Racism against African Americans in the Education System in the US - Research Paper Example

Affiliation Racism against African American in the education system in United s Introduction Racism has existed since the historic times and the way it is defined or manifested has evolved with time. It is a belief that human beings have varying features that define their respective cultures and is mostly expressed through belief that one’s race is superior to the other. Racism can be practiced anywhere, from work places, homes, states, politics and education systems among others. However, education systems seems to be one of the major places where the practice is vast and might as well be considered to be the root since, every individual must attend some education system at a particular time in their lifetime. Hence, one cannot help but wonder when racism will become a history, especially in the current education systems. The following essay will focus on racism as witnessed in the current education systems in the American education system as well as some of the problem’s practical solutions (Carol, p.18). Problems Since the time when racial segregation in the American education system was deemed unconstitutional by a Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education nearly six decades ago, a lot has changed. For instance, the landmark civil rights legislation and the civil rights movement have enabled the participation in our independent system possible for millions of African Americans and members of other marginal groups. Also, the national government commenced a War on Poverty and also, the United States voted its first Black president. However, despite the development, what has remained unaffected is the persistent racial prejudice in the United States public learning systems. The prejudice is patent in a number of ways such as unrelenting racial segregation in the American schools, the enormous imbalance in resource distribution between majority White schools and majority-minority schools. In addition, it is manifested in the uneven treatment of racial minority students within the schools, in spite of the degree of unification. Consequently, these factors contribute towards undermining the social, economic, and political prospective and chances of racial minorities in the United States. Moreover, the facts are responsible for the second-class nationality that has defined this group in America for centuries (Dorinda, p.10). In large part, since the United States public education system has failed them, compared to their white peers, racial minority students in the United States lag behind radically. However, although various statistics present verification for this conclusion, the inequality in high school graduation rates is particularly alarming. Study reveals that for the huge greater part of racial and ethnic minorities, high school graduation rates stay at about 60 percent, compared to 83 percent for the White students. Moreover, the graduation rate is even worse, at 50 percent, for Black students that attend high-poverty schools (Dorinda, p.10). The disadvantages of the American learning system are, however, not limited to secondary and elementary schools. Black students have a considerably lower college-going rates compared to their white equivalents. Slightly over half, 55.7 percent, of Black students high school graduates sign up for postsecondary education compared to 71.7 percent of their White counterparts, that is, in reference to the 2010 statistics from the National Assessment of Education Program. In addition, due to the fact that students of color are more likely to undergo economic difficulties as well as are less likely to be academically ready, their college completion rates are lesser too. Further findings indicate that for full-time scholars enrolled in a four-year institution for the first time, just 20.4 percent of the black students graduated after four years. Their White counterparts, however, graduation rate was at 41.1 percent. Consequently, the unemployment rate for the black men without a high school diploma was more than 5o percent and that of those with a college degree was at 9 percent (Dorinda, p.10). In terms of racial segregation, segregated schools remain the norm for most of the African Americans in the contemporary America, where students continue to attend different educational institutions. Since 1968, where the percentage of Blacks attending majority-minority schools was at 76.6, the rate has not changed much because as at 2010, it was at 74.1. Moreover, the rate at which the Blacks attend such schools increased by about 5 percent. However, as much as there are various factors that have contributed to the trend, the national government holds some responsibility. It has failed to offer sufficient enforcement, dynamic leadership, and adequate resources necessary to counter segregation. Another factor is intense poverty which regularly corresponds with racial segregation. It, in most cases, aggravates the effects of racial discrimination as well as complicates the attempts to execute and safeguard effective solutions. In fact, the correspondence is so powerful that nearly each supermajority-minority learning institution is linked to high levels of poverty, which is, however, not the case for White dominated institutions. Currently, the normal Black scholar attends a school where nearly two out of every three classmates are from a low income family which is about 64 percent. The rate is double the level of the normal White student schools, 37 percent. The fact has a long-term academic effect on students that undergo it as studies indicate that the poverty intensity within schools plays a major position in influencing a student’s achievement. The concentration effect is vast than the poverty condition of a single student (Nora, p.82). In terms of resource inequality, minority or Black scholars attend educational institutions that have less funding as well as have fewer resources. As a result, students from families with difficulties tend to be placed at an even bigger disadvantage. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Education, schools that had more than three-quarters of its students classified as low-income, there were three times as many the number of out-of-field or uncertified teachers in both science and English. For example, a real example in New York City is in Passages Academy, where they have 47.9 percent of the students as Black. A percentage of 61 of its teachers tend to be absent for more than ten days of the school year and none of the meets every federal certification and licensing requirements. On the contrary, in the New Explorations into Technology, Science and Math institution, just 11.8 percent are black and 21 percent of its teachers are absent for more than ten days in the schools year. Moreover, more than 85 percent of its teachers meet the federal certification and licensing necessities. Even when these teachers are effectively paid, within field as well as certified, on average, majority-minority schools offer lower-quality trainers with a bigger rate of turnover ( Michelle, p.677). Furthermore, other deprivations that cause segregation include the failure by the local and state education agencies to offer students with lessons required for scholars to thrive in college. Also, there are no post-secondary career educational programs such as science and math necessary for most universities admission. Consequently, the minority students, blacks to be precise, turn out to be ill-equipped for university level curriculum or incapable of attending any college altogether. In addition, most black dominating schools tend to provide a less demanding curriculum compared to White counterparts. Also, due to such and most of the schools are ill managed on top of lacking provision of professional counselors or sufficient staff training, they, hence, depend heavily on wide use of expulsions, suspensions and even law enforcement when implementing behavioral prospects. More specifically, the intensity of less qualified or inexperience administrators and trainers undertrained counseling or understaffed offices are correlated with the overuse of law enforcement in educational institutions. Most of the hyper segregated educational systems administrators go to the lengths of placing local authorities in charge of ensuring discipline as well as school security. The result is a huge disparity in the state youth arrests and prison charges between Black scholars and their White peers. A study in 2009 indicates that the Black make up just 18 percent of the United States student population but referrals to law enforcement or school-related apprehension was at 70 percent (Charles, p.124). The problems have been aggravated by various new decisions by the current administration. The decisions include the moderate endorsement of state waivers from the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the backing down of the laws necessities for the fair assignment of qualified teachers. Even where racial minority students are not transferred to poor schools and school districts, the failure by the American public educational system to present them with an equal, fair, and sufficient education is persistent. For example, racial minority students, that is, black boys and girls, are excessively punished through expulsion and suspension. Even in cases of wealthier schools and ones where White scholars are in the majority, Black students face considerably more ruthless punishments than their White counterparts (Charles, p.124). For instance, a study of Florida students indicated a 39 percent of all Black students have had a one case of suspension, com­pared with only 22 percent of their White peers. The case remains accurate in spite of grade or age. According to the Department of Education, Black children are said to represent 18 percent of enrollment for the preschool classes, but 48 percent of preschool children, they get more than one out-of-school suspension. The unequal punitive enforcement of minority juveniles is witnessed in spite of whether the educational institution is wealthy or not. Schools with majority low-income Black youths depend hugely on the general use of expulsions and suspensions, and even local police force when instilling discipline. However, even in the wealthier schools and ones where White students are in the majority, Black students encounter notably much ruthless punishments than their White counterparts (Carol, p.598). Feasible Solutions The government administration, Department of Education and the department of Justice and Education have, for some time now, been working on plans that would assist in restoring justice within the current education system. Hence, the government administration should commence with the execution of the national recommendations in the statement of the Equity and Excellence Commission. Also, it should aid states in identifying as well as countering resource inequality that deny black and poor students equal learning opportunities. Also, the Department of Education should necessitate all states, as a measure for continued reception of Title I funds, to see to it that each school have the resources necessary. The move will assist the students in attaining the college-ready academic standards such as the Common Core State Standards. On the other hand, the department of Justice and Education should come up with a thorough plan that would counter the intensified poverty as well as racial segregation in all learning institutions. The plan should encompass enforcement of national civil rights laws as well as rules and programs that encourage school development. The programs may include socioeconomic and racial integration, infrastructure and economic growth such as affordable transportation and housing, effective re-entry programs, and coordinated social and health services. That way, the level of poverty will be reduced resulting in lesser picking at schools for poverty reasons. Also, the Department of Education should insistently enforce national requirements in the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as well as the Title I of the Elementary and Secondary School Education Act. The Act requires impartial assignment of trainers to minority and poor students and similar access to major preparatory classes and college curriculum. Lastly, the Act requires just and efficient disciplinary practices and rules (Golden, p.69). Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that racial discrimination is still dominant within the American learning institutions, despite numerous attempts to curb it. The fact that the problem has continued to persist, even after many activists have risen and fallen fighting for it, is something to cause concern. However, we can only hope that the recent developments about the issues will indeed cause a distinctive impact in our nation. The government as well as other bodies that have been given the responsibility of changing it should, hence, work relentlessly until the objective is achieved. The citizens at large should also contribute, for they play a major role in facilitating racism. Together, as a nation, we have the responsibility of fighting this problem. Works Cited Caref, Carol. "The Relevance of Racism to the Mathematics Experiences of African American Students in an Intensely Segregated Low Income School." ProQuest LLC (2010). ERIC. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. Carter Andrews, Dorinda J. "Black Achievers Experiences With Racial Spotlighting And Ignoring In A Predominantly White High School." Teachers College Record 114.10 (2012): ERIC. 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