Title: “Acting White”
Producer: Emily Halevy
Feed: CWKN #383, April 30, 2008
Time: 1:39
SUGGESTED LEAD: FOR SOME AMERICAN TEENAGERS, ONE OF THE WAYS TO BE UNPOPULAR IN HIGH SCHOOL IS TO BE AN “A” STUDENT.  IN FACT, IN SOME SCHOOLS…  DOING YOUR HOMEWORK EVERY DAY, STUDYING HARD, AND GETTING GOOD GRADES HAS A CONTROVERSIAL LABEL. SOME CALL IT “ACTING WHITE.”  CONNECT WITH KIDS HAS THE STORY.
<<PKG>>

SUPER: Lindsay, 15 years old (:00)
"If you're really smart they might think of you as a nerd or something."

NARR: A NERD, A DORK, A BOOKWORM... OR WHITE? (:04) 

SUPER: Diijon Dacosta, 20 years old (:08)
"If you dress too proper like with your shirt tucked in and stuff- they'll probably say you act too white."

NARR: RESEARCHERS AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SURVEYED 166 STUDENTS FROM BOTH THE INNER CITY AND THE SUBURBS. THE KIDS SAID THAT “ACTING WHITE” OFTEN MEANT- GETTING GOOD GRADES, JOINING CLUBS, BEING A LEADER …

AND, ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE IS “ACTING BLACK” ... (:15)

SUPER: Don Rice, Ph.D., Psychologist (:29)
“That would include, of course, not studying, not doing homework, not joining various honor societies, or other school projects- I think is all part of that identity.”

NARR: HE SAYS ONE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CULTURE PROMOTES ATHLETES AND RAP STARS MORE THAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO ARE WELL-EDUCATED OR WELL SPOKEN. (:07)
 
SOT: Don Rice, Ph.D., Psychologist (:52)
“Very seldom does one think of a black kid as being smart or geeky in that sense and because they’re not getting the messages through television, they’re not getting the messages through movies.”

NARR: HE ADDS THAT THE MEDIA HELP SET EXPECTATIONS IN A CHILD’S MIND … AND LOW EXPECTATIONS CAN LEAD TO LOW PERFORMANCE- (:07)

SOT: Don Rice, Ph.D., Psychologist (1:15)
"They don't really see the opportunities, they don't see how, uh, sitting down and learning algebra can lead to something that would be a better life.”

SUPER: Omyrie Emerson, 16 years old (1:26)
"Because it's easier to just say forget about it and forget your school work, then it is to actually go through with the whole process and do good in school."

NARR: I’M COLLIN SIEDOR FOR CONNECT WITH KIDS. (:03)

SUGGESTED TAG:   EXPERTS SUGGEST FINDING PROFESSIONALS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOUR CHILD CAN SPEND THE DAY WITH TO SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE IN THE REAL WORLD.  FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ONTO <LOCAL URL> AND CLICK ON THE CONNECT WITH KIDS ICON.