Racial Injustice in the Education System
The example that I would like to showcase is an important matter that many overlook but definitely needs a bit more attention. I would like to take a closer look at the educational system in the United States. It is time to bring awareness to this topic and for us to examine what goes on around us. One example of systemic injustice that I was able to identify from my day-to-day life came to me as I was driving past my old high school. I thought about where it was located and how, not far from there, was another high school that was considered incomparable and “bad”. I attended St. Francis DeSales High School, a private high school, located in a “rough” neighborhood where they practically advertised the fact that the police station was only a block away. It is a predominantly white institution that was considered prestigious but had no faculty member of color. My parents sent me there because they believed it was the only place that could give me a great education in our neighborhood. As I grew up, I realized that this was incredibly wrong. The public high school I was assigned to attend was Northland High School, but my parents did not let me attend because it was a “bad” school where fights broke out and there were not enough resources to help me get into a good college. I kept thinking that what made it “bad” was the lack of academic opportunities. This was the perspective that ultimately decided my path. After speaking with some of the students that did attend Northland, I realized that our academics were not so different. It did not take long for me to realize that I had made a mistake. I felt like the Other surrounded by all these people that did not try to get to know me or understand my culture. I had to adapt to a different environment that did not include the diversity I was used to and hoped to see. My perspective changed as the reality settled in and I was able to recognize that the problem laid embedded in a deeper issue. I had to acknowledge that the bad reputation the public schools in my area had was based on the predominantly black population. There was nothing actually bad about their academics, resources, or opportunities. Some students graduated from Northland and attended prestigious colleges. The difference that made the public school “bad” and the private school “good” was based on the people that attended those schools. The majority of those in public institutions were of color, and I now refuse to believe that I would not have academically succeeded at my public institution.
I have included more information on this topic through an article and a video diving deeper into examples and statistics.
https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2017/11/systemic-racism-education