Racism In Education Essay

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"Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics,” (“Alex Haley Famous Quotes”). The idea of racism has always been a part of the history of the United States. It is a very important issue that is faced today and has impacted the lives of millions. Racism is the belief that some races of people are better than others (Merriam-Webster). There have been instances in the past where this issue has been handled correctly and other times where it has not. The problem is faced on a daily basis but the place where it has always existed and still a major problem is in the education system. Racism, which is relevant in our world, is a problem with no apparent solution. …show more content…
The Jim Crow laws were primarily focused on blacks and were the set rules in the Southern states. This marked the end of the Reconstruction Era which was when the United States government had tried to protect the rights of African Americans. After the era ended, it was left to the government of the states to decide on the rights of African Americans. Schools in the South became segregated and African American children were put in a position where they had to be taken out of school to help their parents work on a farm while white children did not have that problem. Money was not the only the problem for black families. White schools received more of the public money and if there was not enough money in a town for two separate schools, only one was built and it was only for white children. Not only was there a difference in money but also a difference in the level of education. Teachers that taught in black schools were often not as educated as teachers from white schools. The classrooms were often overcrowded not because there were many black kids at school but because they buildings were so small. The buildings of black schools were often in terrible condition, which was no place for a learning environment (“America 's Black Holocaust Museum”). The school systems of the South were not equal in anyway, but to help ensure …show more content…
Many minority students in low income communities are at a disadvantage because they do not receive the same level of education that their white counterparts do. There are numbers to back this up and senior education reporter, Joy Resmovitsm said, “Seven percent of black students attend schools where as many as 20 percent of teachers fail to meet license and certification requirements,” (Resmovits). These numbers impact the students because there is lower academic performances and this leads to higher dropout rates. There have been laws that have tried to provide an equal learning environment for all races but with findings of research, they are anything but equal. It’s proven that students of color are not granted the accessibility to higher level education opportunities. The high officials realize this, like Arne Duncan who is the U.S. Secretary of Education. Duncan says, “In all, it is clear that the United States has a great distance to go to meet our goal of providing opportunities for every student to succeed,” (Resmovits). With more and more people seeing this situation as a major problem, there will be steps moving forward to make sure every single student out of the forty-nine million currently attending school, receive equal education so that not one race is always ahead of the

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