AfricanAmerican MiddleIncome Parents

How Are They Involved in Their Children's Literacy Development?

"Ethel Robinson has written an amazing book. As she wisely argues, despite a rapidly growing middle and upper class, popular media and public debates continue to view AfricanAmerican families from a deficit perspective. Portrayals of AfricanAmerican families in newspapers, television, and contemporary scholarship tend to focus on singleparent households, low parental expectations, and lack of family involvement in schooling. The families you will meet in this book contradict these stereotypes. In carefully crafted vignettes, Dr. Robinson paints an alternative portrait of life in AfricanAmerican households. In this marvelous book, you will see eight intact families intimately involved in the academic and social lives of their children. Some volunteer in their children’s classrooms; others serve as devoted tutors and mentors; still others are active advocates, arguing passionately for school services; all hold fast to the hope that their children will achieve their piece of the American dream. This book is a powerful antidote to the negative portrayals of AfricanAmerican families that abound in mainstream media. It is a 'mustread' for researchers, educators, and all who wish to look beyond and beneath the stereotypes of AfricanAmerican family life." ~ Susan Hynds, Ph.D., Professor of English Education, Syracuse University Reading and Language Arts Center