I want a busy life, a just mind and a timely death.
- Zora Neale Hurston
A few years ago, I had the occasion to work with a professor of African American history in Washington, DC.
I lived in an apartment building with a healthy mix of lower middle class and middle class families. A rarity in this part of town, the building had a number of families with children in private schools, despite their modest incomes. Aisha M., a woman in her late 40’s with 2 teenagers (13& 14) was my next door neighbour and I spent lovely afternoons with her, sometimes tutoring the boys in algebra.
We talked about public education and how black children are faring in the more impoverished ones. No books, broken toilets, no advanced classes. The black schools, which are what they call schools with mainly African American children, are among the worst in funding and management. Performance scores, predictably, were also amongst the worst in the nation. She decided she couldn’t risk her children missing out on a primary education and enrolled them in private school.
Our talks reminded me of an essay I read for Zora Neale Hurston.
She was an early 20th century black author referred to as a libertarian long after her death. She was marginalized by both white and black people for holding opposing views to the times. In my opinion, she was way ahead of her times.
In 1955, she wrote a letter to a Florida paper against the Brown vs. the Board of Education that were to end segregation in schools.
She was of the opinion that black children didn’t need to be bused to white schools but to be provided with better teachers and facilities. No one wanted to hear what she had to say.
Nearly 51 years later, what would she think about black children’s performance? Was she right in believing that desegregation was an insult and a detriment to black children?
November 28, 2006 at 5:53 pm
I got to run to work but I just had to comment. Zora Hurston might be turning in her grave at the conditions of black children in schools now. Speaking of which, you do know with the new supreme court justices they might overturn the affirmative action clause for schools. Its weird that I can outraged about this when I specifically moved to a diff neighbourhood to get my siblings to attend an IB school.
November 29, 2006 at 12:02 am
Yes, I read about the affirmative action clause. It is a day late and a dollar short,in my opinion. They have all but set black people about 100 years behind in education, health, and economics. African Americans would have been better off in segregation; they were making steady strides towards self-sufficiency. Good for your siblings, most public schools are an absolute scandal.
November 29, 2006 at 1:26 pm
while i feal sympathy for the conditions of black pupils as they are today, i cant really agree with you that segragation would have had any benefits. Like it or not, desegragation brought its benefits…though admitedly, i cant think of any right now.
November 30, 2006 at 2:11 am
It’s a well known fact that Washington D.C. has some of the worst public schools in the country, that doesn’t necessarily mean everywhere it’s that bad. But what is absurd is the argument that segregation would’ve been better because colored people in America would’ve made themselves better given their own schools; haven’t you guys thought about the fact that if schools were segregated, then the government would not even spend a fraction of the money that they would spend on white schools? But when schools are mixed, white kids and black kids get the same education unless it’s private school. By the way, I attended the same high school as the governor of NC’s kid went, and former presidential candidate John Edward’s kids as well- do you think I would’ve gotten the same education if I went to a segregated school? Hell no!
November 30, 2006 at 7:42 am
No, the funding issue hasn’t escaped us at all. Segregation or apartheid (more aptly) was a vulgar consequence of the genocide of black people. Forced desegregation of schools was not something that all black educators/thinkers thought was the number one priority. An equal investment in black schools would have bridged the disparities between the groups and integration would have forced itself anyway. Not at loss for social policies to undermine and marginalize blacks as a group, funding in thousands of black schools is only a fraction of white schools because of the migration of the white taxpayer. Prisons seem to have a greater priority. Your contention that black kids get the same education as whites in the same schools may be true but what about the schools that have largely blacks and other minorities? I agree with you that segregation was inhumane but the educational strides of black children in the worst times shames the present near 70% drop-out rate of black boys,for instance. Would segregation have made any difference? We will never know.
November 30, 2006 at 10:38 pm
I agree with om, I think segregation is the worst thing for black students, being exposed to other cultures/races is how kids both white n black, can get a better education, because then like om said they would be getting the SAME level of education. But about the problem of funding for majority black schools, i guess this wouldnt be the gorvenments main priority, but then again this is where black parents can support their kids by making sure they use the public libraries and other public facilities.
December 1, 2006 at 1:37 am
Firstly, What makes you think the government would spend an equal amount of money on an all-black school and an all-white school? If the government is spending a fraction on schools with black and minority students as majority compare to the rest, why would you think an all-black student schools will get the same level of funding as an all-white schools? Secondly, dblack parents have a choice now to to move to a different district or city to get their kids to schools that are good, but if schools were segregated, parents would not get that chance. Thirdly, it’s dishonest to blame the 70% drop-outs of black kids on the government or school boards, it’s solely the responsibility of the parents who let their kids have rappers as a role model and allow their kids to listen to such an awful music. Haven’t you noticed every black kid in America wants to be either a rapper or Sports Star? And the so called “Hip/hop” music and culture is truly what is destroying black America’s future. Bill Cosby already tried vociferously to tell black parents to take responsibility for their children’s high drop-out and crime rates. But what response does he get; White men is keeping us down!
December 1, 2006 at 2:59 am
iman,
“being exposed to other cultures/races is how kids both white n black, can get a better education”
Kids get a good education through a rigorous curriculum, school resources, an expectation of excellence, well-trained teachers, supportive and attentive parents, and stable homes no matter the composition. Exposure to other cultures won’t harm but is not what I define as an education. In my opinion, there are more class disparities between groups than ‘cultural’ ones and a good education can bridge that. The rest, we have too much in common anyways.
Om,
“What makes you think the government would spend an equal amount of money on an all-black school and an all-white school?”
Why not? I’m not certain why you think it’s not the government’s responsibility. I thought you believed in equal rights and access. Isn’t that what integration was supposed to guarantee?
“If the government is spending a fraction on schools with black and minority students as majority compare to the rest, why would you think an all-black student schools will get the same level of funding as an all-white schools?”
Not sure what you’re saying or asking here. Again, the quality of education depends on training, books, teachers and so on. Check out YES college prep schools and other such models that cater to children from normally impoverished backgrounds.
By the way, sweeping generalizations about ‘all’ black children wanting to be rappers and other such nonsense don’t answer questions about educational disparities and social policies geared towards the poor. You are a university student and a class or two on sociology or history must have shown that economic and social development are not the ‘sole’ responsibility of parents. Surely the school you attended with the children of John Edward had better resources than say, a high school in Abilene, TX.
We’re beyond segregation now and your contention that parents can simply move to other districts or cities is simplistic. Some can but many are lower income earners who don’t have the ‘upward and onward’ resources of the middle class. Your emphasis on the everyone-should-pull-themselves-up is admirable but I’m certain it’s coming from an awareness that poverty and poor education can be debilitating cycles for families to overcome.
I am actually one of those who supported Mr. Cosby’s efforts to motivate black folks. He spoke as an insider. Some African Americans did not agree with him but that is natural. However, his words played into much of white America’s desire to absolve themselves of responsibility towards its black citizens which it does not hesitate to spend 40K a year on ‘administering’ justice to each of the 2 million black men in prison. Bill Cosby cannot be used to justify the shameful neglect of people who built this country.
December 1, 2006 at 9:32 am
^^You remind me of someone in SOL.
Segregation, Intergration but really what are we talking about. This is a country that was based and founded on inequality and continues to do so in the most subversive ways. If you look back into the history you will see the many ways that blacks tried to get equal footing in this country and I am sad to say that until now their dream remains unrealized. They have moved from mamis in the masters house to token blackies in the highrise office. “See we have one of them among us, we are making progress”…..absolutely disgusting. What about the countless of children who fall between the systems cracks? The drying up of grants for community centers in the urban ghettos? I dare say, the house looks cute from the outside but a few rooms need a good scrubbing down.
December 1, 2006 at 8:41 pm
I am not defending the huge disparities between white America and black America, but my point is – segregation of schools is Not the answer to this problem. I sincerely believe that if every black kid who studies hard even if his/her school isn’t resourced well, he/she can still be a successful person. I just can’t stand, “The White Men is keeping us Down”! BS. If black kids get good grades in school regardless of how bad their school is, they can still get Scholarships, and oh yeah, Affirmative Action as well. Do I need to list all the successful black Americans who came from the worst poverty? It’s time for black Americans stopped making excuses for themselves.
December 1, 2006 at 9:31 pm
SleepDepraved,
“What about the countless of children who fall between the systems cracks?”
Indeed. The cracks are wide enough to miss a chance at a good life but just right for a cycle of poverty and deprivation. I agree that this country was built on inequality and continues in the same vein.
December 3, 2006 at 11:51 pm
The Supreme Court is about to hear a lawsuit case about segregation/segregation in schools, here’s the link to that story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6567985