Racial Disparities In Education In The 1970s

Education in United States had come a long way since the last century with the acceptance of diversity in schooling; racial is not a problem in school, but rather economy is the obstacle. The article Racial Stratification and Education in the United States: Why Inequality Persist mentions “In the past the problem was “racism” and was blamed on the whites; today the problem is “poverty” and is blamed on the underclass. In the article also shows the studies of black and white children in the classroom. Both middle-class white and black children tend to do better in school than lower-class children. In the lower-class, the children might have more struggles outside of school in the money aspect; therefore, children have to take on different jobs

A college degree is a valuable asset that could ultimately lead to a productive life in society due to the received education, but people without a college degree do turn out more than adequate in regards to societal success. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the forecasted 30 fastest growing jobs between 2010 and 2020, five do not require a high school diploma, nine require a high school diploma, four require an associate 's degree, six require a bachelor 's degree, and six require graduate degrees to get the jobs (College). In an article called “College Education” by ProCon.org,

The Sixties successes are often denied or minimized diminishing all the gains since Brown v. Board of Ed (1954). The New York Times even noted that, the sixties and seventies school boundaries were redrawn to promote racial integration. The Times further disqualifies the idea by insisting neighborhoods lost their character, and results only produced lackluster academic achievements. Ironically, some of these neighborhoods remain at the same level of segregation as they did

More specifically, the book effectively brings forth the different perspectives of segregation within this time period. This was made possible since the writer created a sociologically realistic setting, since it is written by someone who essentially lived through this period in time. Although the overall plot of the story does not exclusively focus on segregation, it is inevitable that it played a significant role in the development of society. Generally speaking, it is common knowledge that prior to the 1970s segregation of Blacks and Whites was strictly endorsed in the United States. However, as the Civil Rights Movement became more powerful, a change in the environment occurred. The desegregation of Whites and Blacks came to be.

Most Americans would agree that higher education is important. Compared to years ago, when a high school education was acceptable in most jobs, a college degree is now required in the majority of positions. But what if you can’t afford to get a degree? What then?

The Civil War resulted to the abolishment of slavery, and this created a pathway for better days ahead for the slaves regarding accessing education and bettering their socio-economic status. Despite the significant steps taken to create an equal environment within the education system, the African American and other minorities continue to have limited access to a better education system. In most cases, these disparities are as a result of the economic differences among different races and the educational inequality among the white students and minority students is perpetuated social and economic disparities (Mattern & Wyatt, 2009). Another factor resulting in variations between the Whites and the minorities is the socioeconomic status of the families. The level of education, income and jobs reflect the ability of the parents to secure a better education for their children.

An article from The Journal of Negro Education in the winter of 1960 attests similarly the causes of the achievement gap so noticeable in the 21st Century. After the Supreme Court decision to integrate public schooling, a Superintendent of a city under “court order[s] to integrate its schools” noted an overall increase in the building of schools primarily meant for African-Americans than “of white schools in the state.” This was not an attempt to assist the continually burdened African-American school system, but instead “their best hope” to “maintain separate schools” and keep segregation ongoing as long as possible. However, more recent studies attest to the growing knowledge available in combating such inadequate teaching practices.

Throughout today’s society, the level of education that an individual acquires has a large impact on the amount of employment opportunities, job security, and wages that are attained. According to a 2006 study by the U.S. Census Bureau, the average salary for college or university graduates is greater than $51,000, exceeding the national average of those without a high school diploma by more than $23,000 (The Washington Post). The Census Bureau’s study supported the concept that education is a direct link to economic success.

Race is one of the biggest factors in the segregation of schools in America. White students commonly go to school with other whites while blacks and Latinos are usually grouped together in lower class areas. As reported by Urban Institution, “In fact, the Civil Rights Project has shown that black students are just as segregated today as they were in the late 1960s, when serious enforcement of desegregation plans first began

Sixty years have passed since Brown v. Board of Education, the definitive supreme court case that outlawed segregation, and schools all around the U.S.A. look as if nothing has changed since then. The biggest difference is now it is not only African Americans who experience segregation, there also exists a problem with the segregation of social class. Many school districts have unequal distribution of educational resources and funding, resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy for students who are less fiscally privileged. School districts with more money get better test results, higher rates of graduation, and create a functional and safe learning environment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people who have earned Doctoral degrees statistically have the lowest rate of unemployment at 2.2%, and the highest median weekly earning of $1,623, whereas people with less than high school diplomas have the highest rate of unemployment, 11%, and the lowest median income at $472 (Education Still Pays: 2014). Clearly, higher education will, statistically speaking, correlate to a higher socioeconomic status and greater probability at achieving the “American Dream.” However, given the disproportionate demographics of who attends college, the “American Dream” is further away for some more than

An achievement gap between White students and students of color has been documented consistently at all education levels. Racial inequality in education is a serious problem in the United States. The Educational Longitudinal Study carried out in 2002 examined the relationship between race and composite reading and math scores among Black and White students. A total of 8,315 tenth grade students were included in this analysis. The results showed a difference in test scores between Black and White students with Whites scoring higher than Blacks (Rowely & Wright, 2011).The findings from this study suggest that discrimination based on race as well as family factors outside the school setting contribute to this difference

Since the court case Brown vs. Board of Educator, racial segregation seems to still be prevalent toward minorities. Though it’s been over sixty years, racial segregation is still happening in schools all over America. It seems as though many public schools are becoming more segregated the integrated; while blacks are more incarcerated then other racial groups. Although we have the “stand your ground” laws, many civil rights activists believe that it’s becoming increasingly racially bias.

In the last five decades, racial discrimination limited many inhabitants in America. Access to all facilities depended on the race. The Whites were given the priority over the Blacks, the African-Americans, and the other minor groups. In those times, as much as some of the minority races dominated in some areas, this was not the case in schools. It did not guarantee them easy access to the state's functionalities. While bringing up children, educational facilities denied the children from the discriminated races the essential services in schools affecting their access to education. Currently, race matters less than the level of income and the social class, hence the variations

The persistence of segregation [in schools] is a problem because, today as in the Brown era, separate schools are unequal. "Schools of concentrated poverty and segregated minority schools are strongly related to an array of factors that limit educational opportunities and outcomes," wrote the authors of a 2012 report by the University of California–Los Angeles's Civil Rights Project. "These include less experienced and less qualified teachers, high levels of teacher turnover, less successful peer groups and inadequate facilities and learning materials." (Barkhorn 2013).