Racism in America's Schools.
An eight-year-old black girl in South Africa recently told Ted Koppel on Nightline, "White people are better than black people. Whites know more, have more, and get more. I wish I was white but I am not." American children of color do not have to contend with apartheid, but they still do not live in a prejudice-free society.
A quarter century of desegregation has not yet solved the self-deprecation, low levels of educational performance, or overall quality of life for America's people of color. Racism in any measure undermines children's self-esteem and erodes the educational process.
What role can schools play in combatting racism? As children grow up racist, the schools still have a chance to reeducate them. Some exemplary schools are training students to create a climate of antiracist peer pressure. And in a growing number of schools, new curricula promoting racial and ethnic awareness through multicultural education are turning diversity into opportunity.
1 comment:
Racism stands alongside human rights, world peace and global famine; it is one of those issues that will and would never be solved as long as the world exists. It has existed for an incredibly long time, and many historical memories such as the KKK and 9/11 are testament to the cringing after-effects of this twisted perception. It just depicts how shallow human thinking can be; by just taking into account the ability of a person at face-value, or rather, skin-value. Although racism still exists, in the recent years, I'm sure many can agree that that it is less severe compared to decades ago, back in the age of slavery. It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear little kids pass degrading comments as mentioned in th article. In theory, everyone was created and should be treated equal, but reality it is naive to believe so. That being said, it is heartwarming to know that many actions have been taken to inform and educate the public and the future ones such that the effects of racism ares no longer as devestating as before.
Keith Shepherdson 10s16
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