Melanated Sanity

The history of Black literacy in America is not a straightforward journey from failure to success, but rather a fifty-year gradual struggle against persistent opposition. Statistical data reveals two key points simultaneously: Black reading performance has experienced remarkable improvement since the 1970s, while other cognitive areas remain stagnant. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the Nation’s Report Card, developed a point system to evaluate the reading abilities of students aged 9, 13, and 17. The reading test employs a 0 to 500 scale for rating. Scores like 170, 205, or even 247 are not percentages, letter grades, or IQ scores. Instead, they represent statistical scale scores derived from students’ responses to a set of reading questions. 

The 1970s: Progress Starts Long Before the Race Begins

In 1971, Black nine-year-olds averaged 170 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scale, compared with 214 for white students, a 44-point gap. Black thirteen-year-olds faced a 39-point gap, while Black seventeen-year-olds faced a 53-point divide.

These scores are a representation of a nation newly dismantled from legal school segregation. Many Black students still attended schools with poor facility conditions and limited educational resources.

Yet improvement appeared quickly; by 1975, Black nine-year-olds had increased their average score from 170 to 181. The decade revealed an important truth… that the problem was never a lack of Black intelligence but a lack of equal opportunity. 

The 1980s: Closing Yesterday’s Gap

The 1980s produced some of the strongest gains in the fifty-year record. By 1988, Black thirteen-year-olds averaged 243, while Black seventeen-year-olds reached 274. Between 1971 and 1988, Black seventeen-year-olds improved 35 points. Their racial reading gap shrank from 53 points to only 20.

This era proved that achievement gaps were not permanent, and under improved educational conditions, Black students gained ground rapidly. The gap was not carved in stone; it was written in erasable ink.

The 1990s: Delays Start Looking Normal

The progress was not continuous… Black nine-year olds averaged a score of 182 in 1990 and only 186 by the end of the decade. Black thirteen-year olds dropped to 234 during the middle of the 90s before recovering slightly. Black seventeen-year olds ended the decade below their 1988 high.

As scores stalled, some racial gaps widened again, and the nation became better at testing, reporting, and debating inequality. But eliminating said inequality still remains an impossible feat.

The 2000s: Young Minds Close Gaps

The 2000s brought renewed improvement, especially among younger students. Black nine-year olds averaged 197 in 2004 and 204 in 2008, compared with 170 in 1971. Black thirteen-year olds reached 247 in 2008, while the racial gap narrowed considerably from its early 1970s size.

The No Child Left Behind era required schools to publish achievement results by race, making disparities harder to hide. Still, a test can reveal faults that are leaking without supplying the workers or money needed to repair it.

The 2010s: Higher Scores, Same Detour

By 2012, Black nine-year-olds had an average reading score of 206, a significant 36-point increase from 1971. Similarly, Black thirteen-year-olds had an average reading score of 247, marking a 25-point rise.

However, the progress made in improving reading skills began to stagnate. By 2020, the average reading score for Black nine-year-olds had dropped to 205, while the score for thirteen-year-olds had decreased to 244.

Furthermore, adult literacy data raised concerns. In 2017, approximately 36 percent of Black adults aged sixteen to sixty-five performed at Level 1 or below in literacy. This statistic does not necessarily imply that these individuals were unable to read. Instead, it highlights the challenges they faced in comprehending longer texts and complex written information.

It is possible to read the words themselves but still encounter difficulties with fine print and intricate written content.

The 2020s: Recovery in Pieces

COVID-19 disrupted learning nationwide, but students already facing educational disadvantages were often hit hardest.

Black nine-year-olds fell from 205 in 2020 to 199 in 2022, before recovering to 205 in 2025. Black thirteen-year-olds declined from 244 in 2020 to 237 in 2023, then recovered to 242 in 2025.

Adult results were even more concerning. In 2023, 50 percent of Black adults performed at Level 1 or below, a significant increase from 36 percent in 2017. This suggests difficulties in understanding workplace documents, medical instructions, financial agreements, and government forms.

After 50 Years:

Across the entire period, Black nine-year-olds’ reading scores improved from 170 to 205, while Black thirteen-year-olds’ scores rose from 222 to 242. Although the gap narrowed, it never completely disappeared.

Families’ reading habits and personal responsibility were consistently prioritized. However, personal responsibility alone is insufficient to hire reading specialists, provide stable housing, reduce class sizes, or extend library hours.

Over the past fifty years, Black Americans have demonstrated that literacy gaps can be narrowed. Simultaneously, America has shown that progress can be reversed when attention and investment wane.

After decades of testing, grading, and explaining the literacy gap to Black readers, the obvious question arises: When will America finally be tested on whether it comprehended what it read?