By: Stephanie Pabst
Race Ethnic Inequality ~ SOC 215
- The History of Education in America was and still needs improvement. In the past, education was only accessible to people of wealth along with caucasian people. So, if you did not fall into those categories then the chances of you getting an education would be slim. At that time, schooling was restricted to this small percentile of people. That resulted in the Racial Battles Over Education in the 1900s-1970s.
Racial Battles Over Education
- The racial struggles over education affected everyone except caucasian people. The first group of people affected by this was American Indians. "Education would become a primary force to send their children to boarding schools run by Christian Missionaries and, later on, by the federal government." (Desmond, 2010, p. 226) People might ask, "Well, why didn't they refuse to send their children?" They would refuse but then they would be threatened with imprisonment or be denied their food rations. So, their children were put in boarding schools and they had to adopt Christianity as their religion.
- The second group of people affected by this was African Americans. Unlike the American Indians, African Americans were being denied education, especially in the south. The southern people were infuriated that some of their taxes were going to build African American School Houses. So, they simply refused to approve any school taxes and this limited the education of African Americans. Along with harming African Americans' education, this was affecting their children's education too. They could not just pay taxes for white schools, as it would go to both schooling systems. The whole reason for this was the whites in the south did not want people of color educated because if they were it would be harder to manipulate them into doing cheap labor. There was also the issue of poor whites getting mad that they were on the same level as people of color when it came to education. Booker T. Washington decided to compromise with the whites in the south. His solution was, "for blacks to accept their dominated position and to work hard in jobs reserved for them." (Desmond, 2010, p. 229) Personally, I see this as an issue because there should not be jobs only for people of a certain race. However, I can see why he proposed this compromise at the time.
- Finally, this led to the desegregation of schooling. The process of desegregation in schooling was not smooth because of the pushback by racist whites. People for segregation (AKA Segregationists) came up with a motto to try and keep the races separated. The motto was "Separate but equal". This was challenged in the supreme court by Thurgood Marshall, the lawyer representing the NAACP in their case. He helped the NAACP win many cases before this one. "In a unanimous decision handed down in 1954, the court ruled on the behalf of the NAACP, dismantling the legal basis of racial segregation." (Desmond, 2010, p. 231)
Learn more about Thurgood Marshall
Modern Schooling
- It is true that schooling has started to improve since around the 2000s. However, discrimination and racism still run rampant in some schools. There are schools in the south along with schools in more predominantly white areas that still are segregated. "Because children usually go to schools near their homes, if neighborhoods are racially segregated, then the schools in these neighborhoods will also be segregated. This type of segregation is called de facto segregation." (Miller-Bellor & Giuliani, 2020, p. 463) Personally, I feel that we should be educated around a group of different and unique people because it prepares you for the "outside world", with helping you learn about different cultures. If people took time to look past skin colors, they might discover something interesting even beautiful. However, the world still is not ready to take that step. Instead, they want to live in blissful ignorance and be disrespectful to people different from them. 
- Today, going to college is still a struggle for people, unless they can get financial aid or scholarships. Even then it can be difficult because that might not cover all of the costs for books, tuition, classes, and other resources you may need. This brings us back to discrimination and how unfair it can be to people of color, who are usually overlooked when they apply for furthering their education. "blacks who have attended college are more likely than those without college experience to say they have faced a number of these incidents: people acting as if they were suspicious of them (71% vs. 59%), people acting as if they were not smart (67% vs. 52%) or being subjected to slurs or jokes (58% vs. 45%)." (Anderson, 2019) The fact that people of color are still subject to this kind of treatment is abhorrent, especially when the whole point of going to college is to further your education to be a better you. Being placed in an environment where you are being discriminated against will take a toll on your mental health and your focus in class.
More on Discrimination of Black Americans in College
Why is this an issue?
- The reason why this is a social issue is that it affects our society and the people around us. Regardless of your race, the fact that people are unfairly being judged for something they cannot control should make you concerned. On the other hand, whiteness and the existence of White Privilege are things you need to be aware of because even though they may not seem real, it is. White people have had the upper hand in everything, ever since the creation of Race (which was just made up by whites to control people of other races). It is about time that people of color have their time to shine to actually be equal in education, the workforce, and other places they are oppressed. So, let's collectively change the world for the better!
The discrimination of race in Education
By: Brandon Bullard
- Discrimination in education, whether based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, or other factors, can have a detrimental impact on student's mental health and academic performance. Experiencing discrimination can lead to feelings of isolation, stress, and lower self-esteem, which can negatively affect students' motivation, engagement, and ability to succeed academically. As well as that a hostile or unwelcoming educational environment can exacerbate existing mental health issues and create barriers to accessing support services.
- A recent study confirms the existence of the school-to-prison pipeline, highlighting that children attending schools with high suspension rates are more likely to be arrested and jailed as adults, particularly Black and Hispanic boys. The research establishes a causal link between strict school discipline and increased adult criminal activity. Students in stricter middle schools were found to be 3.2 percentage points more likely to be arrested, 2.5 percentage points more likely to be incarcerated as adults, 1.7 percentage points more likely to drop out of high school, and 2.4 percentage points less likely to attend a four-year college. The study also emphasizes the significant role of principals in shaping school discipline policies, with their practices often affecting suspension and expulsion rates. The U.S. Department of Education is currently seeking public input on new regulations related to school discipline and the disproportionate rates at which students of color are suspended and expelled.
Learn more on the School-to-Prison Pipeline
- One example of discrimination in education is the "school-to-prison pipeline" phenomenon that disproportionately affects students from minority backgrounds, particularly Black and Latino students. This issue arises when schools adopt zero-tolerance policies, increased surveillance, and heavy reliance on law enforcement to handle disciplinary issues for relatively minor infractions. The school-to-prison pipeline can perpetuate racial and ethnic disparities in education by creating a hostile environment for marginalized students, and these students may be more likely to be suspended, expelled, or referred to law enforcement for disciplinary issues. This, in turn, increases their chances of disengagement from school, poor academic performance, and involvement in the juvenile or criminal justice system.
Research has shown that students of color are more likely to be disciplined, suspended, or expelled than their white peers for similar behaviors, indicating that implicit bias and discrimination play a role in these disparities. This form of discrimination in education can have long-lasting negative consequences on the student's educational and life outcomes, reinforcing existing inequalities in society.
- I found a petition on change.org. Their goal is to educate children on racism through the school system. The organization that started the petition is the Multicultural Education Organization. They want support from all communities so they can draft a bill to the School Board of Education.
A few things the bill will encompass are:
They are almost at their goal. So, I will be leaving their petition down below feel free to sign it.
Thank you for taking the time to better our future's education!
1. What was the name of the lawyer that represented the NAACP in 1954?
2. What would happen if American Indians refused to send their children to boarding school?
Anderson, Monica. (2 May 2019). For Black Americans Experiences. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/
Desmond, M., & Emirbayer, M. (2010). Race In America (2nd ed., pp. 225 -257). Norton.
Kent, Ana. (14 February 2019). College Education Persists Less. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. https://www.stlouisfed.org/
McIntosh, Peggy. (1989). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Psychology. https://psychology.umbc.edu
Miller-Bellor, C., & Giuliani, D. (2020). Local to Global: The Sociological Journey. (2020 ed., pp. 446 – 496).
Thurgood Marshall. (n.d.). Oyez. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.oyez.org/justices
