Black And Latino Students Face HIGH College Dropout Rates

San Jose State University senior Joel Bridgeman, 24, in his home in San Jose, Calif. on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News) ( Nhat V. Meyer )

Their acceptance into San Jose State University turned Joel Bridgeman and Anwar Estelle into instant neighborhood heroes. Few from the bleak Richmond streets make it to college, with its promise of a career. It meant never having to sweep the parking lot of Burger King again.

But the reality of college hit hard. Upon arrival, they needed remedial courses. Financial aid fell through. Their families couldn't help. And hardly anyone on campus looked like them.

"It's demoralizing when you get here and you're starting off behind," Bridgeman said. "You think: Maybe I'm not as smart as I thought."

Much of the debate over the achievement gap has focused on helping African-American and Latino students graduate from high school and get into college. But the sobering reality is that the gap persists even there.

Bridgeman and Estelle prevailed and will celebrate at Saturday's graduation.

But many others won't be there. While making substantial increases in college enrollment, African-Americans and Latinos drop out at higher rates, according to the Washington D.C.-based non-profit the Education Trust.

Nationally, the graduation rate is 53 percent; in contrast, the graduation rate of what schools call "underrepresented minorities" - blacks, Latinos and American Indians - is 45 percent. The gap has narrowed slightly in recent years - in 2002, only 42 percent of such students graduated.

College dropouts can get shut out of most professional

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No They Didn't! Arizona Proposal Would Prohibit Race-Based Student Groups?!

OKAY, THAT'S NOT GOING TO FLY!!

An Arizona legislative committee has passed an amendment to a routine homeland-security bill that would prohibit students at the state’s public universities and community colleges from organizing groups based on race. The amendment was approved by the Arizona House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. It still awaits a vote by the state’s full House and Senate.

The amendment, introduced by State Rep. Russell K. Pearce, a Republican, would also allow state officials to withhold funds from public schools sponsoring activities that “denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization.” The proposal was added to Senate Bill 1108, a measure that has nothing to do with education but was intended to allow designees of mayors and police chiefs to serve on homeland-security advisory councils.

“This bill basically says, ‘You’re here. Adopt American values,’” State Rep. John Kavanagh, a Republican, told The Arizona Republic. “‘If you want a different culture, then fine, go back to that culture,’” he said. —JJ Hermes

Link To Story Here

Yeah, ya’ll tryin’ to get universities in Arizona blown to smithereens.  All OHN readers who attended a PWI (Predominately White Institution), what would happen there if there couldn’t be a Black Student Union, Black Greeks, Latino Student Union, etc.?

Well, We can do without the Black Greeks, but the rest we need!