Part III: Separate and Unequal 1950 to 1980

INTRODUCTION

           The book, School: The Story of American Public Education, explains the various changes the education system in America has undergone. In Part III, Separate and Unequal, the author discussed separations in the education system from 1950 to 1980. A major separation that affected the country was segregation. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that segregation was constitutional and the facilities are equal. However, this was proven to be false by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). These separate schools and facilities were not equal and colored schools often had no funds. Without funds, they did not have access to proper education and supplies. 

SEPARATE AND EQUAL: SHOULD THIS BE AN OPTION TODAY?

I argue that separate but equal is not a viable option in today’s society. Without diversity and being exposed to students from multiple social, racial, and economic backgrounds, we would lose the opportunity to learn about other cultures and experiences. Even today, separation in the community is still a topic that needs to be discussed. In the documentary, Separate and Unequal on Frontline, a section of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wanted to leave the school district. Norman Browning wanted to create a new city and name it St. George. The reason why he pushed for the creation of St. George was that he, and other parents, wanted to change the school system. If this city were created, middle and upper-class families would leave the district. Consequently, the students left in Baton Rouge would no longer have access to adequate school funds. This separation would cause unequal education. 

Another issue with separation is that some groups of people will be offered more opportunities than others. Aside from segregation, historically, women were not allowed to attend schools. This meant that men had a higher employment rate than women in some fields. There was also a stigma that women could not do certain jobs. Even today, there are some work environments where men outnumber women. I believe it is nearly impossible to be separate and equal because there is always favoritism, stereotypes, and discrimination. 

MY EXPERIENCE

My entire life I attended a public school in New Jersey and I can say that I have learned about several other cultures from other students. Early in my elementary years, I met a transfer student that moved from Vietnam and I learned about their life and customs. Similarly, my classmates came from different backgrounds. In high school, some of my peers came from Colombian, Greek, Cuban, Filipino, Puerto Rican, Haitian, Mexican, Peruvian, and Indian descent. This exposure allowed me to learn about other cultures and customs and overall it contributed to my appreciation for diversity. This is a course that we should pursue as a society because it will teach us exactly what previous generations have gone through. By learning about the history of education, we can learn to appreciate what we have now. But also, learning about this can help us avoid repeating similar mistakes in the future.