Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together?

As we first take a look at the frightening statistics Kozol provides, this claim of segregation becomes so much more real. As evidenced in the text, the vast majority of enrollment in most of the public schools in our major cities is black or Hispanic: 79%

“Still Separate, Still Unequal”, written by Jonathan Kozol, describes the reality of urban public schools and the isolation and segregation the students there face today. Jonathan Kozol illustrates the grim reality of the inequality that African American and Hispanic children face within todays public education system. In this essay, Kozol shows the reader, with alarming statistics and percentages, just how segregated Americas urban schools have become. He also brings light to the fact that suburban schools, with predominantly white students, are given far better funding and a much higher quality education, than the poverty stricken schools of the urban neighborhoods.

Kozol comments that, “nearly forty years after Brown vs. the Board of Education many of are schools are still separate but no longer even remotely equal.”

Although the statistics are more than 10 years out of date, the reality of America school segregation has not changed. The barely functional buildings, lack of up to date text books (or in many cases any text books), overcrowded classes, non-existent lab and computer equipment, and low paid teachers create a situation of despair that leads to a drop out rate of more than 50% in many districts. And even those who graduate are often barely literate. Kozol draws the clear link between these schools and the imprisonment of the oppressed nations who, after dropping out of a dead end education, end up locked behind bars.

In the essay “Still Separate, Still Unequal” by Jonathan Kozol, the situation of racial segregation is refurbished with the author’s beliefs that minorities (i.e. African Americans or Hispanics) are being placed in poor conditions while the Caucasian majority is obtaining mi32 the funding. Given this, the author speaks out on a personal viewpoint, coupled with self-gathered statistics, to present a heartfelt argument that statistics give credibility to. Jonathan Kozol is asking for a change in this harmful isolation of students, which would incorporate more funding towards these underdeveloped schools. This calling is directed towards his audience of individuals who are interested in the topic of public education (seeing that this

How should society handle the perceived differences between races when it comes to education? The goal of both researchers is to narrow the academic gap between white and black students. Both authors attribute the gap between the academic scores of black and white students from opposite sides of racial identity. As Dr. Beverly Daniels Tatum, President of Spelman College and clinical psychologist has written an article entitled “Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Her approach is from the perspective of the student and how they perceive their role and upper limits while maintaining their place in their peer group's expectations of their race. Dr. Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University, has written an article entitled "The Facts about the Achievement Gap.” Her approach is from the perspective of how schools and society implicitly or explicitly cast students into achievement tracks based on their race. Both approach the same idea about racial identity, but they have different solutions, such as peer groups, the school board, and who is right about the solution.

In this scenario, saying that I were a sociologist designing a college course on Race and Ethnicity in college, I would have a variety of topics to start from and would really have to narrow it down. In this scenario, I am choosing to talk about systemic racism. The five sources I would use would be varying in subject, and the authors would come from different walks of life. {{{One book I would use in this course, would be a text that we have used this semester. This book being “Why Are All of the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Tatum. It was a quick enough read, it made sense, and was easy to retain. This book had an emotional impact on me, and I have a feeling it would impact many students like the ones before

Some may argue that educational opportunity is available for all peoples no matter the race. That opportunity is there for the taking. However, obstacles can prevent a student from seizing that opportunity. You can see the obvious impact of race in the African-American community in regards to educational opportunities. Race hinders educational opportunity of African-Americans through the expectations of others and self-identity conflicts.

Introduction: As a well accomplished writer, activist, and educator, Jonathan Kozol has devoted his life to the challenge of providing equal education to every child in our public schools.

If anyone in the United States were asked, "What is the best part about living in this country?," most people would answer "equality". The United States is built on and known for the equality among its citizens and is often referred to as the 'melting pot'. After reading Jonathan Kozol's, The Shame of the Nation, equality is nonexistent within the schools he has gone to, and has been employed through. With his travels, expert testimony and personal stories gathered from the people within the community and schools, he shows the exact opposite of equality. Minority schools being his main focus, he discusses the inequalities these students endure and truly opens up your eyes to just how awful these minority schools have it. Jonathan Kozol is successful in his writing of The Shame of the Nation, and makes himself a voice for these minority schools that are denied of their voices.

Race and racism continue to exist in our world, and with the assistance of white privilege it becomes increasingly difficult to find a solution. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” provides an understanding of why race and racism continue to operate in our world. Tatum effectively answers the question she poses as the title of her book; moreover, I agree with her perception of Affirmative Action and the word racist, but I do not agree with the definition of racism in her book.

In her book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” , Beverly Daniel Tatum, explores the identity of racial development in the United States. She analyzes the definition of racism as well as the development of racial identity. Along with these topics she in turn offers possible solutions to racial problems that plague us today.

In chapter two, Kozol elaborates on the contrasts between private schools of North Lawndale and Southern Chicago compared to public schools. Much detail is given about the unequal privilege that students in suburban school districts have over students in public school districts. He speaks about the underlying racial prejudice that members of the white community and government have against the black students in many of Chicago’s public schools. There is a taboo associated with giving money to black students. Even the own Governor of Chicago was quoted on page 53 saying, “We can’t keep throwing money into a black hole.” While this may not have been intended as a slur, race is never far from the surface, explains the Chicago Tribune. The yearly spending on public schools from state, local, and federal funds is approximately 90,000 less than the spending on private suburban schools. Much of the funding for public schools comes from tax on local property. Therefore, poorer inner-city communities have remarkably lower

"...if the colored children are denied the experience in school of associating with white children, who represent 90 percent of our national society in which these colored children must live, then the colored child's curriculum is being greatly curtailed. The Topeka curriculum or any school curriculum cannot be equal under segregation."

He emphazise that minioruty public schools often have low funding, and low student expectations. Kozol interviews were significantly impacting and factual to prove what he was researching was real. “Pointing to the garbage bag, then gesturing around him at the other indications of decay and disrepair one sees in ghetto schools much like it elsewhere, would not happen to white children" (Kozol 583). Kozol attempt to inform us that segregation does exist makes me believe that society often wants to hide discrimantory facts to make America not look bad. However, the truth lies beneath our own