New Mpls. school effort sees young black males as assets

In Minnesota, people of color are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to suffer from chronic illness and less likely to graduate from high school than whites. African-American students don't perform as well on standardized tests as their white counterparts.

The Minneapolis school district can better serve students if it focuses on their ability, says Michael Walker, head of its Office of Black Male Student Achievement.

Walker, who met with black students this fall to hear about their experiences in school, told Tom Crann of MPR News that young black male students have a common complaint: "No matter where we go, we're looked at as monsters."

To help them succeed, he said, the district needs to stress a positive narrative about young people.

We have to look at them as assets because they are assets and they have a lot to offer," he said.