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Institutional Racism In Schools

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School may seem like a safe and comforting place for children of all ethnicities, but this is not the case. America’s education system has been plagued with discrimination and prejudice in the form of a phenomenon called institutional racism. Institutional racism is “a pattern of social institutions— such as governmental organizations, schools, banks, and courts of law— giving negative treatment to a group of people based on race” (“Institutional Racism Lesson”). This issue is important because it normalizes racism and introduces children of color to discrimination at a very young age. If we put an end to racism in schools, it could be a big leap forward in ending it all together. Institutional racism has a lasting impact on the lives of minority students by lowering their academic performance, limiting future opportunities, and affecting mental and physical health. (“Institutional Racism in School System.”)
Some argue that institutional racism does not exist today, or never existed at all. These people say that students of color have trouble in school because they do not care and do not try hard enough, not because of institutional racism (Pearlstein). They claim that people of color are being dramatic and looking for something to blame for their problems. Then there are those who admit to the existence of institutional racism but do not think it matters. Those individuals argue that claiming racism exists in schools is useless and will not do anything to stop

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