"More than a half-century after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education
school desegregation ruling, we are still trying as a country to
validate and justify the discredited concept of separate but equal
schools — the very idea supposedly overturned by Brown v. Board when it
declared, “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Bob Herbert
" Schools are no longer legally segregated, but because of residential
patterns, housing discrimination, economic disparities and long-held
custom, they most emphatically are in reality."
These quotes, written by Bob Herbert from the New York Times couldn't explain the situation any better. Yes, maybe schools aren't literally separated by race anymore, that doesn't mean it completely got erased. We see it all around us and hear about it on the news. Many students from different races and cultures usually go to a school as good as where they live. Poor black children may go to a school that is run down, with 40 students packed into a room with minimal supplies.On the other hand,rich or middle class white kids might go to a school with all the newest technology and the best test scores. Schools are still segregated, even though many people still act oblivious to it all. I went to a school where all the kids were 95% white. It was a middle class neighborhood, and we had the school to show for it. Not every student will have an equal education since it mainly depends on where they live and their cultural background.
I think your point is very important to bring up. Its true that there is no legal segregation, but as you explain, there is still "unintentional" segregation where students are grouped by race and level of income (to some extent). These are the schools that we are working in every week, where the students can't learn as well as other more wealthy children because of school supply restrictions.
ReplyDeleteGreat use of the quotes to examine a huge issue that does not seem to be addressed as often as it should be. This problem of inequality is something that people like to put on a back burner or just plain ignore. Relating to the Kozol article we read, we can see how these quotes address how sometimes the poor are no longer worried about and almost thrown away into a separate area where the culture of power tries to forget about them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post this week Shannon! I agree with Nate, great use of quotes! & I think we both had similar ideas with our posts this week, yes it is gone, somewhat, but not fully erased. Check my blog out if you get a chance!
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was short, I did enjoy Herbert's article and got a lot out of it. It seems that you did the same. Segregation is everywhere and where it is most rampant is in our schools -- which is a travesty. Children should be our countries vocal point -- as cliche as it sounds -- they are this country's future.
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