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This article originally appeared on Policy Mic. It was written by Antwaun Sargent  and appeared under the title of “7 Lies We Have to Stop Telling About African-American Girls.” 

By Antwaun Sargent

In February, President Barack Obama stood before a group of African-American boys (and other boys of color) in the White House to announce his $200 million dollar initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper,” an effort to help African-American young males reach their full potential. It was an important moment, a chance for the president to acknowledge that the nation’s long history of racial disparities has left some disadvantaged. But noticeably absent from the press conference were African-American girls.

There is a myth that African-American girls generally fare better than African-American boys — that they somehow have it easier. This creates a potentially damaging narrative that may ultimately prevent society from truly empowering these young women.

Here are seven myths that we need to stop repeating when it comes to African-American women and the achievement gap.

Click here to read the rest.