Brown vs. Board of Education

This week is another reflection blog. After watching the two videos and then reading the articles ad webpage, I truly think that it is quite obvious to see the connection between the historical issues with the Brown V. Board of Education case and the more current issues. I remember learning about the Brown V. Board of Education and never fully making a connection to how racism is truly a prominent issue that we still deal with today.

I always accepted that it happened and that the case was brought to the Supreme Court and countless efforts of lawyers, community activists and parents and even students made this historical event possible. The  result was that segregation would finally end, but after reading the articles and even listening to the Tim Wise videos, you have to wonder has racism truly ended? This is something we can discussion class. In the video interview with author Tim Wise, he mentions that it is important to deal with what is real. Obama is a big topic of this interview and how he is the first African American President of the United States.

Wise argues that we need to note that there never has been an acceptable limit on whiteness. For example, you could be white and be extremely smart go to Yale or be be the complete opposite, but that individual is accepted based on their skin tone. They are both equal. Will there ever be racial equality? To be acceptable as a person of color, you don't have to be Obama and be brilliant, but what about the other men and women who are as brilliant, but good at other things and can run a company, or become lawyers. Can this racial difference we as Americans seem to over look ever be done with? Why is it that two white people can be equally accepted, but a person of color has to have a 4.0 GPA and a high standing job to be accepted? In comparison to the Brown V. Board of Education case, these people were to use separate bathrooms, bubblers ( drinking fountains) and countless other public places enforced segregation. It came to the point where people grew sick and tired of being treated differently. Wise states " Work still needs to be done." The historical cases were only the beginning of the work of those decades that would lead to the continuation of work American needs on the "denial" we live in. One example i LOVED was when he used the able bodied person scenario. If a person is able bodied and looking for transportation, they are better off asking other able bodied people for information and opinions on transportation to and from places rather then a person who is not bale bodied. In other words we spend time asking white people their opinions on racism and they respond " nahh theres no racism" BUT in contrast if you ask people who are a victim to the racism you can get a better understanding of the actually racism that exists.

After reading the article by Bob Herbert, I couldn't help but think of the Service learning we are doing now and how we are in poorer sections of the school system. I, like Herbert, agree with the fact that if these poor children could be put into schools with children who had a educational advantage, or were of a higher class, " get them away from the environments that are smothered by poverty. This isn't as easy as it sounds but it could be an improvement. Looking at various school systems, the schools are separated by not so much "segregation" in skin color anymore, but by area and the community around that school area; the environment. Herbert states "Some have established specialized, high-achieving magnet schools in high-poverty neighborhoods, which have had some success in attracting middle class students. Some middle-class schools have been willing to accept transfers of low-income students when those transfers are accompanied by additional resources that benefit all of the students in the schools." The political end as he is describing has tried many tactics but they all dance around the one true topic of integration. The statement about are the results of many integration efforts. I couldn't agree more with Herbert when he states "What I think is a shame is that we have to do all of this humiliating dancing around the perennially uncomfortable issue of race. We pretend that no one’s a racist anymore, but it’s easier to talk about pornography in polite company than racial integration." It is a tough topic to truly take by hand and lead to victory. In comparison to the historical issues of Brown V. Board of Education, the racism will always exist.

 Though our schools are not legally segregated, many students are confined to the schools they are in based on the neighborhoods. Everyone wants to help these kids who come from poor areas but how much can be done to get those kids into a more prominent area. The case of Brown V. the Board of Education was only the first stepping stone to the decades to follow of how America would work through racism. In a way the website and videos made me look back to last week's service learning piece. Especially the Bob Herbert article from this week. Many people want to help these kids as I mentioned before, but does this become a form of charity or change. We want to change the way racism and schooling for these children is happening but will people only become involved because they know it needs to be done or because they want to see a change for our future students whoa re growing up in this society. We discussed the differences between Charity and Change, there are noticeable differences we all read last week. This link shares a lot of insight as to the change needed in schools towards racism. Truly an interesting read!