Why Black Men Can’t Read

White men may not be able to jump, but at least they can read. After the Obama administration attempted to rectify the disparity of junior high and high school suspension rates between blacks and their white, Latino and Asian peers, the results have come in. As often is the case, left-wing good intentions have done more damage to blacks than good.

Have you ever heard of “restorative justice”? Chances are you haven’t. However, you may recall former President Obama pressuring schools nationwide to reform their disciplinary practices by cutting the number of school suspensions imposed on black students. Instead of punishing students with suspension, restorative justice encourages bad kids to reflect on their behavior, take responsibility and resolve to behave better in the future. Here’s the problem: If they could do that they wouldn’t be in the principal’s office in the first place.

Famed conservative economist Walter E. Williams recently wrote about this in a column entitled “Obama legacy: More horrifically unruly students.”

In his column, Williams explained how black high school students “are suspended at a rate more than three times as often as their white peers, twice as often as their Latino peers, and more than 10 times as often as their Asian peers.” Former Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan blamed the adults in the school system rather than pointing out that behavioral issues often accompany black students growing up in single-parent homes, gang infested communities and around Democrats who brainwash them into believing everyone with a white face is against them – that America is still mostly racist. If a kid grows up believing this nonsense about America in the 21st century, of course he or she will be dis-incentivized to work hard and behave in school.

Duncan said the “huge disparity is not caused by differences in children; it’s caused by differences in training, professional development, and discipline policies. It is adult behavior that needs to change.” Yeah right! Maybe the behavior of left-wing adults – I’ll grant him that.

As the left is prone to do, they point the finger at others rather than examine their own policies, which have devastated the black community, particularly since the implementation of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.

Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute Max Eden revealed that violence, drug use and gang activity have all increased in NYC schools since the implementation of the Obama policy. He wrote about it in his report, “School Discipline, Reform and Disorder: Evidence from New York City Public Schools, 2012-16,” where he found violence in NYC schools increased in 50 percent of schools and decreased in only 14 percent. Gang activity increased in 39 percent of schools and decreased in 11 percent of schools.

Sadly, the people most harmed by this policy are black students who prefer to get their education and not be bothered by the misfits in their school. Secondly, consider how much more difficult it must be for teachers to conduct discussions in their classrooms when there’s no ultimate recourse for students who are a perpetual nuisance. Leftists simply don’t think their policies through, and when they’re confronted with corrective information, instead of admitting their policies just might be wrong, they double down at the expense of black students.

If you want to change the behavior of black students in schools, you must address the epidemic of single-parent homes, the politics of victimization and black clergymen who offer little hope and solutions for the black community by avoiding preaching against sin that afflicts blacks.

Consequently, for his efforts on the restorative justice policy, I’m giving President Obama an F.

Originally published at WND.com

Carl Jackson is a radio talk show host – his web site is www.carljacksonshow.com. Media wishing to interview Carl Jackson, please contact media@wnd.com.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.