Are African-American kids worth saving?

On any given weekday afternoon, a crowd of students, mostly African-American, gather at the sidewalks and bus stops of Shattuck Avenue. Some are loud and boisterous and walk around aimlessly even though the school bell has signaled the time to return to class. Most are concerned with fleeting matters rather than education and see school not as a necessity, but an arena for social gathering.



Is there any reason to care anymore about a generation more concerned with bling and self-gratification than knowledge and self-improvement? Some, like media mogul Oprah Winfrey, have given up the hope of educating the latest generation of African-American children. When asked why she built her $40 million dollar school for girls in South Africa rather than America, Oprah told journalists:

"I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

Is Oprah right? Should we stop caring for a generation that many feel doesn't care about itself? Or should we persist in educating the young black leaders of tomorrow?