Racism: The Importance Of Diversity In Our Schools

Turn on the television or open a newspaper and you will likely hear of racism in our schools. This continues to be a prevalent problem, even after decades of school integration and enforcement of civil rights legislation. A child learns about race first from their parents and peers. These beliefs are reinforced or opposed by the schools they are educated in. While parents may be the source of racist attitudes in their children, school administrations can combat racism by increasing diversity among staff, developing curriculum to bring awareness to students, and involving minorities in the community to educate faculty members. In many instances, it is the lack of diversity in our schools that leads to racism. Students taking part in racist jokes and stereotyping are evidence that racism is prevalent in our schools and community. Consider my personal experience in two very different high schools. For the first two years of high school, I went to a school located in a predominantly white community. Many of the students had attended this school since grade school and had limited exposure to diversity. There were several instances where I heard my peers making racist jokes and calling non-whites “ghetto” or “trashy”. This was very unsettling for me because …show more content…
For many students, teachers act as role models, mentoring students and setting an example in their behavior toward others. Students need exposure to teachers who come from different backgrounds to provide a different perspective on subjects being taught. In the article “Talking Race”, Jenee Darden discusses the value of having teachers with different cultural backgrounds work together where they can learn from each other and feel more comfortable discussing race. Hiring minorities gives the community, students, and faculty the message that diversity is