KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – It’s not just a Kalamazoo problem, it’s a national problem. Too many young Black males are not doing well in school. We have been reporting on it for some time.
Last fall, the community was surprised to learn that the number of Black males taking advantage of the Kalamazoo Promise had not changed since it was first introduced, and that they were a lot more likely not to finish college than white students.
City commissioner Don Cooney quoted a Kalamazoo Gazette article, listing the statistics.
Cooney thinks the city should do something more to fight poverty, which is one big reason for academic failure.
Mayor Dave Anderson says it’s not the city’s job to educate the youth, but there are things they can and are doing to deal with the root causes of the problem, and to help find solutions.
Anderson says if not us, then who?
Both WMU and KVCC have set up tutorial and other support programs to give students having problems coping with college life and coursework, extra assistance, in part because of the statistics and the additional obstacles Black male students face.
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