Running head: Black A Hope in the Unseen Paper 1

A Hope in the Unseen Paper

Ciara Black
Wright State University
EDL 761
















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Inner-city upbringings are not badges of honor proudly worn by children who weathered
the storm to success. The protagonist in A Hope in the Unseen was one of those children. His
mother struggled to keep the lights on, father was in and out of correctional facilities and high
school was one of the worse in the city. With all of these obstacles it was no small feat to choose
academic achievement over social acceptance. For Cedric Jennings, his intellect and
determination were his ticket not just out of his poverty-ridden neighborhood but to the Ivy
League, a place where most students who look like him could only imagine. How can a person
pull himself out of the grips of the crab barrel and reach his potential without knowing what that
potential is? These were all questions that surrounded Cedric throughout the novel.
Talent, intellect, skill and the ability to achieve were masks that Cedric used to disguise
himself at Ballou High School. When the novel begins, Cedric is intentionally avoiding an
assembly recognizing academic achievement. Even with the incentive of money, Cedric did not
want to risk the ridicule he would surely face by being present. He did not desire to fit in with his
peers but he also did not want to be alienated for his intelligence and dedication to his education.
The book illustrates the need to make choices. Specifically, the character of Philip Atkins shows
how the choices you make in the present can have a significant impact on your future. This
character chose to be accepted socially instead of actualizing his potential academically. Multiple
identities were at work within Philips character because he struggled with the directives from
his father telling him to aim low, work hard in an occupation and not to waste time on dreams
that couldnt be realized. Lack of modeling was also displayed with Philips character because
the people he surrounded himself with could not see beyond their day to day responsibilities so
he lacked the ability to see beyond Ballou and his need for popularity. Cedric and Philip were
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adversaries because Cedric did not make excuses for who he was at Ballou while Philip ran away
from his true self. Philip was function within the duality position that can be found in Perrys
intellectual and ethical development theory. A contributing factor to this could be a lack of
personalism from the Knelfkamp and Widick Development Instruction model (1999) where risk-
taking occurs and different opinions are welcomed. Philip desired different things for himself but
instead of taking risks, he inevitably held himself back based on his upbringing. In contrast to
Philips father, Cedrics mother, although not well-educated herself was a motivating force in
Cedrics life and attempted to model the way for him as best she could. She was also willing to
take risks with him.
Parental influences shape the lives of children but as children grow, they begin to realize
own autonomy. In the novel, Cedric realized his own autonomy at a relatively early age as
situations that he was confronted with forced him to grow up quickly. Those situations included
unstable housing, not always having enough food to eat and struggling to keep life in one piece.
He began his journey toward autonomy when he began imagining his life beyond his
neighborhood and the protective arms of his mother; to a place he had never seen and could only
dream about. This autonomy was further discovered when he understood that his intellectual
skills could write him a ticket beyond his current circumstance.
An example can be found when he received his invitation to participate in the MITES
program at MIT. He commented as he read the acceptance letter This is it. My life is about to
begin (Suskind 1998, p. 76). This is a poignant moment in the book because despite knowing
that there was life outside of inner city D.C., the letter from MIT affirmed the possibility that
Cedric could gain access to that world. Phase one of Baxter Magoldas theory titled following
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formulas can be connected here because Cedric knows that the plans and expectations laid out
for him by his mother were for his future success and he has allowed them to define him for most
of his life up to that point. However, as he participated in the MITES program, the Cedric he
considered himself to be, continued to be challenged and his abilities were questioned. This
dissonance allowed Cedric to move toward phase two titled crossroads. Particularly, when
Cedric did not receive the recommendation to MIT at the conclusion of the MITES program; he
faced his first rejection, denied access because he was deemed not good enough. This
realization that his intellect did not meet the standard would continue as another theme in the
novel.
The transition from high school to college can be difficult for anyone but especially for a
student coming from a low socio-economic status and academically underprepared. Ballou High
School is representative of an overall deteriorating K-12 American educational system. This may
not be a current concern in higher education but it does have implications for the administrators
and faculty charged with teaching students coming from these schools. The impact of
developmental or remedial course work can slow academic persistence and effect students in
both financial and psychological ways. Interventions within the K-12 system are necessary for
the academic issues that students have. Some interventions could be partnerships among state-
funded institutions and local school boards to bridge the academic gap. Additional post-
secondary education opportunities could also be beneficial. Perhaps with these interventions in
place, students like Philip, LaTisha and others could have imagined a life beyond what Ballou
and the streets of inner D.C had to offer.
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Despite the rejection from MIT, the Ivy League remained within reach when Cedric was
accepted into Brown University. At Brown, Cedric was confronted by the typical psycho-social
challenges of a college freshman. With Cedrics strong religious conviction, limited exposure to
other cultures and lack of understanding of his true self; Cedric experience significant adjustment
issues during his first year at Brown.
One of those issues came in his first semester when he chose to take his courses as
pass/fail instead of receiving actual grades. This choice was motivated by self-doubt. He
admitted to his academic advisor that he needed to figure out where he stood and that he did not
want to get in over his head (Suskind 1998, p. 172). During this time, Cedric regresses to stage
two of Eriksons Identity Development theory. In this stage, children will behave without
considering what their skills or capabilities are (impulsive) or become too focused on ensuring
that everything they do is just so or perfect (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton & Renn 2009, p. 49).
He became so concerned with doing well that he ignored the opportunity to challenge himself.
This point becomes even more clear when he returns to both his church and high school
reporting that he received a 4.0 grade point average when that was not definitive.
Inter-personal relationships can shape who people become and college can be the first
exposure that young adults have to other people with different religions, ideologies and
backgrounds. These ideas became evident as Cedric began to expand his network of friends and
developing relationships. He did not fair very well with being social, particularly with his
roommate Rob Burton. These two young men and their life experiences could not have been
more different and being roommates caused high levels of tension. Their points of conflict were
not diffused by mutual understanding or talking out their difference and their failure to address
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their differences stemmed from never talking about class privilege, social identity or their
personal beliefs. The both of them hoped that it would go away or they consciously made
choices to avoid each other. Like lava boiling under the surface, the issues of class, race and
social identity rose in their dorm room.
An example of this was when Cedric forgot to provide Rob with an important message.
At the climax of their argument, Cedric tells Rob Dont talk to me like Im a child or
something, talking to me like Im less than you, like you have no respect for me (Suskind 1998,
p. 207). Rob counters You dont know me, either. Listen, youre seeing things that arent there
(Suskind 1998, p. 207). What was being implied? Race, social identity and class privilege all
could have been contributing factors but the fact that those issues were swept under the rug, like
in current society was not productive in creating understanding of each others differences.
Rowe, Bennett and Atkinsons White racial consciousness model can be connected to
Robs character at this point, specifically the unachieved white racial consciousness avoidant
attitude. Throughout the novel, Rob did not recognize how his race and privilege would or could
impact Cedric. At the same time, Cedrics inability to comprehend his own identity made him
vulnerable and perpetuated his feelings of being targeted. Jones and McEwens (2000) multiple
dimensions of identity model centers on the core sense of self and since Cedrics sense of self
was in turmoil, he could not determine who his core sense of self was. Cedric and Rob were able
to live peacefully for some time however towards the end of the novel, their unwillingness to
communicate regrettably continued to deteriorate their friendship.
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A potential intervention could have been a follow up to the Community Values:
Pluralism and Diversity session that was held during their freshman orientation. This one time
approach is indicative of how society at times, addresses diversity and inclusion. The follow-up
session could have consisted of a forum to openly discuss issues of diversity between
roommates, peers, faculty, etc. If students were not comfortable with open discussing their
concerns, private mediation times could have been suggested. It was interesting that this session
was held at the beginning of the year and appeared to be the only university-wide
acknowledgement of diversity. Issues among students are typically at a minimum during this
time and issues can only increase as the year progresses.
Gaining self-confidence and independence can be a difficult road for any college student
and Cedric journeys was no different. Towards the end of his first year at Brown, Cedric
challenged himself, his beliefs, his social identity and his academic prowess by not being afraid
to question the status quo. The character in the D.C. apartment clinging to a dream was replaced
by a young man who was no longer sheltered himself for fear he would be judged. When he
meets up with his high school teacher Mr. Taylor, Cedric tells him I realized that theres work
I need to do too, I need to know-to really know- who I am, and accept who I am, deal with some
of my own issues. The good thing, though is that is seems like Im just now coming into focus to
myself-you know, beginning to see myself more clearly (Suskind 1998, p. 330). This is a
poignant moment in the book because it illustrates that Cedric is approaching Kegans Order four
or the self-authoring mind. In this order, independent thinking occurs as well as the
establishment of personal values and ideologies. This is critical in the novel because all of the
tension, questioning and obstacles that Cedric faced begin to shape him, turning his previous
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identity and image on its head. It can be inferred that his experiences at Brown allowed him to
break free and no longer see things as dichotomously as before.
Adults like Mr. Taylor who served not only as a teacher but also a mentor can be agents
of change in the lives of students with histories like Cedrics. Mentorship and modeling is
beneficial for students who are not familiar with the nuances of higher education. This is another
opportunity for change that can start before students set foot on campus. At the time of
admission, accepted students can be paired with successful second and third year students to help
in the transition to college. With the use of social media, this communication could serve as a
vital tool in the on-boarding and retention of more first year students. For Cedric, perhaps his
adjustment to Brown would have gone a bit smoother had he had a peer mentor to help guide
him.
A Hope in the Unseens protagonist Cedric Jennings was one of many student who had to
pull himself up by the bootstraps and become part of a culture that was not his own. Yet what is
compelling about him is that he attempted to make the journey and accept the challenge. As
emerging student affairs administrators working with student like Cedric, it is important to give
students confidence, provide opportunities for success and failure while also understanding the
lives these students have led prior to college. Student Affairs practitioners are given unique
opportunities to help shape the lives of students and as the student population becomes more
diverse, more must be done in order assist students in their achievement. All students wont
come to college as Cedrics but hopefully they will leave with the knowledge, understanding,
profound experiences and desire to give back as he did.