Stereotypes 1. African Americans are more violent than others 2. African Americans are less intelligent than others 3. African Americans are lazy & irresponsible 4. They blame everyone else for their problems 5. Many African Americans are resentful troublemakers

Past Connections Slavery Kept illiterate and ignorant, stripped of culture & customs, brutalized Post-slavery: Free but Segregated Segregation de facto in North, legal in South Euro-American Rationalizations Denying the humanness of African Americans, supporting the “separate but equal” doctrine, ignoring the issue Movement toward True Equality Non-violent movement led to Civil Rights Act of 1964

Current Profile 12% of US population 55% live in South 20% live in Midwest 20% live in Northeast 10% live in West African Americans > 25% of population Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Maryland, and Alabama

Three Tiers of Progress Middle-Class Home ownership, education, spiritual Under-Class 23% below poverty line Large African American prison population Racial profiling De-industrialization of America Struggling Between

Glass Ceiling Obstacles Hitting the Glass Ceiling, lack of opportunity, & upward mobility Feeling pressured to undermine or drop their African American Identity Having to prove themselves, over & over Dealing with stigma of being an affirmative action hire Coping with ethnic stereotypes

Education for Careers High school completion rate rose from 51% in 1980 to 79% in 2000 College enrollment increased 1.5x Intellectual Achievement Depends on Income Socioeconomic status - not ethnicity or gender - is the best predictor of both grades and test scores

African American Core Values Sharing Expressing personal style Being real and genuine Being assertive Expressing feelings Bouncing back Distrust mainstream establishment

African American Community: Typical Customs Customs in Community Life Church plays a major role in social change Customs in Family Life Extended families - “parents” & key people Strict no-nonsense discipline

Barrier #1 Breaking Out of Lowered Expectations - Failure Cycle Others assumption that I’m intellectually inferior> My internalized belief that I’m intellectually inferior> Low self-confidence regarding intellectual tasks> Poor performance on intellectual tasks> Avoidance of such tasks

Success Cycle Assumption by leader that I can master intellectual tasks> Internalized belief that I can master intellectual tasks> Self-confidence in my ability to master intellectual tasks> Willingness to put for the effort on intellectual tasks> Development of intellectual skills

Barrier #2 Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling History’s Impact Exclusions, viewed negatively, lack of opportunities Low self-esteem & self confidence Career Issues Hitting glass ceiling, lack of opportunity Pressure to act white, repress ethnicity Coaching Needs & Strategies Need to network & build relationships Monitor & develop career strategies

Barrier #3 Breaking Through Blocks at Each Career Phase Entry level & Adjustment phase Encounter organizational & personal prejudice Deal with own anger & frustration, need to recapture positive attitude Career Development Phase Find mentors, develop conflict management & management of prejudice skills Mastery Phase Failure is not an option Use protective hesitation

Building on African American Strengths Planning, Creating, Problem Solving Asset to teams, creativity, assertive in expressing feelings, direct communication Building Relationships People focus, expression of feelings, sharing Connecting with African American Marketplace