Introduction
The United States is one of the nations where racial discrimination has been a common practice for a very long time. However, there has been a concerted effort in this society to fight this vice. This country is composed of people of different races. Many people from other nations around the world have acquired the citizenship of the US hence becoming a part of the nation.
Historically, there have been serious incidences of racial inequality. Although this is believed to have been reduced tremendously, there are still some elements of racial inequality and discrimination in several institutions. This research paper seeks to specifically explore the extent of racial inequality in schools and other learning institutions and its effects.
It is worth mentioning that a considerable part of the United States’ population has been going to school to a given level. Although a smaller percentage might not have got the opportunity to attend the formal learning institutions, they have had a chance to attend other technical institutions. In these learning institutions, several instances of racial discrimination have been reported. Several schools in American cities are full of Afro-American and Latino students, who are considered the middle class.
In addition, the same schools have an inexperienced staff that lacks knowledge and skills and is less diversified (Dubourdieu 47). Currently, schools for students from the Afro-American and Latino families are moved to the suburban district schools that are believed to be poorly equipped and less qualified teachers work there, while the students from the white families occupy the best-equipped schools with the most experienced staff.
This segregation in education has a very high impact on the performance of students from both sides. On average, the rates for graduation in public high schools differ.
For the whites it is 83%, for blacks 66.1% and 71.4% for Latinos. Comparing the number of students with bachelor’s degree within the age bracket of 25-29, the whites have the highest one with 39%, followed by the blacks with 20% and lastly the Latinos with 13% (Moore 47). These differences show that both the Afro-Americans and Latinos are highly disadvantaged in education and in the overall outcome, while the whites are advantaged.
In the United States, there are also different technical institutions for the whites and those for other groups. Due to their favoring education atmosphere, students from the white families end up getting the best results and hence the best employment positions in the nation unlike the blacks who end up performing poorly, which lead to their segregation in the job market.
According to Street, apart from allocating funds to schools to do what is supposed to be done, there are three other core factors that influence the outcome of students (114).
These factors include families which students come from, the experience of the teaching staff and availability of other students to create a competitive environment. The above mentioned incidences of discrimination clearly show that the rate of racial disparities is very high. To create positive and equal outcome for all students in the United States, there is need to address this racial inequality in schools.
Ethnicity is very crucial for any grown or growing nation as it brings people with different ideas, talents, and abilities together. Combining these deferent efforts is resulting to competition hence a healthy nation. The researchers care very much about this racial inequality in the leaning institutions in the United States because of the following reasons. First, it is in schools where societies are molded. Talents and gifts, therefore, are developed in the learning institutions.
Bringing racial inequality in such a critical field in society means bringing the nation’s economy down since it is highly determined by the education sector. The second reason why the researcher cares a lot about this inequality is the desire to have unity and equal performance from students, no matter whether it is a white or a black person. The researchers believe that people have got different abilities despite the ethnicity.
An Afro-American student may have the best unique skill compared to a white one, and both should be given an equal opportunity to demonstrate it. To achieve this, anyone else should care and the society together with the nation should care at most, because achieving equity is not a one man’s battle. Hence, the society should put their hands together in fighting this vice.
Inequality Section
Racial inequality is a vice that is highly practiced and felt in America. The whites, Latinos and Native Americans are greatly discriminated in many areas. Racial inequalities in other areas besides education result from their poor performances in schools. The 1992 study report in America shows that the racial family background contributes little to the education outcome of students (Moore 47).
Therefore, this shows that, it is the nature of an educational institution that determines the performance of students, in particular, the expertise of the teachers, availability of learning materials, and the competition atmosphere that a student is exposed. Having looked at the racial inequality in the field of education in the United States, the next question one should ask is what causes these racial inequalities, which can be answered by looking at the following key areas.
Historical
Naturally, racial inequality arises when there is a believe by people coming from a certain race that they do hold a better position and are better placed than other groups. In the historical sense, the United State of America used to kidnap children from their homes, after which the kidnapped children were sold for slave purposes.
The most common race suffering as a result of the US intrusion was the Africans. The same act was performed by the Europeans when they imprisoned or killed all those people who were considered as Native Americans and lived in reservations in the North America. This process took place for a very long time to an extent that even after the trade of slaves was outlawed, the European countries continued to practice it.
Even their children were taught to not associate with the non-whites as they were considered inferior. The Europeans also trained not to think of equal treatment with the inferior non-whites. There was a time in the United States in the 1960’s when it was stated in the law that the whites should not intermarry with the non-whites and by doing so one would be breaking the law, an offence that called for punishment.
These historic deeds and teachings led to the racial inequalities in the United States to date in a tremendous way. The cause of racial inequality in schools in this country has, therefore, historic grounds since the Caucasian people were taught not to even think of equal treatment with the non-whites in all grounds from their childhood.
Political
The learners view political leaders as celebrities because they are the leaders of any given nation. In addition, political leaders have a great influencing power in the racial inequality. Whatever politicians do or say, they has got a direct or indirect influence on people in the addressed field. In the United States of America, political leaders have a lot of power and authority bestowed to them by the government. Once their speeches are announced it is at once noted whether they have any hints of racial discrimination.
In case they do, this fact directly leads to racial inequality up to the learning institutions’ level. A good example where political aspect can be seen to cause racial inequality in schools is a situation where a politician may decide to only provide a school of the Caucasians with the leaning materials or behave in a way to side and support only the students belonging to the white family against the Afro-Americans.
This action directly influences the racial inequality in school and among the students themselves. The former president and a politician George W. Bush argued that racial disparity was costing the nation a lot and there was a need to address the issue if Americans wanted to realize their dreams about a super power state.
Legal
In the past years, the United States had no legal consideration on legal inequalities. Due to this fact, the racial inequality was a normal thing, as it was then considered that the non-whites were inferior to the superior whites and the law did not allow the two groups to communicate in any way.
There are no legal grounds to address this issue of inequalities’ factor that largely contributed to the racial discriminations in the learning institutions in the present time. Currently, the United States has enacted polices that address matters emanating from education to avoid racial discrimination: At the same time, the acceptance and need for racial equity and integration as per the policies have been ignored and assumed in the state.
Social considerations
From the social perspective, discrimination has had negative consequences in regard to the learners. For a long time, the American society has been embracing racial inequality in its social system. There were different social classes based on the skin color, which had a massive negative effect on the students, especially those who were discriminated against.
Policy Suggestion
Several policies related to racial change have been enacted for the last five decades in this country. When the United States gained independence in 1776, the first constitution that was written by the founding fathers stated that all Americans were equal, both men and women, black and white, Hispanics and the Native Americans (Loury 56).
This clause in the constitution of this country was a guiding policy towards elimination of all forms of discrimination, especially the racial one. It is truly said, however, that the American society forgot these words very soon and as a result, there appeared rampant racial discrimination in the country. This fact necessitated enacting of other laws to help curb this vice.
In 1945, Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act was empowered to help curb this vice. Several other policies have been enacted to ensure that racial inequalities are eliminated in the educational institutions of the country. The leadership in these institutions has a role to play in fighting inequality of races. They have to ensure that there are policies within the schools’ charters that strictly bar any form of racial discrimination from any quarter within their institutions. These policies should be enacted and practiced within these institutions nowadays.
The prevailing political condition in the United States has given a new positive look at the state on racial inequality situation. The ‘Obama care’ has brought a new picture about racial equity. He introduced health care that is accessible, affordable, and available to everyone despite the race or color of skin, which has greatly helped fight racial inequality.
This was a clear indication that despite the existing laws that foster equality, the government still has an important role in fighting racial inequality in schools. Although this law was introduced in the health sector, it passed message to the entire society, including schools, that all Americans were equal, and had the right to be citizens of this country, hence should not be discriminated.
Another policy suggestion that should be considered as a way of eliminating discrimination in this country is to amend the constitution to reflect a more unified country.
Although the constitution of this country does not tolerate racial segregation, there have been some loopholes that have allowed discrimination at various societal to flourish. These loopholes should be eliminated. Another policy suggestion is to come up with affirmative action that would take care of the minority within this society. This will ensure that these minority populations will feel represented.
This will lower discrimination against the minority. Strengthening civil societies will also enhance reduction of discrimination in this society. This can come in the form of commissions focused on eliminating all forms of discrimination in the society. The commission will work closely with the government to ensure that no form of discrimination is witnessed in the country.
As an activist, I would consider coming up with a radical policy where there will be mass action when a government official or prominent person engages in an activity considered racial. To enforce this policy, there will be a lobby group that would lead in such mass actions.
Although the policy may meet resistance from the government, but cooperation of the public will be enough to support it. It may be true that enacting this new policy may bring problems such as looting during mass actions. However, when awareness is created among the demonstrators, such incidents will be eliminated.
Works Cited
Dubourdieu, Elaine. Race and Inequality: World Perspectives on Affirmative Action. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006. Print.
Loury, Glenn. The Anatomy of Racial Inequality. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002. Print.
Moore, Wendy. Reproducing Racism: White Space, Elite Law Schools, and Racial Inequality. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2008. Print.
Street, Paul. Racial Oppression in the Global Metropolis: A Living Black Chicago History. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.