For those of you who were interested by the discussion about Brown v. Board of Education and race relations in the 1950's, there is a really interesting article in this week's Economist magazine titled "Still separate after all these years" looking at the state of school desegregation in 2007.
Click here to see the article.
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It astounds me that 53 years after Brown vs. B.O.E.'s ruling that segregation in schools was unconstitutional, we still find hints and presence of segregation in our society. I just can't comprehend how we could not have learned our lesson and how we can deprive people of a good education due to the difference in their skin color. That disgusts me, how can we work that way, how can that be justified? If the youth of America is America's future, then why can't everyone be entititled to a great education to ensure a great future?
As this article shows, there is not just a hint of segregation in American schools but a pretty blatant injustice that is being perpetuated. Some people feel it is the government's intention to keep the lower classes undereducated and unskilled at critical thinking so that they are more easily mobilized to do what they are told (i.e. fight the war that our leaders get us into). I don't know if I am that cynical (although I'm close) but it does make sense. People who can think for themselves and ask a lot of questions are hard to control. They hold you accountable and identify the inconsistencies of your reasoning. It's much easier for people to just do what they're told without any of the inefficiencies of debate and consideration. Your job as active citizens is to question everything (except your American Studies teachers...actually especially your American Studies teachers).
It really makes me dissapointed that there is still an issue about race and integration in the world today. To me, I believe that over 90% of the problem of race is due to the parents. The child's strongest influence growing up is their parents and if parents continue to stress a race issue, their kids will grow up feeling the same way. I didn't realize how lucky I am growing up in Hawaii with so many ethnicities being so accepting of each other. I can't say how many friends I have of different ethnicities because there are so many ethnicities and cultures.
This reminds me of a discussion I was having with a senior the other day about college. Since she is from the southeast, I asked her how an Asian like me would fit in over there or in the tenessee area. She told me that Asians wouldn't have as much of a problems as African Americans in places over there but that she did not notice race. It is amazing to me that people still cannot see past the race in a person.
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