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The early history of racism in schools has revealed the battle that African Americans had to endure in order to receive the basic right to having an education in the United States. After African Americans gained the right to have an education, another social issue came to light. This was the issue of segregation.
In 1950, segregation was a common practice in both public and private school. Segregation was particularly prevalent in the South. In 1896, the system was further upheld by Plessy vs. Ferguson. With this court ruling, racial segregation was further established. The court ruling interpreted the constitution’s phrase "separate, but equal" in a way that meant having separate schools for whites and African Americans. In the North, Plessy vs. Ferguson didn’t exist. The North was much more progressive in educating blacks compared to the South. However, segregation was still a common place occurrence in the North.
The act of segregation truly meant that blacks received an inferior education. On the other hand, whites received more funding and teachers in white school received high pay. The facilities for white schools was also superior. White schools received all the benefits, whereas African American schools got very little.
In 1954, Brown vs. the Board of Education in Topeka ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was seen as unconstitutional. Despite the court rulings, it was still hard to totally eliminate discrimination.
Today, the educational system is still not perfect. However, it can be something that the America can strive toward. Racial segregation may seem like it occurs, but it’s most likely do to economic segregation. Schools in wealthy areas seem to get more benefits compared to schools under impoverished zip codes. Statistically, schools that are underprivileged have more minorities in its population. This is a social issue that must be attended to in order to reach America’s ideal educational system.
