Three Black Males Defy Odds and Become Chess Masters at 12 and 13

Masters of the Game and Leaders by Example

Richard Perry/The New York Times

From left, James Black Jr., Justus Williams and Joshua Colas competing in Manhattan last month. Their success is a “phenomenon,” one veteran player said.

By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN

Published: November 12, 2011

Fewer than 2 percent of the 77,000 members of the United States Chess Federation are masters — and just 13 of them are under the age of 14.

Among that select group of prodigies are three black players from the New York City area — Justus Williams, Joshua Colas and James Black Jr. — who each became masters before their 13th birthdays.

“Masters don’t happen every day, and African-American masters who are 12 never happen,” said Maurice Ashley, 45, the only African-American to earn the top title of grandmaster. “To have three young players do what they have done is something of an amazing curiosity. You normally wouldn’t get something like that in any city of any race.”
The chess federation, the game’s governing body, does not keep records on the ethnicity of its members. But a Web site called the Chess Drum — which chronicles the achievements of black chess players and is run by Daaim Shabazz, an associate professor of business at Florida A&M University — lists 85 African-American masters. Shabazz said many of them no longer compete regularly.
Ashley, who became a master at age 20 and a grandmaster 14 years later, said the rarity was not surprising. “Chess just isn’t that big in the African-American community,” he said.
The chess federation uses a rating system to measure ability based on the results of matches in officially sanctioned events; a player must reach a rating of 2,200 to qualify for master.
In September last year, Justus, who is now 13 and lives in the Bronx, was the first of the three boys to get to 2,200, becoming the youngest black player to obtain the master rank. Joshua, 13, of White Plains, was a few months younger than Justus when he became a master last December. James, 12, of Brooklyn, became a master in July.
(Samuel Sevian of Santa Clara, Calif., is the youngest master in United States history, earning the title last December, 20 days before his 10th birthday.)
The three New Yorkers met several years ago during competitions. Justus has an edge over James, mostly because he won many of their early games, before James caught up. Head to head, James and Joshua each have several wins against the other. Justus and Joshua have rarely competed against each other.
Although they are rivals, the boys are also friends and share a sense that they are role models.
“I think of Justus, me and Josh as pioneers for African-American kids who want to take up chess,” James said.
James’s father, James Black, said he and Justus’s and Joshua’s parents were aware of what their sons represent and “talk about it a great deal,” but tried not to pressure them too much.
Black said his son “knows that the pressure comes along with the territory. What is going to happen is going to happen. As long he plays, we’re sure that things will work out for the best.”
The three boys approach the game differently. Justus and Joshua say that James studies the most, and Joshua admits he would rather play than practice. “I like the competition,” he said. “And I like that chess is an art.”
Justus said he is the most aggressive of the three, and he and James agree that Joshua is the most unpredictable. “Joshua likes to change up his openings during tournaments,” Justus said.
Supporting the boys’ interest is not easy financially. Though there are many tournaments in the New York City area, the boys must travel to play in more prestigious competitions, sometimes overseas. This week, they are set to play in the World Youth Chess Championship in Brazil.
They study the game with professional coaches who are grandmasters. The lessons are expensive — $100 an hour is not unusual — and the boys’ families have either found sponsors or have paid for the instruction themselves.
The boys aspire to be a grandmaster by the time they graduate from high school, something that only a few dozen players in the world have done. Ashley, who has met the boys but does not know any of them well, says the obstacles are substantial.
He said several children that he had coached to the junior high school national championships in the early 1990s went on to enroll at elite colleges and then to have successful careers. Along the way, he said, playing chess became less of a priority for them. It is difficult to make a living as a player, he said, adding, “I’ve seen many talented kids go by the wayside.”
Ashley said he could not predict whether the success of Justus, Joshua and James would encourage other young African-Americans to play. Another black teenager, Jehron Bryant, 15, of Valley Stream, N.Y., became a master in September.
“Masters will never be epidemics,” Ashley said. He said the rise of the young masters was a “phenomenon” that was “ worth noting.”
“It is special,” he said, “and that we know for a fact.”
Justus, Joshua and James all played in the Marshall Chess Club Championship in Manhattan last month. Justus and Joshua finished with disappointing results — a common problem for young players, who often lack consistency. But James tied for fifth. In the last round, he beat Yefim Treger, a strong veteran master who is in his 50s.
Treger is a tough opponent because he uses unorthodox openings. James kept his head, however, patiently seizing space and building up his attack until he was able to force through a passed pawn. He wrapped up the game by cornering and checkmating Treger’s king.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Says Failing Schools Could Rise to 82%

Washington (CNN) -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday his department estimates that four out of five schools in the United States will not make their "No Child Left Behind" benchmarks by the law's target year of 2014 -- and when the test scores are counted for the current school year, numbers could show that U.S. schools are already at that failure rate.
He blamed that failure rate on the law itself, not on schools.
"This law has created dozens of ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed. We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible, and focused on the schools and students most at risk," Duncan told the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Under the No Child Left Behind law, originally passed in 2001, all students are expected to meet a level of "proficiency" by 2014. Because standards under No Child Left Behind are higher from year to year as 2014 approaches, the percentage of schools that are not meeting "Adequate Yearly Progress" could rise from the current level of 37% to 82%, Duncan said.
Duncan pointed out that federal law requires states and districts to "implement the same set of interventions in every school that is not meeting AYP, regardless of the individual needs and circumstances of those schools."
Under the Education Department's estimates, 82% of America's schools "could be labeled 'failing' and, over time, the required remedies for all of them are the same -- which means we will really fail to serve the students in greatest need," said Duncan.
"By mandating and prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, No Child Left Behind took away the ability of local and state educators to tailor solutions to the unique needs of their students," Duncan said calling the concept "fundamentally flawed."
Duncan was on Capitol Hill to both push for the reauthorization and revamping of the No Child Left Behind law, and to defend President Barack Obama's budget request for 2012.
The 2012 budget request comes to $77.4 billion -- an increase of $4.5 billion over the 2011 request.
Republicans on the committee questioned any increase in the budget in the current economic climate.
Committee chairman Rep. John Kline, R-Minnesota, said in his opening remarks, "As we work to answer the question about the appropriate role for the federal government in education, one thing is for sure: it must be less costly and less intrusive."
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, asked the secretary if he though he could be successful without an increase in funding saying, "If you cut the right way and put the money into the systems that you know work, could you do that?"

The education secretary answered, "We have to do that, anyway, and I continue to think we under-invest" compared to higher-performing countries.

Students say high school is not preparing them for the real world!

WASHINGTON — Young adults say high schools are failing to give students a solid footing for the working world or strong guidance toward college, at a time when many fear graduation means tumbling into an economic black hole. Students who make it to college are happy with the education they get there, an Associated Press-Viacom poll says.
Most of the 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed gave high schools low grades for things that would ease the way to college: A majority say their school wasn’t good at helping them choose a field of study, aiding them in finding the right college or vocational school or assisting them in coming up with ways to pay for more schooling.

If schools did these things better, it could make a significant difference, because young people already are enthusiastic about higher education. Two-thirds say students should aim for college, even if they aren’t sure yet what career they want to pursue. Almost as many say they want to get at least a four-year degree themselves.
The majority of high school students probably won’t end up with a college degree, however. Among those a few years ahead of them — today’s 25- to 34-year-olds — only about a third hold a bachelor’s or higher degree, according to the Census Bureau. Less than 10 percent get an associate’s degree.
So getting students ready for work remains central to high schools’ mission. And most young people say their school didn’t do a good job of preparing them for work or helping them choose a future career. They also give high schools low marks on exposing them to the latest technology in their field and helping them get work experience, according to the poll conducted in partnership with Stanford University.
Learning real-life job skills is important to students such as Mary Margaret Rice, 18, who likes her regional vocational high school in Wakefield, Mass. “I’m getting training to weld,” she said.
Rice is interested in joining the military, but not in more schooling after graduation. “Money is a reason,” she said, “but the main reason is I can’t really focus on classwork and homework.”
Overall, only 4 in 10 young people voice strong satisfaction with their high school education. About as many are “somewhat satisfied.” Almost a fifth are unsatisfied — twice as many as expressed unhappiness with college.
Lovina Dill says she wishes the two high schools she attended in California had taught her how to deal with the ups and downs of the real world. She could have used a class in “what happens if you can’t get a job, and the unemployment rate rises and nobody can find a job.” Dill said she was briefly homeless when she was laid off and unable to find a job using her certification in massage therapy.
Dill, now 21, self-employed and living with her father in Arcadia, La., thinks high schools should offer juniors and seniors workshops on how to get a job, how to build a career and the many educational options besides a four-year degree.
The one category where young people rated high schools best was preparing them for further education: 56 percent say their school did a good or excellent job at that. Those who went on to college or trade school gave their high schools better marks than those who didn’t.
The bulk of college students — 6 in 10 — declare themselves either “very” or “extremely” pleased with their higher education.
Most say a career-focused college education is a high priority, and students feel their schools are providing it. A strong majority of students and recent grads give their college high marks for preparing them for the work force, helping them choose a field of study, exposing them to the latest technology and helping them get internships.
Six in 10 even say their college was “excellent” or “good” at helping them find money to pay for their education.
Young adults’ opinions are mixed on whether the nation’s education system understands their goals and values. Almost half of college attendees feel that the schools “get” them. That’s significantly more than among those whose education stopped at high school; just 3 in 10 say the school system could identify with them.
Young people credit their own ambition and abilities most for their progress in life, followed by parents, family and friends. But beyond that tight-knit circle, teachers are the heroes, with 4 in 10 saying high school teachers helped a lot. College teachers earn similar praise.
High school and college counselors are a step behind. Most students give them some credit, but less than one-fourth say their counselors were a lot of help, and about 3 in 10 think they didn’t help at all.
Nonwhite students were more likely than whites to say their high school counselors helped them, and also gave their high schools better ratings for helping find money for college.
Young adults overall see brighter days ahead for education. About half think kids entering elementary school today will get a better education than they did, more than double the number who predict schools will get worse.
The AP-Viacom telephone survey of 1,104 adults ages 18-24 was conducted Feb. 18-March 6 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Stanford University’s participation in this project was made possible by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
AP writer Stacy A. Anderson, AP Polling Director Trevor Tompson, Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.

Financial burden adds to students stress

US students stressed out: study

WASHINGTON (AFP) – First-year students on US campuses are experiencing record levels of stress, according to a study showing increasing financial and academic pressures on young people entering university.

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) study, which surveyed 200,000 students entering their freshman year on American campuses last year, was released Thursday and found that just under 52 percent reported their emotional health was very good or "above average."

That figure represents a major decline from 1985, the first year of the self-ratings survey, when nearly two-thirds of incoming freshmen placed themselves in those categories. It's also a decline of 3.4 percentage points from 2009.

Female freshmen were more likely than their male peers to report feeling stressed. The UCLA researchers said just under 46 percent of females ranked their emotional health as very good, compared to 59 percent of males.

Women were more than twice as likely to frequently feel "overwhelmed by all I had to do" as high school seniors preparing for their first year of university.

"Stress is a major concern when dealing with college students," said John Pryor, lead author of the report.

"If students are arriving in college already overwhelmed and with lower reserves of emotional health, faculty, deans and administrators should expect to see more consequences of stress, such as higher levels of poor judgment around time management, alcohol consumption and academic motivation."

America's economic crisis adds to the stress, according to the study, which said 53 percent of students rely on loans to help pay for college. In addition, nearly three-quarters of students reported receiving grants and scholarships, representing a nine-year high.

"The increasing cost of higher education poses a significant barrier to college access for today's students," said Sylvia Hurtado, co-author of the report.

"Students and families are now charged with the task of becoming more resourceful and strategic in finding new and creative ways to pay for college," she added.

Parents of students are also more likely to be unemployed: nearly five percent said their father was out out of work -- a record high; and the rate of unemployed mothers, nearing nine percent, continued to increase.

Economic concerns seem to have influenced students' political views. Nearly two-thirds of students said wealthy people should pay more taxes, compared to just half of the students surveyed in 2002.

U.S. Education Missing True Black History, African-Americans opting for home-schooling

African-Americans opting for home-schooling

More African-American parents are opting to home-school their children using a curriculum centered on African-American history, culture, language and study important role models.

By Erika Slife Chicago Tribune

BIGNIEW BZDAK / MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

CHICAGO — The children sat placidly in their chairs, elbows on the table, eyes forward. One munched on a clementine. A group of younger children, ages 3 to 5, colored quietly in the back.

"We lost a woman who was very important to us," announced Afrika Porter-Ollarvia. "Dr. Margaret Burroughs."

What do the students know, she asked, about Burroughs? Several hands shot up, and answers popped out: "She was an artist!" "Her poems were famous!"

Welcome to the classroom of the Indigo Nation Homeschoolers Association, where the curriculum is centered on African-American history, culture and language.

The 12 families who participate in the co-op meet once a week at the Grande Prairie Library in Hazel Crest, where they learn about the ancient art of African storytelling, lace their lessons with words in Swahili and talk about important role models in their culture, such as Burroughs, the co-founder of Chicago's DuSable Museum, who died in November.

"Families feel like the American education system does not teach African-American children," said Porter-Ollarvia, a mom of three. "A lot of times in textbooks, you'll see 'Dick run, Dick go,' Jane and Jack and Jill. But you won't see African-American names like Zarifah and Muhammad. And a lot of times our children need to see their names and have a point of reference and see themselves in the books."

Home-schooling experts say more African-American families are choosing to school their children at home, opting out of public schools, which critics say may be not only failing their children, but also in some cases shortchanging them of their history.

"That is the No. 1 reason ... the black curriculum," said Joyce Burgess, who with her husband founded the National Black Home Educators organization, based near Baton Rouge, La. "They've taken black history out. It wasn't just Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth ... and Harriet Tubman. It was also Condoleezza Rice, Shirley Chisholm; it was also Marian Anderson and the Tuskegee Airmen. They're heroes, and our children need to learn about our heroes."

Minorities make up nearly 15 percent of the approximately 2 million home-schooled students in the country, according to the National Home Education Research Institute, whose founder and president, Brian Ray, has been studying home-schooling for 27 years.

Although numbers reflecting the trends and demographics of home-schooled children are hard to come by, experts and leaders in the field say there is no doubt that minority participation is growing.

"You'll hear that, all over the country, from people who organize home-school conferences," Ray said. "It's clearly rising."

Home-schooling in general grew 77 percent from 1999 to 2007, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. In 2007, 3.9 percent of all Caucasian students were home-schooled, the research found, compared with just 0.8 percent of African-American students.

In Chicago, the Indigo Nation Homeschoolers Association started about a year ago and includes families of African and Caribbean descent.

One of the founders, Asantewaa Oppong Wadie, a Park Forest mother of four, said the group's curriculum was vital for her children's upbringing.

"To make sure the history of African people is primary, rather than secondary and optional," she said. "Our concern is about raising the whole human being, and that the whole human being is allowed to mature and develop."

In the last month, the students have studied the history and significance of Kwanzaa, the weeklong celebration of African-American heritage and culture.

In a basement room in the library, the children, sometimes with their mothers, have recited poems and stories of African-American poets. They've banged on African drums, played African music and learned African dance. They talk about social justice and acceptance, on topics such as an African-American woman's choice to let her hair go natural.

The atmosphere is fluid — the older students pay attention, while the younger ones either sit on laps or dance circles around the parent-teachers. A shy student softly recites a poem and afterward receives hearty applause from the other children while she gets a proud squeeze from her mom.

The students also participate with other children in extracurricular activities such as theater, dance and 4-H.

"It's just so much fun," said Jahlil Porter, 14. "I get to go to different places that other children don't get to go to. ... We got to volunteer for [Barack] Obama a couple of years ago. We went to Indianapolis and then we got to go to Grant Park. I know when I go to college, when I go to history class, I'm going to know all this stuff."