Is Education the Great Equalizer - 1603 Words

Is Education Really The â€Å"Great Equalizer†? When the slave ships first brought the first Africans to this country, these African slaves were denied access to books and refused the opportunity for an education in fear that they would eventually cause a revolt against their slave owners. A century later during the Civil Rights Movement in the Untied States, African Americans risked their lives to fight for equality within this country. A breakthrough came with the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown vs. The Board of Education, which granted all minorities the opportunities to go to the same schools and receive the same education as White people. In the present-day United States, where schools are not segregated and primary school is mandatory for†¦show more content†¦However, amongst many peers of color, it is seen as a negative to be intelligent. As Tatum writes, â€Å"academic success is more often associated with being White.† (Tatum, 367). Unlike White students, when students of color pursue academic greatness, th ey are often times outcasts within their racial groups. McIntosh reiterates this point when sharing that â€Å"[she] can swear, or dress in secondhand clothes†¦without having people attribute these choices to†¦poverty or the literacy of [her] race,† (McIntosh, 353). Because it may be a student’s preference to not only do well in school, but to speak properly and dress in a certain way, they are said to be â€Å"acting White† by other children in their racial communities. Even for lower class white students, striving for academic success is see in the same way as a minority student striving for success in a lower class neighborhood. These white students are seen as the minority in these schools and in the same ways as Black students want to fit in with their peers, instead of being seen as â€Å"snotty† and â€Å"stuck up†. For all students, regardless of race or class, middle and high school is the time period when they are trying to rela te to the people around them while they are on the journey to find themselves. Tatum writes, â€Å"†¦students†¦[know] that to be indentified as ‘brainiac’ would result in peer rejection.† (Tatum, 367). This results in many students downplaying their intelligence orShow MoreRelatedThe American Public Has Termed Education As The Great Equalizer Essay2481 Words   |  10 Pages Integrative Paper The American public has termed education as the â€Å"Great Equalizer† after the idea that every United States child should receive an equal education. Looking at how our education system is run, however, we find that the US far from the being â€Å"Great Equalizer†. The ineffectiveness of using market choice in education has furthered educational inequality and strengthened the domains of power in the United States. By looking at the business model and market choice we can identify howRead MoreThe Great Ghost of the River Valley Essay examples1027 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Some say bypassing a higher education is smarter than paying for a degree†, a 2010 article published in The Washington Post discussed what many consider to be the decreasing value of a college education in relation to income. Richard Vedder, a Professor of Economics at Ohio State University, argues that for many an a college education is not worth the investment. Along with anecdotal eviden ce, Vedder makes use of Bureau of Labor Statistics to make his point. The statistics fail to show the fullRead MoreThe Value of a College Degree1034 Words   |  5 PagesFor many families, the idea that higher education for themselves or their children will automatically improve their social or economic status is a common one. In many situations this can be the case, however it is not universal. 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McGee jmcgee@wmcarey.edu 228-342-8288 April 26, 2017 Abstract This paper will examine five emerging trends associated with the future of higher education. Within the United States higher education has become commercialized. Obtaining a college degree has been