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For many American teenagers, one of the ways to be unpopular in high school is to be an “A” student. In fact, in some schools, doing your homework every day, studying hard, and getting good grades has a controversial label. Some call it, “acting white.”

Lindsay, 15, knows the pressure to be cool. “If you’re really smart, they might think of you as a nerd or something,” she says.

A nerd, a dork, a bookworm…or white?

“If you dress too proper – like, with your shirt tucked-in and stuff – they’ll probably say you act too white,” says 20-year-old Diijon Dacosta.

And for some teens, “fitting in” is more important than good grades.

As Dr. Don Rice, professor of psychology explains, “acting white is sort of an extension of that – and much of it is because of peer pressure, the fear of being ostracized.”

He says one problem is that in “hip-hop” culture, too few African-Americans are admired because they are well educated or well spoken.

“Very seldom does one think of a black kid as being smart or geeky in that sense,” Rice says, “because they’re not getting the messages through television, they’re not getting the messages through movies.”

And, he says, low expectations can lead to low performance: “they don’t really see the opportunities, they don’t see how sitting down and learning algebra can lead to something that would be a better life.”

“Because it’s easier to just say forget about it and forget your school work,” says 16-year-old Omyrie Emerson, “than it is to actually go through with the whole process, and do good in school.”

Still, experts say, inside all children there is a desire to learn and to achieve. “It’s a matter of finding what it is these kids want out of life – and to show them how to get it,” says Rice.

What We Need To Know

• “Children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets – and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white.” (Sen. Barack Obama, (IL) keynote speech, ‘04 Democratic National Convention)
• Education starts at home. Teach your children the benefits of a good education- have them visit college campuses, talk to professionals in your neighborhood, and get involved in clubs and activities at school. (Don Rice, Ph.D, professor of psychology)
• It’s not measures of popularity or social success that predict achievement in college or the business world, but academic achievement itself that is the best predictor. (Marla Shapiro, licensed psychologist)
• Teach your children to navigate different social worlds through language, style and interests. Many children can blend in with the crowd – and still do well in school. (Don Rice, Ph.D, professor of psychology)

Resources

• Fryer and Torelli, National Bureau of Economic Research: An Empirical Analysis of ‘Acting White’
• The Century Foundation: Equality and Education

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