After presenting on Professor Pohlmann's Opportunity Lost with Iris yesterday, I was able to reflect even further on the topic of Memphis schools. The class' comments were very insightful and brought up points I had not considered previously. The main point that I took away from our class yesterday was that the desperate conditions of public schools in inner-cities, especially in Memphis, point to the notion that the Civil Rights Movement is an ongoing struggle, and racial inequalities blatantly continue to plague our city.
It is interesting to think back to what Memphis looked like before segregation, when blacks and whites were kept completely separate in all aspects of life. Schools were separated based on race, but the schools were not simply in different locations from one another. The quality of learning for black students and whites was severely worse and entirely ineffective. Black students received old books, if any at all, lesser qualified teachers, and a lack of resources from the state. Even though black students had the opportunity to enroll in school, their education ultimately failed to provide them with the knowledge they needed to utilize their education to better themselves and eventually go to college or get jobs as young adults.
How much as changed in 2014? Something we touched on yesterday was how aspects to the public education system in Memphis become issues of race although they are not specifically intended to necessarily. For instance, Professor McKinney's account of camping out to ensure that his children were entered into the best schools and programs they could get into, shows how only parents who have the means to take off work and wait in line for such a long amount of time, have the chance to get their students into "Optional" programs, or better academic opportunities within the school system. This ultimately comes down to socioeconomic status. Those who have secure jobs are more likely to be able to take off than someone who works part-time or gets paid minimum wage. Socioeconomic status in turn, is directly related to race. Memphis is comprised largely of African Americans who are living in poverty. Whether or not parents want to give their children the best education possible, they cannot provide their children with this because they simply can't afford to.
This trend gives us a school system that looks extremely similar to those public schools in Memphis during segregation. In a nutshell, poor black students go to schools together- schools that have less funding, less resources, and lesser quality instructors, resulting in ineffective school systems that impress upon students the lack of value in their educational experiences, further encouraging students to leave school and return to life on the street. This perpetuates that circle of poverty Annabeth referenced yesterday. Most of the financially stable residents in Memphis are white, therefore, the more elite academic programs, and schools with better resources and opportunities for their students, fill up with white students.
This clear separation by race and opportunity makes it clear that our post-segregation society continues to deal with racial inequalities. How can we improve this current dynamic? Is this an inevitable feature of the city we live in, or is there hope for change? Are affirmative-action style benefits and quotas to be filled based on diversity the best shot we have at achieving a more equal society, particularly in our public schools?
You bring up many very goos points in this article, and the topic we discussed in class are certainly ongoing issues. I believe that in order to further break down the walls of inequality that you talked about in your post, people must be made aware of it. The master narrative that is taught to the vast majority of young men and women in our country tells them that the fight for civl rights and equality was a one time thing, which is widely inaccurate. Making it know that inequality still exists is the key to bringing it down, and the way to do that is to defeat the teaching of the master narrative and educate the communities on what is true and evident today. Then we will have the tools to more successfully tackle this ongoing issue and implement progressive action to bring it to an end.
ReplyDeleteI may be adding a much more grim tone, so I apologize in advance:
ReplyDeleteYes, we are currently facing a school system that has returned to the segregated system that it once was known to be. However, the majority of Memphians or Shelby County residents do not see it this way. There is definitely a denial that there are racial disparities and that inequality in access within the school system exists. For this reason, awareness and education is the first step to dismantle structural inequality within the system. I believe that there is hope and room for change because I refuse to believe that this is the way that schools will continue to function. I refuse to submit to the idea that the school system that I went through will only serve the few, lucky ones.
Additionally, there is a great misunderstanding of what affirmative action is and why it exists. Calling affirmative action a benefit implies that, currently, there is an equal playing field. There IS NO level field. The players (here, students) aren’t even playing by the same set of rules. This is a misconception that, unfortunately, has led to Supreme Court rulings, in the case at the University of Michigan, where affirmative action has been banned. The black student population at U of Michigan does not even reach 5%! Due to numerous court cases taken as high as the Supreme Court has left the university in quite the pickle over the last 20 years.
It is for this reason that thorough understanding of the inequalities within the school system is needed as well as a good grounding on what structural changes would/could alter the way in which education will be experienced.