Letter from Etienne R. LeGrand
The W.E.B. Du Bois Society was formed because a few concerned parents and educators realized the need for a different approach to narrowing the wide and stubborn academic achievement gap that exists between African-American students and their white and Asian peers.
With all of the efforts focusing on school reform and educator training -- all very important factors -- we realized that few efforts were focusing on student motivation and engagement. Yet, research shows that a student’s motivation and engagement are the greatest among all the factors determining that student’s academic achievement and life success.
Rather than live in the problems that contribute to such negative trends as high school dropout, poor test scores, low college acceptance, we choose to focus solely on the solution—on keeping students motivated and engaged in learning and pursuing higher academic ambition, whatever the circumstances.
Lack of motivation and engagement are the chief culprits in the academic achievement gap, and culture holds the key to keeping students motivated and engaged in learning. The research tells the sad reality:
- Too many students don’t see the connection between the value and impact of education;
- Too many are not motivated to be ambitious toward academic success; and
- Too many become disengaged due to home, peer, school and community cultural influences along the way.
We are here to challenge the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that say:
- Intelligence is innate—you’re either born with it or you’re not.
- Personal effort doesn’t make a difference.
- Excellence in athletics and entertainment is more desirable, and therefore to be more celebrated, than excellence in academics.
- Your neighborhood and economic circumstance determine your destiny.
- Being concerned about your success in the classroom is not the authentically “black” thing to do, it’s the “white” or “Asian” thing to do.
Because student motivation and engagement are so influential, we are here to engage parents, schools and communities in motivating academic ambition by publicly recognizing and rewarding academic achievement.
Let’s work together to inspire a culture shift in the way we think about, recognize, and reward academic ambition!
Etienne R. LeGrand
President & Co-Founder
W.E.B. Du Bois Society