Promises Kept

By: Joe Brewster, Michele Stephenson, Hilary Beard

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Dominic Hoffman

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's Summary

As seen on PBS's POV An unprecedented guide to helping black boys achieve success at every stage of their lives - at home, at school, and in the world.

Regardless of how wealthy or poor their parents are, all black boys must confront and surmount the "achievement gap": a divide that shows up not only in our sons' test scores, but in their social and emotional development, their physical well-being, and their outlook on life. As children, they score as high on cognitive tests as their peers, but at some point, the gap emerges. Why?

This is the question Joe Brewster, M.D., and Michele Stephenson asked when their own son, Idris, began struggling in a new school. As they filmed his experiences for their award-winning documentary American Promise, they met an array of researchers who had not only identified the reasons for the gap, but had come up with practical, innovative solutions to close it.

In Promises Kept, they explain how to influence your son's brain before he's even born; how to tell the difference between authoritarian and authoritative discipline - and why it matters; how to create an educational program for your son that matches his needs; how to prepare him for explicit and implicit racism in school and in the wider world; how to help your child develop resilience, self-discipline, emotional intelligence, and a positive outlook that will last a lifetime.

Filled with innovative research, practical strategies, and the voices of parents and children who are grappling with these issues firsthand, Promises Kept will challenge your assumptions and inspire you to make sure your child isn't lost in the gap.

©2014 Joe Brewster, Michele Stephenson, and Hilary Beard (P)2013 Random House Audio

Must Have Resource for Parents and Educators

If you could sum up Promises Kept in three words, what would they be?

Promises Kept is an excellent resource for educators at all levels, parents, students, and anyone who is concerned about the development of talent in our society and sees it as their responsibility to develop that talent. America has building an educational system that separate and extremely unequal. Read Promises Kept, a hands on manual on how to develop resiliency in children, equip parents with the knowledge on how to engage the schools and teachers responsible for educating their children and above all how everyone can be part of the solution to end the achievement gap that is plaguing our country. This book will help you to understand your own educational strengths and weaknesses and what you can do to strengthen them. Let's promise to do everything we can to save ALL our children present and future.

What did you like best about this story?

The honesty of the filmmakers and their bravery in opening up about a subject that is so emotionally charged, and their ability to control their emotions to present this transformational masterpiece. Bless you.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Must Read

As a mother of a young black boy, and as an educator of 19 years, the issues raised in this publication were near and dear to my heart. So many times, I found myself nodding in agreement, saddened by statistics, or encouraged by the information. Most of all, I believe I feel empowered, when prior I felt more of a victim. This book is a must read. Then share it with others so we can keep the conversation going. Well done!