1950 – 1980 Separate and Unequal

In this important chapter, we can see the rise of student movements with the support of activists, students, parents and other top officials trying to bring equality and desegregate numerous public schools nationwide. Though many schools were desegregated, the equal amount of education was still divided. Many students faced racist violence’s acts towards them and we suspended for taking proper civic actions. One individual that took action was a Chicano civil rights leader from Crystal City, Texas who argued that “There was rigid segregation with the building, within the classrooms. In other words, English One was basically all Anglo, and English Five was basically all Mexican.” – Jose Angel Gutierrez. 

In my opinion, we should teach our students about each other’s culture and history, however, white Anglo-Saxons aggressively force assimilation and imposed their view on how immigrants should be Americanized through the education system.

    Other cities like Topeka, Kansas faced issues of race and segregation within the public schools. Despite the millions of dollars invested to an integrated school, many African Americans were shunned from school activities. Blacks and whites students had different activities programs such as prom, student governments, and sports teams. This led to the case of Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. The law was named after Linda Brown who as denied entrance’s to Topeka’s white elementary school. This was a violation of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution which clearly states no state can “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

    Other organization like the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) sent lawyers throughout the south to gather evidence to prove segregated schools were not equal. The NAACP main objective was to end inequality in schools which they hope can lead to segregation in America.

    Historian James Anderson mentions that many African faculty school members faced an enormous struggle on bringing equality education for black children. African American teachers were usually dismissed from the school system after Black principals were fired or demoted. Anderson says that “We may be achieving racial balance, we may be undoing the separate part of it, but we at the same time are exacerbating the unequal part of it.” – James Anderson

    School teacher and the soon to be President of the United States in the 1960s Lyndon B. Johnson believed in the equal chance of education meant an equal chance of life. Here are three main accomplishments from Lyndon B Johnson:

• Created a wide-ranging federal program
• Started low-cost college loans help low-income students
• Signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (This plan was focused on defunding school that was still segregated).

Going back to the Chicano civil right activist Jose Angel Gutierrez from Crystal City helped organized massive student movements to create an educational program. This program consists of respected the lives as Mexicans Americans. To not only respect the Mexican students their native tongue but to push for more academic educational programs of Mexican Americans. Other laws like “Title IX” allowed women to participate in a sports team and not to be discriminated based on their gender. After the law was passed, the percentage of women joining sports teams grew significantly, especially in the 1990s.

There are no doubts there were numerous obstacles that students, activists, and parents faced improving public schools. The struggle continues to this current day.

1900-1950-As American as Public School.

In our reading of Chapter 2: 1900-1950-As American as Public School, it was the beginning of the different type of controversial issues such as nationalism, segregation, and standardized testing for many children attending public schools nationwide. Too many times we fall into the idea that the only way to completely be accepted into the public-school sector is to give up ones’ identity. History teaches us that having an extreme ideology as Nationalism and Patriotism can easily lead to Fascism. 

It also created segregation in different parts of the country making it harder for Black children and all people of color to enroll into public-school. Also, we must remember is that young adults as well were also excluded from attending public school all the way up to the university because of segregation.

Ruby Bridges being escorted out of school
 by federal marshalls

    This country was built on the back of slavery and immigrants physical hard work with hardly any pay at all. And because of this, many schools were created by these unfortunate individuals who really did not have any choice but to continue to struggle and fight to get a proper education.
    With the first wave of immigrants that came in the United States like the Germans, British and Scandinavia in the early 1900’s, these group of immigrants were (In the eyes of white Anglo-Saxons) the superior race. As decades past and more immigrants came to the states, the second wave of immigrants that came to the states was from Russians, Poles, Jews, and Italians. These new waves of immigrants Many White Anglo-Saxons thought of them as inferior because they were illiterate, criminals, and mentally challenged. In other words, they were incapable of becoming to be true Americans and cannot assimilate to civilization. This is an unfortunate situation that still plagues our society today in the 21st century.

"Square peg in a round hole" is an idiomatic expression which describes the unusual individualist who could
not fit into a niche of their society.

    

To be accepted to a good school, children had to take IQ tests to meet certain academic requirements. This test was found to be bias and discriminatory against immigrants that can hardly speak or read the language. This same test was soon to be the model of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). This practice is still a highly controversial issue, and, in my opinion, they should just remove it completely as it creates division within our students and community. 

American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey believed that we should not only focus on the traditional academic studies but to have children achieve their goals within their social lifestyle. John Dewey also believes that hands-on experience is how you will learn in any field of study.  This is how he achieved his fame for his philosophy of “learning by doing”

    In 1920 $1 billion dollars was spent on public schools nationwide and the percentage of teenager’s graduation was significantly high. Unfortunately, in the year 2018, there has been an enormous cut of educational programs, Pell grants, and the teacher’s salary. It seems the country is going backward, and now there are talks of budget cuts of over $200 Billion dollars. Instead of investing heavily in our education, WAR seems to be high in priority. Of course, this is a completely different topic that must be discussed some other day 😊

1770-1900 The Common School

The Public education system, in my opinion, has always been a long and difficult process to what it is currently. Even now, we have numerous issues in the whole system which are not yet resolved. For now, let us stick on the first chapter of the book to try to get an understanding. At the beginning of the book, we can see the diversity in the public schools and the huge obstacles many had to endure to get enrolled in public schools. One of the many problems was one’s religious beliefs and how that correlates with indoctrination. Many native Indians had to give him their culture and language before being accepted in public schools. From there, like any sort of indoctrination process, they were taught to think, talk and believe as they did. One good example is the protest of Bishop Hughes who argued that Irish Catholics should not give up their own religion just, so they can get into school. Riots broke out into the streets from all over the nation between the Protestants and Catholics. The riot in Boston, Massachusetts around 1864 was a perfect example; many Catholic churches were burned down.

   

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Preach a crusade against ignorance”. At the time I believe he was referring that certain individuals within the society had to be educated before being part of the community. However, I find his words to be hypocritical and not coherent when it comes to providing education to the nation. In his own words, he mentions that slaves and black people, in general, should not be allowed to read and write because it was too dangerous. How can one preach the gospel about God and start a crusade against ignorance, when at the same time exclude a whole race?

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Former Slave, Frederick Douglass mentions that children did not have accessibility to good schools in their neighborhood. Many black children had to travel a long distance to go to school, especially when schools were limited for black people in general.

     

When we talk about democracy today, we envision all people of color to participate and vote for incremental reforms. However, in those days, democracy did not apply to all, especially Native Indians, black people, and women. Little girls and grown female adults in many ways were excluded from going to public schools and even get a job. Women were not considered to be genius or capable to be scholars and play role in the education system. Though many teachers were predominately females, they really had no voice to make changes in the public sector.

    Financial power and a certain class of people got the most of getting a proper education. Public schools need local state tax money or government funded to fully operate. For many within the Black community, their funds were not as high to build or maintain the school’s infrastructure. Despite their economic hardship, the black community literacy rose up significantly high where they were able to read and write properly.       

Literacy Autobiography

I reminded of an author by the name of Chris Hedges who mentions that today in the United States of America, we are currently living in two Americas as opposed to one nation. First America consists of a minority group which can differentiate what is real and what is fantasy. This group can cope with the complexity we are experiencing in this country and are determined to confront the problem head-on. The other America is the mass majority where individuals are consumed by spectacles, entertainments, and falls into the idea of magical thinking that can perhaps improve their way of living. This group lacks critical thinking and rely on pseudo-science, pseudo-intellectuals, and demagogues as their salvation.

After reading Chris Hedge’s powerful and informative book; Empire of Illusion, it helped define who I am and exposes the world we are truly living in. Prior to that, I have read numerous books on the history of Afro Black Americans, Native Indians, Workers, Women, and People of color from all race and religious beliefs. 

My personal library back home contains books from all type of subjects; from Politics, Current Events, Novels, Fiction, Non-fiction, Science, Poetry and World History. However, all this past and current readings of books might not have been possible if it wasn’t for one man I met in the mid 90’s that introduce me to politics and The REAL history of the United States of America. No, he was not a scholar, or a teacher, or a high-profile political figure. No, he was not a celebrity or a person who was financially wealthy either. This man was a former Golden Glove Boxer and a mail clerk at a company located in New York City. I remember how he just came over to my desk and handed me some books to read and afterward during the week we would sit down and discuss it during lunch hour. I was very fortunate to meet this great man in my life. Unfortunately, he passed away, but the knowledge and deep philosophical talks we had will resonate with me always.