Overcoming the Odds: Raising Academically Successful African American Young Women

by Kenneth I. Maton, Monica L. Greene, Freeman A. Hrabowski III, et al.

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195126424
• ISBN13: 9780195126426
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Reporting a Sucess Story

The previous commentator confuses reporting a success story with self promotion. In addition, she suggests that other students are treated as an after thought. Yet the aggregate data suggests otherwise, as the general average SAT, graduation rate, acceptance rate to premier graduate schools, etc. by "all" students has risen dramatically at UMBC in the past ten years. Dr. Hrabowski hardly needs to do any career saving moves. To the contrary, the Baltimore community is doing everything it can to keep the voracious head hunters at bay as many other universities have been trying to lure him away. I also know Dr, Hrabowski personally and have witnessed him interact with inner city kids and truly inspire them to greater heights. Never have I heard him suggest that others are not able. On the other hand, he is a realist and certainly is aware that life's circumstances have prepared some to be more successful than others. IMHO, Ms. Grayson's book review is at heart an ad hominine attack on one of the leading educators in the nation. She obviously does have an axe to grind.