August means so many things to me. Football season is back and soon autumn will be knocking at our door, bringing with it crisp leaves and warm turtleneck sweaters. This month also marks the return of school.

For some black students, a new school year can mean new challenges. (bigstock) Before I became a parent, back-to-school season was a largely nostalgic time to purchase superfluous office supplies and contemplate applying to graduate school. But now, it truly is a time to stock up on no. 2 pencils, rulers and lunch boxes. It is also a time to prepare myself, as many other black parents do, for some of the unique challenges that face our children throughout the school year.

Buses gather at Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore County. (Mark Gail - THE WASHINGTON POST) What better way to start the school year than with a quiz on black history? Many of our culture’s game-changing efforts to close the academic gap between African Americans and whites have taken place right in our backyard. Take the quiz below to learn what black people in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have done to advance our educational pursuits.

Alfonzo Porter is a contributor to The RootDC and the author of “More Like Barack, Less Like Tupac: Eradicating the Academic Achievement Gap by Countering Decades of the Hip Hop Hoax.” He is a speaker, consultant, former teacher and school administrator.

Is your child ready for the upcoming school year? (Gretchen Phillips) With the start of a new school year looming, parents across the region are scrambling to ensure that their children are prepared for success in school. That may be easier said than done. For many, particularly poor, minority students, overcoming the effects of the so called “summer slide” could prove to be their biggest hurdle to achievement this school year.

The summer slide represents the loss in learning that occurs when students are not engaged in scholastic, academically enriching activities for a prolonged period. By the end of summer vacation, the average student loses approximately a month’s worth of learning acquired from the previous year. But students who were below grade level at the beginning of summer, especially minority children, retain far less than those who were initially performing at grade level.

History is not destiny, and that has to count as a good thing for black parents preparing to send their children back to school.
Supportive parents can aid a child’s academic achievements. (istockphoto)

Even in this age of seemingly limitless possibilities, our children’s track record in the classroom is not what it should be, or could be.

Despite huge leaps in the decades following the demise of government-sponsored segregation and the individual success of many, many black students, African Americans as a group lag far behind whites and Asian Americans in nearly every measure of academic achievement: standardized test scores, class grades, college enrollment and completion rates. Their dropout rates are higher, and their attendance rates are lower.

The gap persists even though researchers confirm what we know instinctively: that black children have the same inherent ability as everyone else.

The conundrum of black underachievement in school complicates the already difficult question on the mind of every parent: How do I ensure my child’s success?

Miss Black USA 2012 Selena Watkins previously served as Miss Black New York. (Courtesy of The AFRO-American Newspaper)After a year of public appearances, crown-wearing and and pageant prep, 30 women from around the United States and the Virgin Islands were in D.C. last week to compete for the title of Miss Black USA, now in its 25th year.

Contestants spent five days answering questions, performing in the talent competition, and modeling evening gowns and fitness wear, but only one finished the week with a crown. Selena Watkins, Miss Black New York,won the competition.

Over the past year, the Yonkers native and fitness instructor held dance and fitness workshops focused on promoting health and wellness, in addition to advancing the competition’s platform, The Heart Truth , a national campaign that helps women fight and prevent heart disease.

“I’m going to hopefully get people to understand that health isn’t about being a certain size. It’s about understanding your body and being healthy inside and out,” she said.

Watkins graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University in 2009 with a fine arts degree. She was chosen as Miss Rutgers Caribbean in 2005, representing her parents’ island Antigua. She now teaches dance classes at gyms across Westchester County, N.Y., and mentors students in Yonkers.

As she readies herself to continue a new year of public service, we talked with the 24-year-old about staying grounded in the public eye and her future after the crown comes off.