Persistent Racial Segregation: America's Hidden Truth

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Recommended: All aspects of diversity in the classroom

The two readings details life as a minority and the differences that arise between towns and cities that are racially separated, such as high income areas that tend to be more white. Most Americans would probably like to think that our country has made great strides towards multiculturalism, but the facts tell a different story. The reading from Marger and the two film clips show that while segregation is now illegal it still lives on through the lack of racial and ethnic integration in neighborhoods. Policies that were established during the 1950s, such as redlining, persist to this day. Our communities and public schools still foster racial divisions established during the mid 1900s. Primary structural assimilation could offer a solution …show more content…

The first city is Barrington, a predominantly white middle-upper class area. Of the total population 95 percent are white while only 1.1 are Hispanic or Latino. The average household income is 74,591 with only three percent of individuals falling below the poverty line. These statistics show a city that has established itself as a predominantly white area. The statistics on education show that the high school has a 94 percent graduation rate and is rated number two in the state. Racially the school is representative of the town’s population with 90 percent white and only one percent black and hispanic. These numbers are all representative of a larger problem present in American society today. Whites tend to be better off financially and congregate in racially homogenous areas. Using this information you can definitely argue that the quality of education is much better than other towns in RI. One main reason for this is the wealth of the population, this allows for investment in education. Also, because of the school’s high ranking it is more likely to receive federal and state …show more content…

From the information collected it is apparent that racial divisions are still present within our society and have serious negative effects. While schools have become “desegregated” since the Brown v Board of education decision, the data shows there are still racial divides within the community and public education. Barrington is a white upper class city that remains dominantly white while Providence is a racially diverse lower-class city with a working class population. Over the years the racial makeup has stayed relatively the same. This lack of residential integration can also explain the education gap between whites and racial-ethnic minorities. Barrington is able to offer a higher quality education because the population of the city has a larger average income, which means there is a larger taxable bases for the school to collect funds from. Meanwhile, Hope High School is located in a lower class city where school funding is much more limited, meaning they don’t have the necessary funds to provide a high quality education. The minority groups end up receiving a worse education than the white majority. The solution to this problem

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