The only way to change is if we all come together
"Why do black kids continue to fail in school?” It’s a question Titilayo Bediako heard often. The typical answer was always “It’s because of poverty, single parent families, drugs, gangs…” As a veteran teacher in Minneapolis, she saw in this question an opportunity to reverse the outlook for many students.
“African American kids are taught that the biggest achievement of their people is getting out of slavery,” said Bediako. “They need to be educated about strong black leaders who made a difference in the history of our country and our world to see that they too can be successful and achieve great things.”
We Win Institute is a testament to Bediako’s vision to improve the academic performance of African American students by creating “black excellence.” What started out as an elective class in the Minneapolis Public Schools has grown to an independent organization to which Bediako dedicates herself fulltime.
Student participants in Rites of Passage
We Win’s programming is designed to instill pride and confidence, as well as academic and social skills in children by giving them knowledge and experiences that honor and celebrate their cultural roots.
In particular, the curriculum focuses on literacy. According to Bediako, “If you are not literate, you are handicapped.” Through the “Rites of Passage” program, her goal is to shrink the sizeable achievement gap between African American students and their white counterparts. “Minnesota ranks highly when it comes to the success of our students, yet black students are at the bottom when it comes to reading and writing,” she said. “There’s something wrong with this picture.”
In “Rites of Passage,” students use history and culture as the subject matter to build their reading and writing skills. They learn there are certain rites you go through to become a successful adult—such as self discipline, academic success and leadership — and certain rights we all have as individuals — such as competency and literacy.
Mentors focus on giving students a base of knowledge in core subjects while helping them develop the skills they need to grow into successful, responsible adults.
“Our mentors are a consistent adult presence in the lives of these children,” said Bediako. “We don’t give up on these kids and we help them keep the faith in their own abilities. That helps them build confidence and stay accountable for their actions.”
The results are measurable: within the first year programming, student participants saw significant reductions in truancy, absenteeism, tardiness and suspensions. And those results have remained consistent since the programming began in 1995.
“We have to create black excellence,” said Bediako. “When you have an understanding and learn that you come from a people who have achieved great things, good things will come—you will feel better about yourself."
We Win's Black Excellence Contest winners go to inauguration. Read MinnPost story
