Are schools suffering from a African-American brain drain?

"The same conversation took place in the 70s when African-Americans were compared to Jamaicans," says Charles Gallagher, PhD, professor of sociology and chair of the sociology and criminal justice program at La Salle University. "'Why are Jamaicans doing so well? What's wrong with these blacks from the United States?' This kind of narrative emerges every time there's a new immigrant group that comes to the United States that's black."

In 2007, Camille Zubrinsky Charles, PhD, professor of sociology and director of The Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, coauthored a study that showed black immigrants or their U.S. born children comprise a disproportionate number of black students at top universities. Although four years have elapsed, she says the data are still relevant, and she agrees with Gallagher's observation that findings such as hers tend to be oversimplified.  Read more...