The Role Of Segregation In The 50's

The 1950’s or any era prior to it were not the best days for black folk. African-Americans were treated as if they had the plague. So much so that white people decided to have separate things from the blacks such as water fountains, stores, barbers and schools. This had already led to many problems since the blacks and whites were literally killing themselves. Although the US strongly supported the idea of integration in the 50’s people still segregated themselves. Segregation was not only to the outside world, but also in schools in which different school buildings were made for the two opposing races. The segregation of whites and blacks in schools only taught the two different races to not like each other more since kids are very easy to follow what their parents might have to say about the other race. In 1954 the Supreme Court found segregation in schools unconstitutional. Ten years later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 required public schools to have integration programs. The 1970’s showed much improvement from the last two decades. The number of African students grew from a mere 12 percent to 44 percent. Segregation between races took a toll and has much become a thing of the past, although not completely, it has improved.

In the 70’s when segregation was being pushed back and seen as something that shouldn’t exist anymore. A young Lawrence Otis Graham, an African American author and writer, is attending a junior high school in Westchester County as one of the few black kids integrating with whites. He looks back at his junior high years as if they were something he’d wish to forget. In his case there is something specific he wanted to try to forget about and that is the all black table in the cafeteria “…something that was a source of fear and dread…the all black lunch table in the cafeteria…” (Graham 348). Now, as to why the black table is of any importance to segregation at all is because it’s a reminder to Graham that segregation exists and not only to ethnic groups but groups of same interests. It reminded him that he was the only black that didn’t fit the stereotype and the whites constantly reminded him about it “…the first and only black person integrating such activities…my decision not to join the black lunch table attracted its own kinds of scrutiny and wrath from my classmates…” (Graham 348,350).
Despite Graham being discriminated for his color, he believed that it was the blacks’ fault that people still refuse to integrate, that the blacks’ were the reason for all the segregation the school had despite it being an integrating school “…I believed that the black kids were the reason why other kids didn’t mix…I still managed to blame only the black kids for being the barrier to integration…” (Graham 349). Graham would receive names from the black kids for sitting with the whites, such as “Oreo” and “White boy” and questions from the whites regarding why he didn’t sit with the blacks or why all the black kids would sit together. Graham was afraid that by sitting in the black table, he would lose all his white friends and that sitting at the black table was like making an anti-white statement. This comes to show how lost or close minded Graham was as a child. He believed that just by sitting at a black table that he would lose all his friends and would make him a racist. And despite being the victim of blatant racism himself from both black and whites, he believed that blacks were the ones at fault as to why blacks and whites couldn’t get along.
And it wasn’t only a racial segregation that occurred during Graham’s junior high years. Segregation between interests was also very prominent during the 70’s. The popular kids would only integrate with each other, the jocks would only integrate with each other, and the list goes on. Segregation of interests continues today in the present, of course not as bad as it was in the 70’s but it’s still very much alive. In modern times it’s a lot easier to be accepted into a group being that kids in schools are more open to things and don’t shy away as easily. Especially since the majority of people are all connected with each other with cell phones and social media.
Despite that, the Varsity football team usually and only hang out with each other and the gamers still hang out at the classroom where their club is set at.

Unlike in the 70’s, these two groups would probably not have gotten along, but in 2015 these two groups of kids would probably get along just fine and that’s due to how society works today. Discrimination is at a minimum when it comes to different interests because almost everybody in 2015 has played a sport or a game. It doesn’t matter if someone is gay or not or if you still like cartoons because kids these are very acceptable. That’s not saying that discrimination is a thing of the past and is completely no-existent. It still very much happens, but as stated before, it is at a

minimum.
As where racial segregation stands today is not a complete mystery. It still happens in some schools and that’s usually due to the neighborhoods. This is mainly caused by low income families living in poor neighborhoods. The race that is more known to have this type of problem are African Americans. This problem is not exclusive to just African Americans, many other races also have the same problem. This type of segregation, of course, is not due to racial differences. It is due to low income families moving into to neighborhoods were a specific race dominates. This type of segregation has affects on the children that live in these neighborhoods. It effects them scholastically and the way they think since they go to school with the same people from their own neighborhood. It limits their way of thinking when they all think the same way and don’t have anything else to relate to “With less literate parents, they are read to less frequently when young and are exposed to less complex language at home.” (Rothstein 50-55).
Segregation might seem as a thing of the past now, but it still happens. People just don’t see it or don’t notice it. Graham noticed it and was a victim of racism yet, despite all that he would still blame his own kind for integration not being as strong as it should have been. Some people to this day are racist and discriminating people, but that population of people has grown small compared to then. It’s grown smaller because the new generation has grown to a world where hating another race isn’t right anymore. And if people can keep up that mentality then hopefully racism, discrimination and segregation can cease to exist.