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Social And Cultural Events In The 20th And 21st Century

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Education has been affected greatly by social and cultural events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Because education follows the moves of society, the need for new skills in life and in the workplace change and students can be career and college ready. This, however, has not always been the case. The first of two main cultural and social events focused on are the events that led up to the Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court case, which resulted in the desegregation of schools. The second are the effects that the Great Recession had on the education system. In the 1940s the Civil Rights Movement began gaining strength and the country began moving slowly to desegregation. In 1947, in the face of much opposition, Jackie Robinson became the first African American baseball player. When he traveled to the south he was denied access into hotels, restaurants, and other venues because of this race. Because Robinson was in the army the armed forces became desegregated in 1948 and eventually led to the elimination of segregated schools (Schwartz, 2003). During this era African American students were in “separate but equal schools” although many black schools suffered from poor facilities and a lack of funding and other amenities that were provided at white schools. Black students were often bussed great distances to attend school. In 1952, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) lawyers represented the case Brown vs. the Board of education. This case dealt with the right of a black child to attend an all-white school close to her home instead of being bussed across town to the all-black school. Initially, the ruling was in favor of the Board of Education, but the adverse effects of separate but equal schooling on the black community were clearly shown (Schwartz, 2003). African Americans were also held back by not having the right to vote. A literacy exam was required to be passed in order to vote. Because of their schooling restrictions, many African Americans were illiterate, which denied them of the right to vote. A workshop for the United Nations drew several community members and teachers from the south (Horton, & Freire, 1990). One member who attended

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