Running head: RACISM IN SCHOOLS

Racism in Schools Briana Maldonado-Reece Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

RACISM IN SCHOOLS

It is safe to say that in one way or another we have all seen or been a part of some form of racism. Racism is embedded deep into each societys history and ancestry and to this day we live in a world divided along lines of skin color. Racism is based on your ethnicity it is plain to see in appearance alone what a persons race might be. It is an assumption that is almost inevitable. The topic hits close to home to anyone who has noticed that theyre general appearance is similar to some and vastly different from another. Most people identify with their own ethnic background it may be a source of pride and come across in their speech and mannerisms. For some ethnicity provides religion, beliefs, attitude, food, and holidays. People who have these in common might find it easier to relate or get along with others who do the same. Racism comes into effect when one person cannot see past these differences and finds it difficult to accept or associate with someone of a different background or views these differences as a source of inferiority.

To a certain extent racism has decreased in severity and become less acceptable as the world becomes more racially integrated but although the situation may be improving it is something that cannot be forgotten. Racism exists everywhere and peoples opinions cannot be controlled but we can approach the problem proactively and educate each other to prevent racist attitudes. Although the past cannot be changed we can work to shape the future into one that is racially equal and the future of this world lies in the hands of children. Children who are born with no sense of discrimination are influenced by how the world around them treats people. To create a future that is racially equal changes must be made in the fundamentals of learning and education. Not just in the attitudes with which we teach children but also in ensuring that children of all races and backgrounds have equal opportunities in education.

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Racism is a topic that can be easily ignored or even denied. For example having a certain expectation for a person can be done unintentionally just based on the way that they look or where they came from. Unfortunately we live in a culture that easily stereotypes people based on appearances, these assumptions could be made without any conscious effort but they still will have an effect on how the individual is being treated. If a person is continuously hearing the same thing or being treated in a certain way they may notice and it could affect their response or they may even begin to let these expectations shape their actions and attitude accordingly. Multicultural research suggests that prejudice and discrimination can lead to abnormal functioning (Comer, 2013). This can obviously have a major effect on children in school who are already dealing with peer pressure and in a critical developmental stage of their lives. Researchers have learned that women are at least twice as likely as men to experience depressive and anxiety disorders. Similarly African American, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians are more likely than white Americans to experience serious psychological distress, extreme sadness, and the like. American Indians also display extremely high rates of alcoholism and suicide. Racial and sexual prejudice and related problems may help explain these differences.(Comer, 2013). This effect can start as early as childhood and school age, in a school environment this can have a negative effect on behaviors. If a child is labeled as misbehaving and is reprimanded for that it can also have an effect on their self-esteem this may cause the behavior problem to get worse, and the child might be less motivated to study or do well in school.

Racism can come in two forms individual racism or institutionalized racism. Institutionalized racism in a school can easily go unnoticed because we expect that educators will conduct themselves completely without biased, also the evidence of racism may be covered up

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with technicalities and standard school procedure. One major example of this happening is when students are placed on college tracks or technical tracks it is generally left up to the instructors of that individual. One instructor may not know the full potential of that individual and unintentionally be placing that student in classes below their level of comprehension. The teacher may be basing this decision on past experiences with other students, on personal experiences, or may simply be rushing through the process to move on to the next student. Institutional racism could also come from sources outside of the teacher control; it could come from the school administration that is not a part of the everyday classroom environment. Often, institutional racism involves complex and cumulative factors; for example, when many students of color, year after year, do not have access to fully credentialed teachers, high-quality curriculum materials and advanced courses (Kuznia, 2009). Schools who cant afford to pay teachers a high salary may be forced to hire instructors with no experience, the school might also be cutting cost by not providing students with the most current books or technology that makes learning more up to date. This maybe a unintentional racism is a key contributor to the achievement gap, in which the test scores of some ethnic groups usually Latino and African-American students are consistently below those of their white and Asian peers (Kuznia, 2009).

Institutionalized racism is often ignored or belittled by adults and educators but that will not solve the problems for young students who may not have access to the literacies needed for them to flourish in the educational system. Children and students alike are not blind to race and color, for some it is something they are faced with daily. By age two a child notices color differences, in the next two to four years the child begins to identify with his or her own racial group. At that point they form preference pattern on basis of the prevailing attitude of the group and not by contact with racially different groups. Parents are the earliest and most powerful

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source of racial attitudes while peers run close second. By the early grades every child carries at least some stereotyping.(Beswick, 1990).

People may argue that this issue has been over emphasized in schools and among students and that will bring more attention to the issue of race and also create a greater divide among students. This issue though is a long standing dilemma, one that must be addressed to bring change or reform in the educational system to provide students of any background with equal opportunities for success in the world outside of school. It is in school and in the way that students are taught that teachers have the opportunity to shape the minds of the future so that we can become a more modern advanced world where everyone has opportunities to better themselves and their families. Minimizing racism in schools involves careful examination of the total educational program to ensure that curriculum promotes cultural competence and appreciates ethnic diversity. Instructional methods promote cooperation, interaction and success for all students regardless of background, language proficiency, social class, or learning style. Schools should operate with a sense of community so that each individual student feels that they are as important as the rest. If a child seems to be having some sort of difficulty in school there should be efforts made to solve or better the situation before that student is reprimanded for their behavior.

The diversity in our country is the factor that sets us apart from the rest, by giving people a sense of hope in the future. This diversity can be used to our benefit as we attempt to further our country as a whole, here in America there is a huge potential to advance our higher education programs. We have come so far in the last hundred years in terms of education from a time when it was normal for a poor family to stop sending their children to school by the sixth grade, to a

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time were even in our later years we have found the drive and incentive to continue our education. If the people are willing to hold themselves to a higher standard the schools should do the same and protect the hope of any student to further their education. Schools should emphasize the importance of higher education and encourage a diverse atmosphere that is welcoming to any person. The potential is there if we are willing to work at it with a sense of oneness, instructors that are inspired, and the right curriculum materials for everyone.

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Reference List

Beswick, R. (1990). Racism in america's schools. eric digest series, number ea 49.. Retrieved from http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9215/racism.htm

Comer, R. (2013). Psychology around us. (2nd ed., p. 580). Danvers: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Kuznia, R. (2009, april 8). Racism in schools: Unintentional but no less damaging. Retrieved from http://www.psmag.com/culture-society/racism-in-schools-unintentional-3821/

Parks, S. (1999). Reducing the Effects of Racism in Schools. Educational Leadership, 56(7), 14.