Racial Segregation in Public Schools in the South

One of the main societal issues facing modern-day America is racial segregation. Racism still occurs often, despite the great progress that has been accomplished in the area of racial integration. The Black community has historically been one of racism's biggest sufferers in America. To safeguard the victim community from racism, a number of policy and operational frameworks were constructed. However, some States still disobey the previously established institutional structures, which supports racial segregation. South American countries still practice racial segregation. It is more rampant in States such as Louisiana where Black students in public schools are subjected to acts that border on racism from both the learning institutions and students from majorly the White community that reside in southern America.

History of Racial Segregation and Desegregation in American Schools

Racial segregation in American schools began in the 17th century with the increase in members of the Black community who were brought in as slaves to America. They were intended to protect the interests of the White community by curtailing the enlightenment of members of the White community. In 1849, in the Roberts v. City of Boston, the Supreme Court allowed the existence of segregated schools in America (Teaching Tolerance n.p.). This ruling was further augmented by the Supreme Court’s decision seven years later to negate the rights of the Black man in the American community by indicating that his inferiority did not warrant him the rights that were accorded to the White man.

School desegregation begun in 1954 with the landmark ruling that was made by the Supreme court in the Brown v. Board of Education. The court ruled that schools should be desegregated “with all deliberate speed” (Teaching Tolerance n.p.). The Supreme Court ruling was met with significance resistance from White mobs in the southern region where less than 20% of the individuals advocated for the desegregation of schools (Teaching Tolerance n.p.). southern States such as Virginia and Alabama comprised some of the major detractors of racial integration in schools. The Virginia administrative body called for mass resistance of the desegregation policy in Virginian schools (Chen n.p.). Other States, given the futility of the resistances, undertook to temporarily shut the publics schools in an effort to curtail the application of the legal framework within schools. Some of the notable detractors of racial desegregation in schools include George C. Wallace who was the Governor of Alabama when the desegregation rule was imposed on all States in America.

Regardless of the opposition, the desegregation law was successful in America for a long time. Through the 90s, an increased number of black students were allowed the opportunity to attend schools that were largely made up of the population of White students (Lockette n.p.). Nonetheless, despite the significant progresses that have been made, racial segregation still constitutes a major impediment in public schools which are located in the southern region. Students from minority races continue to throng schools that are underdeveloped in terms of facilities while only 14% of White students attend multicultural public schools (Reber 894). Essentially, racial segregation has not yet been completely eradicated in American schools and this constitutes a recipe for future racial conflict if it remains unsolved.

Modern Racial Segregation in Public Schools in the South

The article Separate and Still Unequal, determines that students of color throng the public schools which are underfinanced. Essentially, “In all but 5 of the 95 largest cities by population for which data is available, more minority than white students attend public schools where most of their classmates qualify as poor or low-income” (Boschma n.p.). Modern day segregation in the south entails the isolation of students from minority communities. The federal desegregation court orders facilitated significant racial integration in the south region, albeit temporarily. In 1970’s, southern public schools were more successful in the racial integration of students in America than in any other region. More black students were allowed into schools that were previously limited to members of the White community. Colored students in the south region are now limited to majority-black schools as a result of the isolationist framework (Hannah-Jones n.p.).

Racial segregation in the modern public schools in the south has led to the establishment of the term apartheid schools. This term is used to define the existence of a large number of public schools in the south which mainly address the needs of mainly students from the colored community. Apartheid schools loosely refer to schools that are made up of less than 1% of students from the White community (Hannah-Jones n.p.). The case was not the same in 1970 given that at the time the court and administrative bodies actively participated in the enforcement of the decree across schools in the south. Most of the students from the Colored community in the south spend their entire education lives in segregated schools which are predominantly made up of students from minority communities. Essentially, even though the court decree compelled the school and State administrative bodies in the South, it failed to address the individual inclinations that the subject individuals had towards racial segregation.

In Louisiana, schools such as the Bunkie Elementary Learning, carter for over 80% of students from a single racial group (Quinlan n.p.). The voucher program that was introduced by Governor Bobby Jindal has only served to encourage the parents to commit their children to schools that are predominantly occupied by students from the same racial background. According to Quinlan, the problem of racial segregation in public schools transcends the southern region and affects the entire American country. Overall, from a study which was conducted by the University of California, it was established that “43% of Latino students and 38% of black students go to schools where fewer than 10% of their classmate are white” (Quinlan n.p.).

Similarly, recent times have seen an increase in clustered schools in the Mississippi school district. This is a consequence of the policies which were imposed by the Mississippi school district which negate the racial integration principles that were predicated by the Supreme court in 1954. The clustered classrooms promote the convergence of students from the minority communities into one region (Quinlan n.p.). It reinforces the establishment of schools in white schools in regions which are largely occupied white residents while constructing schools that are made up of largely colored students in the regions that are occupied by members of the black community. When students are not exposed to the cultural dynamics of individuals from different races, diversification in America will rendered functionless (Lockette n.p.). The immensity of the dangers of re-segregation in the southern public schools, there is need for determination of the causes, dangers and ways through which the trend can be mitigated to promote a country that is united and culturally sensitive.

Causes of Modern Segregation in the Southern Public Schools

There are several causes of increased segregation in the southern region in the modern society. Essentially, political, economic and social factors have a hand in the manifestation of increased racial segregation in the south. To begin with, meek and ineffective transfer policies are being manipulated by White parents in the south to transfer their students to schools that are predominantly white (Chen n.p.). The creation of the desegregation policies in 1954 necessitated the need for the creation of frameworks that would ensure that students from different races would be converged around one setting. The loophole that is created by the transfer policies encourages parents to transfer their children to schools which are considered to be safe for a given race and negatively affects the integration process. Chen determines that the Mississippi school district has allowed over 300 transfer of students which were mainly exploited by White parents – a loophole that resulted in schools which were occupied by mainly white students (Chen n.p.).

Alternatively, the department of Justice is to blame for the increased racial segregation in public schools in the southern region. It is no longer committed to impose its authority on schools and districts and enforce the rule of law on individuals who flout the desegregation policies (Quinlan n.p.). In the past, at the inception of the legal policies that were established after the Supreme court ruling on the Brown v. Board of Education case, saw the creation of bodies within the department of justice that were committed to the role of enforcing the determined policies in schools across the southern States. However, the loath that is extended towards the prosecution and apprehension of individuals found culpable of promoting interschool transfers has only served to perpetuate the occurrence of racial desegregation in public schools.

The creation of academic evaluation frameworks such as tracking are also responsible for the manifestation of the racial segregation problem in public schools. Tracking refers to the system of “designating students for separate educational paths based on their academic performance as teens or younger”. (Kohli n.p.). The tracking system is responsible for the stagnation of students from the minority racial communities since it perpetuates academic redundancy given that it encourages the convergence of students of the same racial composition and academic abilities. A diversified student population is essential in the academic growth of the individuals as it promotes cooperation as well as healthy competition.

Dangers of Segregation in Public Schools in the South

Racial segregation in public schools has the potential to lead to academic stagnation among students (Chen n.p.). Often times individuals from minority races face challenges, both financial and social, that may impede the learning initiatives that they undertake. Converging members from such communities leads to the development of a sense of helplessness which may significantly hinder one’s academic potential (Quinlan n.p.). Exposure to the lives of individuals from other racial communities would encourage members from the minority groups to further their academic efforts in the belief that they too could be the subject of the success that forms part of the lives of students from the majority race.

Additionally, segregation in schools in the south may impede the good relations that exist between individuals from different racial groups in America (Reber 896). The socialization and education of children provides a critical element in the creation of a diversified community. Without an educational background that promotes Interco-operation it is highly unlikely that individuals from the different racial groups will cooperate in the future. Additionally, re-segregation has the potential to hinder the economic growth of the southern region and the entire American nation. This is because it promotes the economic empowerment of one community above the other. For instance, given that the white students are converged in school settings that allow them better quality education than their colored counterparts, it is plausible that they will economically prosper than individuals from the colored society. An aspect that could lead to an unequal growth pattern in the southern region. Such an imbalanced growth may further perpetuate the bitterness that may exist between individuals from different races in America.

Conclusion

Racial segregation in public schools has seen an increase in the southern region of America. It is a consequence of school and State policies which negate the legal frameworks that were established after the Brown v. Board of Education case which saw the Supreme court rescind the segregation policies and untimely encourage the convergence of students from different racial communities into the same educational institutions. In order to prevent the recurrence of segregation in the south, there is need to engage the following strategies:

To mitigate the occurrence of desegregation in the southern States, there is need for the creation of Federal laws that govern desegregation in schools. Such laws should apply to all the States without an exemption to ensure that racial balance is maintained in the affected regions.

Schools should establish stringent transfer policies to ensure that parents do not manipulate the loophole by transferring students to schools that are made up individuals from the same race.

Works Cited

Boschma, Janie. "Separate and Still Unequal." 1 March 2016. The Atlantic. 2017 April 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/separate-still-unequal/471720/

Chen, Grace. "Segregation: A modern problem for public school in the South." 22 June 2016. Public School Review. 16 April 2017. https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/segregation-a-modern-problem-for-public-schools-in-the-south

Hannah-Jones, Nikole. "Segregation Now." May 2014. The Atlantic. 16 April 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/segregation-now/359813/

Kohli, Sonali. "Modern-Day Segregation in Public Schools." November 2014. The Atlantic. 16 April 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/modern-day-segregation-in-public-schools/382846/

Lockette, Tim. "https://thinkprogress.org/school-segregation-is-much-bigger-than-a-few-schools-in-the-south-8a7f6d2132e1." 4 February 2010. Alternet. 16 April 2017. http://www.alternet.org/story/145553/the_new_racial_segregation_at_public_schools

Quinlan, Casey. "School Segregation Is Much Bigger Than a Few Schools in The South." 4 June 2015. Think Progress. 16 April 2017. https://thinkprogress.org/school-segregation-is-much-bigger-than-a-few-schools-in-the-south-8a7f6d2132e1

Reber, Sarah. “School Desegregation and Educational Attainment for Blacks,” Journalof Human Resources 45 (2010): 893-914.

Teaching Tolerance. “Brown v. Board: Timeline of School Integration in the U.S..” 2004. Teaching Tolerance. 16 April 2017. http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-25-spring-2004/feature/brown-v-board-timeline-school-integration-us