Racism in Education: Then and Now

Studying racism and race relations since the time of the Gilded Age, one can see that there have been many changes in the United States dealing with this subject. The "Land of the Free" has oppressed groups of people based on their skin color and country of origin, throughout history for various reasons. Some just believe that the white race is superior to any other, while others at times, find some races to be a threat to their way of life. Whatever the reason, racism is deeply rooted in the history of our great country. The most memorable probably being the enslavement of African Americans for over 300 years. While unfortunately there still is racism to be found in almost every part of the country, the United States actual legal policies on racism, has unquestionably been altered over time. Blacks, whites, and other minorities races are all intended to receive equal treatment now, according to the law. Even with this legal protection, there are still ways that are found to hold African Americans and other minorities down.

In more recent times, it is now illegal to treat people unequally because of their race, but unfortunately racism still does exist in our country and throughout the world. Racist violence is less prevalent than what it used to be, but that does not change the fact that people are still being raised, learning to judge by skin color. People's judgment and views throughout time are a cause of stereotypes and ignorance. Stereotypes give preconceived notions about certain groups of people. I am virtually positive that most people have heard some sort of racist stereotypes portraying African Americans. For instance, some labels are that they are lazy, violent, lower class, drug dealers and/or users, uneducated, just to name a few off the top of my head. These biased traits paint a poor picture of the African American community to some people, providing a foundation for modern day racism.

African Americans were forced into slavery to provide service