By Al Smith
A haunting theme that arose when conducting interviews with several African American men was that they felt that they were often overlooked when it came to reading related opportunities. These opportunities were defined as being able to express how they felt about what they read and several men mentioned that others oftentimes assumed that they didn’t read outside of school.
First-year student Jamoni Denzmore pointed out that his laid-back demeanor oftentimes led to many of his peers and instructors thinking that he wasn’t as serious about his reading. This led to him being labeled as a non-participant, and his instructors and peers no longer included him when discussing the nature of the relevant readings.
First-year student Jamoni Denzmore pointed out that his laid-back demeanor oftentimes led to many of his peers and instructors thinking that he wasn’t as serious about his reading. This led to him being labeled as a non-participant, and his instructors and peers no longer included him when discussing the nature of the relevant readings.
In addition to acknowledging that his reading skills were often overlooked, he also mentioned that he mostly enjoyed reading privately and wasn’t forthcoming with class discussions related to assigned readings. Denzmore's testimony could be viewed in several ways, but the most apparent is a disconnect between being a capable reader and being an enjoyer. That is, that while a student such as Denzmore enjoys reading in private, his habits aren’t showcased in environments where verbal expression and comprehension are required (i.e. Socratic seminars and class discussions).
With a specialization in Sports Psychology, Denzmore pointed out that he is regularly drawn to non-fiction texts that can be used to expand his vocabulary. “In college, I’ve narrowed down more words and analyzed passages more than in high school. It goes a lot further than me just reading it to get it over with.”
Denzmore provided valuable insight into reading attitudes and patterns at the collegiate level from the lens of an African American male. That is, that while his relaxed and calm demeanor is a testament to his personality, it has no correlation to his interest and ability to read. Identifying what young African American men like to read and exploring a variety of ways that they can express what they’ve comprehended may prove to be worthwhile in ensuring that they are given options and can benefit from the exposure.
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