Overcoming the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Young Women - Hardcover

Hrabowski, Freeman A.; Maton, Kenneth I.; Greene, Monica L.; Greif, Geoffrey L.; Greif, Geoffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195126424 ISBN 13: 9780195126426

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2002

Synopsis

When Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males appeared in 1998, it was hailed as "a crucial book" (Baltimore Sun) and "undoubtedly one of the most important tools the African American parent can possess" (Kweisi Mfume, President NAACP).
Now, in response to enormous demand, the authors turn their attention to African American young women. Statistics indicate that African American females, as a group, fare poorly in the United States. Many live in single-parent households-either as the single-parent mother or as the daughter. Many face severe economic hurdles. Yet despite these obstacles, some are performing at exceptional levels academically. Based on interviews with many of these successful young women and their families, Overcoming the Odds provides a wealth of information about how and why they have succeeded--what motivates them, how their backgrounds and family relationships have shaped them, even how it feels to be a high academic achiever. They also discuss the challenges of moving into African American womanhood, from maintaining self-esteem to making the right choices about their professional and personal lives. Most important, the book offers specific and inspiring examples of the practices, attitudes, and parenting strategies that have enabled these women to persevere and triumph.
For parents, educators, policy makers, and indeed all those concerned about the education of young African American women, Overcoming the Odds is an invaluable guidebook on creating the conditions that lead to academic-and lifelong-success.

About this title

About the Author

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, is President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is coauthor, along with Kenneth I. Maton and Geoffrey L. Greif, of Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males. Kenneth I. Maton is Professor of Psychology at the UMBC and Director of the Community-Social Ph.D. Program in Human Services Psychology. Monica L. Greene is Faculty Research Associate in Psychology at UMBC. Geoffrey L. Greif is Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Social Work, University of Maryland. He is the author of six books, including Out of Touch: When Parents and Children Lose Contact After Divorce (OUP).

From Booklist

This book follows up on Beating the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Males (1998), this time focusing on young black women who have successfully completed a special course of science and technology at the University of Maryland. While noting the similar problems faced by both black male and female adolescents--racism, lower incomes, fewer educational opportunities--the authors focus on the particular challenges facing young black women as they struggle to overcome the stereotypical image: high-school drop-out, unwed mother, welfare recipient. Drawing on interviews with students and parents, the authors answer the question, What does it take to succeed academically? Separate chapters allow mothers and fathers to voice their particular concerns about and approaches to raising black women, including how to exercise discipline, provide support, and keep students motivated. And the young women themselves speak about the challenges they face and how they keep themselves focused. Most of the literature on young black women focuses on problems; in welcome contrast, this book is an inspiration and a valuable resource for parents and students. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0195126424
• ISBN 13: 9780195126426
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288