Nat Turner Discrimination

Racial discrimination between different racial groups has occurred worldwide for centuries, and continues to be a significant issue in many countries. Looking specifically at the United States, African Americans have faced racial discrimination since the slave era, and continue to face problems that come from this horrible practice. One of these problems is that African Americans face greater disadvantages in comparison with Whites and other racial groups when it comes to education. As seen in Kyle Baker’s Nat Turner, difficult issues are explored as the reader sees the world through Nat Turner’s eyes. One of the most important issues is education, and the prevention of slaves from obtaining education in order to control them. This paper explores how education inequality between African Americans and other racial groups originated during the time of Nat Turner, and how these disadvantages continue to play a role to this day. As discussed by Wanda Blanchett, there are a disproportionate number of African American …show more content…
Educational inequalities and disadvantages not only hold back these students academically, but lead to a cycle of economic, financial, and social disadvantages later in life. As Baker shows us in Nat Turner, the White slave owners do not want to give slaves access to education in order to keep them controlled. They do not want the slaves to be able to think and reason for themselves, something which Nat Turner realizes early on and fights against. Aspects from this time period continue to exist today, and while education is not denied to African American students as it was back then, they are at a significant disadvantage. It is critical that these disadvantages are addressed through more research and targeted interventions, to improve and provide greater educational and lifetime opportunities for African American