Segregation In American Education Essay
The educational process for minorities has come a long way. In that, the sky is the limit to the heights that any hardworking individual can obtain in the American Education arena. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia reports that, “Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Enacted after the Reconstruction period, these laws continued in force until 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities in states of the former Confederate States of America, starting in 1890 with a "separate but equal" status for African Americans. Conditions for African Americans were consistently inferior and underfunded compared to those available to white Americans. This body of law institutionalized a number of economic, educational, and social disadvantages. De
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jure segregation mainly applied to the Southern states, while Northern segregation was generally de facto — patterns of housing segregation enforced by private covenants, bank lending practices, and job discrimination, including discriminatory labor union practices.
Jim Crow laws mandated the segregation of public schools, public places, and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks.” Educational segregation and discrimination has deep roots that begin to grow many years ago, however, the American Education has changed whereas, discrimination against minority groups are no longer tolerated. However, to understand how far we have come, it’s vital to see the depths from which many fought to dig minorities out of the lower class of the American Education. Reading through the encyclopedia, and history books offers great insight into the state of minority education during the period of 1800’s – 1960’s, insomuch as, the differences were extremely prevalent. According to Authentic History, “ Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board decision, the NAACP undertook to register black students at previously all-white schools in Southern cities. In Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, the school board agreed to comply with the
Brown ruling. Their plan of gradual integration was approved on May 24, 1955, to be implemented during the fall of 1957. By that time, the NAACP had registered nine black students, selected for their exemplary grades and attendance, at Little Rock Central High, . They came to be nicknamed, the "Little Rock Nine." On September 4, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus exercised his authority to deploy the state National Guard to support segregationist protestors who were physically blocking access to the school. One student, Elizabeth Eckford, became separated from the group when she tried to approach a bus stop through a white mob, who surrounded her and threatened to lynch her. When she reached the bus stop she was visibly distraught. A reporter, Ben Fine, sat down next to her to comfort and protect her. They were joined by a white woman named Grace Lorch. Images of American soldiers in uniform blocking nine black children from attending high school brought national attention to the crisis President Eisenhower attempted to de-escalate the situation and summoned Governor Faubus to the White House. They met on September 14. The President warned the governor not to interfere in the Supreme Court's ruling. On September 20, a judge ordered that the National Guard troops be removed and replaced by police, who would attempt to escort the students inside on the 23rd. On that day an angry mob of more than 1,000 whites protested in front of Central High School, while the nine black children were escorted inside.” Tragic beginnings have been rectified consequently reversing the laws that were against minority to creating laws that ensure educational equality for all. The Civil Rights Movement was definitely a turning point for minorities in American Education, in that, laws have since been passed protecting against discrimination. Furthermore, statistics show that Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics all freely attend some of the most prestigious schools such as Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Brown universities. Moreover, minorities perform extremely well with their graduation success rate. The process has changed from being a fight, to a choice, in that, everyone is given the same opportunity to succeed in the American Education process. However, for the those that make the choice to attend, no matter the race, color or creed, consequently, they find themselves fighting to achieve good grades, making those who fought so hard for equality proud.
jure segregation mainly applied to the Southern states, while Northern segregation was generally de facto — patterns of housing segregation enforced by private covenants, bank lending practices, and job discrimination, including discriminatory labor union practices.
Jim Crow laws mandated the segregation of public schools, public places, and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks.” Educational segregation and discrimination has deep roots that begin to grow many years ago, however, the American Education has changed whereas, discrimination against minority groups are no longer tolerated. However, to understand how far we have come, it’s vital to see the depths from which many fought to dig minorities out of the lower class of the American Education. Reading through the encyclopedia, and history books offers great insight into the state of minority education during the period of 1800’s – 1960’s, insomuch as, the differences were extremely prevalent. According to Authentic History, “ Following the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board decision, the NAACP undertook to register black students at previously all-white schools in Southern cities. In Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, the school board agreed to comply with the
Brown ruling. Their plan of gradual integration was approved on May 24, 1955, to be implemented during the fall of 1957. By that time, the NAACP had registered nine black students, selected for their exemplary grades and attendance, at Little Rock Central High, . They came to be nicknamed, the "Little Rock Nine." On September 4, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus exercised his authority to deploy the state National Guard to support segregationist protestors who were physically blocking access to the school. One student, Elizabeth Eckford, became separated from the group when she tried to approach a bus stop through a white mob, who surrounded her and threatened to lynch her. When she reached the bus stop she was visibly distraught. A reporter, Ben Fine, sat down next to her to comfort and protect her. They were joined by a white woman named Grace Lorch. Images of American soldiers in uniform blocking nine black children from attending high school brought national attention to the crisis President Eisenhower attempted to de-escalate the situation and summoned Governor Faubus to the White House. They met on September 14. The President warned the governor not to interfere in the Supreme Court's ruling. On September 20, a judge ordered that the National Guard troops be removed and replaced by police, who would attempt to escort the students inside on the 23rd. On that day an angry mob of more than 1,000 whites protested in front of Central High School, while the nine black children were escorted inside.” Tragic beginnings have been rectified consequently reversing the laws that were against minority to creating laws that ensure educational equality for all. The Civil Rights Movement was definitely a turning point for minorities in American Education, in that, laws have since been passed protecting against discrimination. Furthermore, statistics show that Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics all freely attend some of the most prestigious schools such as Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Brown universities. Moreover, minorities perform extremely well with their graduation success rate. The process has changed from being a fight, to a choice, in that, everyone is given the same opportunity to succeed in the American Education process. However, for the those that make the choice to attend, no matter the race, color or creed, consequently, they find themselves fighting to achieve good grades, making those who fought so hard for equality proud.