African American children are at historic lows in their academic failures within the Minneapolis Public Schools. Black graduation rates in Minnesota are the lowest in the country at 38% while their white counterparts’ graduation rates soar to 83%, which is amongst the highest in the country. As a result of these contradictions, the African American Mobilization for Education (AAME), made up of community activists, organizations and educators, created a Covenant that was approved by the Minneapolis Public School board in June, 2008, to develop specific strategies that would assure academic excellence for all African American children in the Minneapolis Public Schools.



