Conference paper

Racism in the American Education System

Luca Garai ; Eötvös Loránd University

Abstract

In the United States, the difference between various racial groups in terms of educational attainment is an issue often debated among scholars of race and education alike. After the end of the American Civil War in 1865, the public education system followed the trend of treating people of different races living in the US as “separate but equal.” In 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was settled, racial segregation in public schools was deemed unconstitutional. However, despite the nominal desegregation of public schools in the US, the transition to equality is not complete to this day. This article examines recent data gathered on the education of different racial and ethnic groups in the US, including rates of college enrollment and completion among them. The aim of the study is to show that racism remains an issue in the American public education system for three main reasons: inexperienced teachers, little access to higher-level science subjects, and high punishment and dropout rates among racial and ethnic minorities. These disadvantages are significant, as their impact extends to the post-secondary education of racial minorities, thus creating a deficit on the job market as well. Considering that the share of racial and ethnic minorities in the American education system has risen above 50% and is growing steadily, the nation and the government must take steps to avoid creating a system which only serves a minority of students and finally solve the problem of racism in US schools.

Keywords

racism; education; United States; segregation; discrimination

Hrčak ID:

220854

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/220854

Publication date:

8.6.2019.

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