Essay On Segregation In Education

Amrita Ahuja
May 29th, 2014
English 10 Period 1
Ms. Goldberg
Is Segregation Still a Problem?
The Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, as well as many well-known court cases helped eradicate segregation. Diversity and being equal is what provides society with inspirational perspectives and helps to allow us to embrace our differences. Many may believe that segregation has come to an end but in fact it is still very alive in today’s society. Despite efforts over the last 60 years to end segregation in our society, it still exists today through school system’s unequal funding and it is evident that segregation is declining but still exists since Richard Wright’s childhood through segregated neighborhoods.
Despite efforts over the last 60 years to end segregation in our society, it is still present through the school’s unequal funding. Lack of funding affects many factors such as the equal educational opportunities for every student. According to “The Civil Rights Project” run by UCLA, “Charter schools attract a higher percentage of black students than traditional public schools, in part because they tend to be located in urban areas” (). As a result, charter schools tend to display higher levels of minority segregation. It is essential for a student to learn in a diverse environment in order to promote self growth and to learn from people with different backgrounds which is often difficult for students who live in these conditions. Unequal funding also results in an unequal distribution of well qualified teachers. In reference to the Maryland Report Card, statistics show that only about 30% of teachers at Laurel High School obtained the Standard Professional Certificate in 2003. By 2013 that percentage decreased to about ...

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...n student.” (Long, 31). Despite the fact that these students live in such segregated neighborhoods with low incomes, they still have far more opportunities than Richard Wright and other children in his time. Many teachers and other assistants try to help minorities and other less fortunate people to the best of their abilities, but they are not able to fix the whole situation for them. These children are fortunate enough for attending public schools for free, receiving textbooks for free, using the schools technology for help, and in some cases free lunches. Conversely, in Richard Wright’s time, Jim Crow laws mandated de jure racial segregation in public facilities. Neighborhood diversity is important for the well-being of families and children. Neighborhoods help influence important values, behaviors, and an individual’s exposure to violence or crime for example.