Education : Constructing The Development Of Racial Ethics

Segregation played a major role throughout the lives of the African Americans. They were viewed as unequal, and were set apart from the norms of society. In the South, the African Americans were forced to use water fountains for blacks only. They were refused service at many local restaurants, and forced to give up their seat on the bus to a white individual. African Americans wanted and needed to take action to gain equality. Throughout the years, they tried all they could to obtain equality and enjoy the same freedoms as the white population.

There were many arguments both for and against school segregation. One was the claim that educational decisions were to be left to the state and local courts, and not to be decided by the Supreme Court. Another was that students should be taught where they are most comfortable learning. It was thought that white children were more comfortable learning with white children and the same goes for African-American children. Also, students must be given and equal learning environment, not the same school. Lastly, the defenders of segregation claimed that African-American students were living with the effects of slavery, and were not able to compete with the white children. (Benoit, 10) (Smithsonian)

The blacks were harassed if they didn't use different movie theaters, sit in the back in the back of the buses, blacks had to have a separate one of everything. Blacks even had to have different trains, so they couldn't ride with the white people. In the same way, blacks felt like they were being violated of their rights because they were forced to use a different one of everything. It's not until the case of Brown V Board Of Education in the 1950's and 1960's is what ended segregation. The constitution was rewritten by many states to conform the 14th Amendment. In addition, blacks immediately felt like regular people. (Plessy vs.

There were many arguments both for and against school segregation. One was the claim that educational decisions were to be left to the state and local courts, and not to be decided by the Supreme Court. Another was that students should be taught where they are most comfortable learning. It was thought that white children were more comfortable learning with white children and the same goes for African-American children. Also, students must be given and equal wlearning environment, not the same school. Lastly, the defenders of segregation claimed that African-American students were living with the effects of slavery, and were not able to compete with the white children. (Benoit, 10) (Smithsonian)

The “separate but equal” doctrine was quickly extended to cover many areas of public life and encouraged many states to legally regulate all African Americans to an inferior status by enacting strict laws that were passed to forcibly separate blacks from whites in every sector of society including education, restrooms, hotels public transportation, sports, hospitals, prisons, and even cemeteries.

Segregation emerged and it wasn’t until a century after that segregation was starting to be dealt with. Segregation prohibited African Americans to enter specific facilities, public places, and restaurants. Segregation caused an immense amount of violence towards African Americans, where African Americans were lynched the night prior to voting day in Mississippi, so that they wouldn’t be able to vote. Segregation made a significant mental change on African American individuals. There were African Americans who had given up on the removal of segregation and accepted that they lived in a society where they were to be belittled and treated as unequal. There were those whom were in the middle class that saw segregation as an opportunity to profit because of economical and educational security. Finally, there were those who grew tired of oppression and advocated towards violence due to their hatred and bitterness of the white race. In my opinion none of these were the right ways to approach segregation. The African American race should have always looked for ways to demolish segregation. A way that would catch people’s attention and yet keep them safe. Direct Action was the correct way to approach segregation. It caught the public’s attention, as well as made the government deal with the issue and still kept people

As segregation laws became common, African Americans were not treated equal. They faced many hardships such as police brutality, they were denied access to social programs, houses and even jobs.

For many in the South during the 50’s and 60’s Americans equaled whites. Whites were the superior race and should be kept separate from those deemed inferior. This separation was perpetuated by the enforcement of Jim Crow Laws. The reactions to this segregation differed from race to race and from region to region.

     “Whites were there because they chose to be; blacks were there because they had no choice.” (p. 158) This quote, from the essay written by Howard N. Rabinowitz, encompasses many, if not all of the ideas that go along with racial segregation. It is a well-known fact that racial segregation did create a separate and subordinate status for blacks, however, seeing as how at the turn of the century the integration of blacks and whites was a seemingly unrealistic idea, segregation could be seen as somewhat of an improvement from the blacks’ previous position in the U.S. as slaves.

To begin with, the dictionary says segregation is the act of being separated or set apart from others. That is exactly what was going on in the 1900s. Black people were separated from white people. The Supreme Court ruled that colored and white people were to be “separate but equal.” Nothing was really equal, though. Black people were always on the down side of the scale. According to, “The Little Rock Nine” article, colored people could not vote, eat, or even drink in the same location as whites. Black people would have to be separated on city buses, restaurants, hotels, and public bathrooms, said the

For many years there was a lot of separation between whites and blacks, that is also known as segregation.

After the Civil Rights act was signed then struck down other laws and plans were made to Desegregate the US. Laws were made like the “Freedom of Choice” law where african-americans and whites could choose to go to a different school, this plan worked but only to a degree. Since most of the cities and towns were segregated already and black and white schools

Most people remember or have been told stories about the civil rights movement. Though it was a remarkable time in our history, the story of segregation started long before the marches in the streets. After the Civil War, Southerners were not happy about their slaves finally being freed. In order to keep the African-American community under their control, white Southerners passed numerous laws that oppressed blacks and kept them confined in society. They were known as the Jim Crow Laws.

Segregation was one of the biggest problems of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Segregation is when people are excluded because of their race, where they’re from, or their religious beliefs. This went on in the United States from about 1877 and ended in 1964. This act started to dull down when brave African Americans stood up to the unjust treatment they had to face everyday. Segregation is wrong because it goes against the constitution, it’s unfair and biased, and lastly, it causes unnecessary violence along with an unacceptable example for the future.

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation in the U.S was mostly in the Southern states. The segregation was supposed to be separate but equal. But that is not how it was. Blacks in the south were discriminated against and the law did nothing to protect their rights as individuals.