Math Sucks, But Our Kids Can Do It

Let’s be real: math is math.

It doesn’t care if you’re Black or White, rich or broke. Two plus two is always four, no matter who’s counting. But in America? Well, math is a vexing straight jacket when you’re Black. It’s not just numbers and problems—it’s a battlefield. And the fight? It’s not about intelligence or ability. It’s about the system you swim in, the expectations of that system, and the adults in school and home.

It’s about who gets to win and who’s set up to lose.

First, let’s talk about this so-called “achievement gap.” The numbers don’t lie. Black kids consistently score lower in math than their White peers. They almost always have (except for a brief minute in the ‘70s and ‘80s).

But then? Backslide.

Now, the gap is bigger than ever. And why? I can only guess, but I’d say that since the math problem is well known and old, it must exist because people are okay with it—as long as it’s not their children.

Teachers don’t expect much from Black kids, and schools don’t offer them the same advanced courses. Society practically screams at them that math isn’t for them, and eventually, they believe it.

The good news that should wake us up is that math troubles are not about intelligence or ability. Never have been. When you teach Black kids properly, they thrive. Akil Parker - one of my favorite math activists and educators - said it best:

"Math isn’t just a subject; it’s a tool. It’s how you see the world, solve problems, and recognize when the game is rigged. Math is power. And that’s why it’s kept out of reach for so many Black students. If they don’t learn the rules, they can’t play the game, much less change it."

Math doesn’t have to be dry or the boring mess it is now.

Imagine a classroom where math connects to kids’ lives, where they see the value in its formulas and algorithms because it helps them understand things they are already interested in. Teach the Cartesian plane through the story of René Descartes and a fly on the wall. Show how math is woven into Black history—part of our culture, survival, and brilliance.

When math is relevant, it stops being a chore and becomes a tool.

And, for some truthtelling, we can’t lay the blame at the feet of schools, teachers, and “the system.” Parents and community members are partners in the crime. We’ve lived with failure for so long that we almost consider the natural state of being for our kids.

We all have to step up if we’re truly about the life we say we are.

Assata Moore, another of my favorite math evangelists, discusses creating a “culture of math.” That means celebrating it, showing kids it belongs to them, and connecting them with role models who look like them.

You can’t be what you can’t see, right?

Black people have been battling for education since we weren’t even allowed to learn how to read. Sadly, we’ve put so much emphasis on literacy that we’ve shortchanged it. Our symbolic use of “teaching the whole child” needs to see the irony in “whole” as a math term, the subject we neglect.

So what do we do?

I won’t pretend to be an expert. As an adult, I’m re-teaching myself the math concepts I forgot or missed years ago. A root canal is more fun. I won’t lie: it isn’t a beautiful language for me. I want to get there. It hasn’t happened yet. I’ll keep trying.

But that’s because I’m older than baseball. My elastic mental time has passed. My 17-year-old breezed through AP Statistics and Calculus while I was still working on fundamental problems.

Math phobia isn’t hereditary, thank God.

Parker and Moore's statement about ensuring that curriculum reflects the kids it’s supposed to teach is spot on. Train parents and teachers to do better. Fund schools fairly and demand they offer equal access to advanced classes.

And for the love of God, stop treating Black kids like they’re the problem. They aren’t. We are the issue, and we can be the solution.

We can’t continue talking about social justice and liberation if we can’t see the logic and power of math. It’s a required subject for reclaiming their future for our children. Our job is to tear down the walls that lock them out. Because at the end of the day, math is a smaller problem than the people who don’t believe Black kids can solve it.

That’s the actual equation we need to fix.

Interested in hearing more? See Akil Parker here:

And Assata Moore here: