It’s Not Just About Grades—It’s About Culture

As an educator with over twenty-five years of experience in both the UK and the US, I’ve seen firsthand how educational systems, especially those built on a monolingual, monocultural framework, fail to serve Black American, Continental African and Caribbean students. This experience has driven me to write my upcoming book, “It’s Not Just About Grades, It’s About Culture,” where I delve into the impact of white-centric teaching practices and the need to dismantle these pervasive systems.

One of the core ideas in my book is the importance of cultural representation in education—a factor often overlooked or undervalued. Throughout the book, I introduce Adinkra symbols—ancient Ghanaian pictographs rich with philosophy, ethics, and values—as transformative tools to help empower Black students and boost their self-awareness and self-esteem. As I demonstrate in the book, these symbols have the power to revolutionise classrooms by connecting students to their heritage and fostering a sense of belonging and self-worth.

Why culture? Because it shapes identity, and without it, our children—particularly those from historically marginalised communities—are left disconnected and disempowered. The issue is far more significant than just academic performance. It’s about addressing the achievement and cultural gaps that persist in our schools and recognising that grades alone do not define a student’s potential. For example, when we explore the "higher-attaining ethnic gaps" data in the UK and the US among secondary school students, it is plain to see that Black children, regardless of socioeconomic background, tend to consistently achieve lower than South Asians, Chinese and White middle-class students since the 1970s irrespective of advances in education. Except for Black Caribbean pupils and White Irish pupils, all other ethnicities saw more significant improvements in attainment between 2019 and 2023 than White British pupils.

The above graph shows Black Caribbean students underperforming compared to all other groups except for White and Black Caribbean, Traveller of Irish Heritage and Gypsy Roma students. Continental African students have made progress according to this 2023 graph from epi.or.uk. My book offers solutions, grounded in both research and my personal experiences, for educators and parents to close these gaps and create more inclusive, culturally aware learning environments.

I believe we can change how Black students engage with education by embracing their cultural heritage. “It’s Not Just About Grades, It’s About Culture” challenges current systems and provides a roadmap for how cultural tools like Adinkra symbols can uplift and empower the next generation.

I’m excited to share more as I finalise the book in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates on how this project will unfold—and how we can all contribute to creating an education system that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.