A scorned heritage

A disturbing report in a recent Boston Globe indicated that 80 percent of the valedictorians from Boston's public high schools are girls. This lopsided result occurred even though only 53 percent of the high school seniors are female. Equally disturbing is that, judging by their names, about 70 percent of the valedictorians are children of immigrants.

To be named valedictorian is certainly not the only academic achievement of a successful high school career. Nonetheless, with the majority of high school students African American, one would expect a greater number to gain that lofty position. It is reasonable to conclude that academic success might not be as valued now by blacks as …