.