...benefits. It affects all facets of society including the learning process, which especially affects people of color. Since the 1600’s it has been hard for the of African descent persons. In education they have had a hard time prospering, like in the 1600’s; of African descent being was not allowed to even learn. In 1870, 81% of African Americans in the United States were illiterate (when only less than 9% of white Americans were illiterate). But that was because only about 9% of the African American went to school, while 50% of white American children attended school. After this key point in history, the numbers improve and things get a little better but not much. In 1896, the Plessey v, Ferguson (Plessey was a man who could easily pass for white but was jailed for sitting in a white only train car when he took matters into his own hands to challenge the separate car act .He took them to court and they made great points but the supreme court still kept the “separate but equal” law because they thought it was constitutional ).Supreme Court decision to pass equal but separate laws went through and it only made things worse for the African American student. In 1898, a Georgia school board did not want to open a public high school for African American students who lived in a town where there was no public black high school and this case Cummings v. Georgia, let the Georgia school board make their own decision and told them that they were not obligated to open a school if they did not...
Words: 2196 - Pages: 9
...Today, we can still see the devastating effects of racism on people of color, as well as whites. “Racism, like other forms of oppression, is not only a personal ideology based on racial prejudice, but a system involving cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as beliefs and actions of individual” (Tatum, pg. 9). As a result of this system, it leaves the oppressed at a great disadvantage in society. This includes “access to social, cultural, and economic resources and decision making” (Rothenberg, 2007). In order for change to come about and for the American society to reach racial inequality, we first have to acknowledge the problem openly, which our society has yet to do. In this paper I am going to analyze the meaning of racism and how it affects both people of color and whites. In doing so, I am going to explore how racism impacts one’s racial identity, using my life experiences as an example. I will also demonstrate how racism leads to prejudice and discrimination and provide examples of these. I will close the paper with solutions and ideas to improve our communities and our society as a whole. Racism Defined Racism is defined as a system of advantage based on race (Tatum 1997). In America whites have control over resources such as jobs and education. This gives them the power to be racists toward others. Because people of color do not have this power, they are not able to be racist towards whites. Many whites would...
Words: 4792 - Pages: 20
...The formation of self-identity is a process each of us must go through on our journey to adulthood. The development of a system by which to lead our adult lives is difficult for all children, but especially for African American children. In addition to defining their personal character, they must define themselves in terms of their culture and nationality – African American and American. One of the ways in which black children create their self-identity is through the illustrations they see in the literature they are exposed to. We look to African American children’s books to help promote self-esteem, cultural identity, and pride for African American children. As books are read to them, children concentrate on the images, and become subject to the impressions these images create. Children’s books that are authentic to African American culture, physicality and intelligence are few and far between. With consideration to our theme, “Black Literary Contemplations on Thomas Jefferson and Western Enlightenment Ideologies of Race and Humanity” and Thomas Jefferson’s Query XIV, it is my belief that the images in children’s literature are important to development of self- identity and esteem in African American children. In Query XIV, in his comparison of whites and blacks, Thomas Jefferson commented on the beauty of whites and blacks, and critiqued blacks because of their “immovable veil of black” and lack of flowing hair. He then stated that black men favored white women over black...
Words: 1523 - Pages: 7
...first and likely most important mechanism through which culture is reproduced (Cauce, 2008). Every child is born into a certain circumstance and learns through interactions with the surroundings. Parents are generally the first and key people in a child’s life, so it should come as no surprise that parenting has influences on the development of children’s temperament, which later impacts their school performance. This article is going to explore how parenting varies among different ethnic groups including Asian Americans, African American, Latinos, and European Americans. More specifically, what factors should be included when considering the parenting characteristics of a unique ethnic group and what implications might they have for schooling today. Theories Two of the modern theories that are concerned with cultural influences on human development are Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Ecological Systems Theory proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner. First, Vygotsky’s theory defined culture as the values, beliefs, customs, and skills of a social group. His Sociocultural Theory focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation. According to Vygotsky, social interaction – in particular, cooperative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society – is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community’s culture (Rowe & Wertsch, 2002). Vygotsky believed that adults and more expert peers can help children master culturally meaningful...
Words: 5498 - Pages: 22
...Privilege is the Greatest Enemy of Equality Educators most often consider multicultural education as teaching their pupils about Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and other descendants of color. However, multicultural education is not complete if it doesn’t challenge the root of structural racism and racial oppression: the matter of white privilege. It’s vital to understand white privilege and the role it plays in affecting society. In essence, white privilege is an unwilling and non-owned racism that has been ingrained into our mindset throughout history, and it affects how we interact with each other and how those who don’t share such advantages are affected. It’s a permeating factor responsible for many inequalities faced among races, widening the social gap between white and nonwhite Americans. Accessibility to education, jobs, and housing are all directly affected by societal inconsistencies of privilege and power. Ultimately, racism isn’t caused by white privilege; white privilege is caused by racism. Yet racism isn't a problem that resides in the minds of individuals; it lies rooted deep in our social institutions. It is necessary we reconstruct the societal ideologies of race and class to expel this self-perpetuating cycle. In this essay I will address these racial struggles for power and privilege, the role it plays in education, and my personal experience towards racism and how it has affected me as a person. Privilege, as defined by Websters Dictionary, is a ‘special...
Words: 2132 - Pages: 9
...executives, celebrities, heirs, income over fifty thousands and have highly education, second is new money class which is people inherit a huge money from their family. Thirdly is middle class which is people having highly educational and also have their professionals like lawyer and doctor. Fourthly is working class which is people have low educated or technical training, they always is blue-collar worker and worker. Also they have a union. Fifth is working poor class which is people have lower educational, usually work in the lowest-paying jobs. The last one is poverty level which is people can’t meet their basic needs. Discuss how class shapes life chances using segments from the film, People Like US: Social Class in America below: The working class vs. the middle class In the work, the working-class people more easy to injury at work than the middle class t. And, the working class people are least possibly have the extra money to buy essential, moreover luxurious things and holiday. The social class in US, the middle class family has the better survival qualifications, therefore they have the social activity, and their child can have a better education compared to the working class people. “Bourgeoisie Blues” – the black middle class The video explained that since the 1960 s the black middle class is growing by leaps and bounds, African Americans have chance entered white-collar jobs and have better education than before. They are no longer isolated by color identification in...
Words: 4264 - Pages: 18
...Racial Profiling Furnie J. Oden IV Strayer University- Lithonia Campus Some people wonder what is racial profiling. Racial profiling derives from fear of the unknown, miss-education, slavery, and incarceration. Since the beginning of slavery African Americans have dealt with profiling due to their identity. Racial profiling deals with selecting a person within a stereotypical criteria according to their specific racial group. The main reason in advocating racial profiling in the background of criminal study can enlarge the possibility of arresting criminals. Paul Bou-Habib stated, “If the rate at which members of a specific racial group commits a crime is higher than that of other criminals will be caught if the police concentrate their efforts on investigating members of the racial group in question?” (2011, p.34). It is not right when police officers, political officials, and judges make decisions based on predetermined racist and some would say ignorant beliefs. For example, my friend was in McDonald’s parking lot and he was in the process of switching seats with his friend because he was exhausted of driving. . The term “driving while black has been used to describe the practice of law enforcement officials to stop African-American drivers without probable cause” (Weatherspoon, 2004). This is one of the leading minority men are pulled over in their vehicle. Which usually leads to a unwarranted stop...
Words: 2178 - Pages: 9
...Abstract The point of this paper is to help the reader grasp the different aspects of human identity construction with regards to ones race and/or ethnicity. This is a topic that is incredibly important to all races of people regardless of economic class or whatever else is seemingly more important. It is quite impossible to go throughout life without forming an idea of who you are or where you have come whether you care to make it a part of your daily life, have no choice or acknowledge it when it is convenient; without that knowledge I find it difficult to fully make the most of life. Through the readings from the semester and class discussions I have come to the conclusion that White ethnics choose to either assert their ethnicities thickly or thinly, or they chose to incorporate it into their lives symbolically. Blacks on the other side of the spectrum lack choice in their racial identity because their race is visible and so it is assigned to them. Asians have both the ability to choose to assert their specific ethnicities but they are racially assigned. The issue with racial and ethnic construction is that it is born of social construction-what others believe of your race to be true. This can make the identity construction process much more difficult depending upon your racial or ethnic background. Regardless, I find this to be an important part of the identity construction journey. How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone. These words...
Words: 5152 - Pages: 21
...Construction of Identity and Worldview: The Influence of Social Variables The meaning of human identity is vast and complex. Identity, for our purposes, is in part a derivation of an inseparable piece of one’s consciousness, and largely an assembly of attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs collected and learned during a lifetime. Individual identity, as the centerpiece of an individual’s place in society, is the mechanism through which worldviews are shaped. Identity may seem a nonessential study of little consequence in comparison to more explicit and trenchant topics, but actually is very consequential. Identities and worldviews are, after all, what have defined and created our reality as we know it. Movements toward social equality and political progressiveness have been born as a result of identities and worldviews differing from that of the collective. To study the social variables that mold identity and construct worldview is to study how our species has created our reality. Learning about the way identities and worldviews are shaped is the first step necessary in altering the formation of those identities and worldviews in order to change our thinking; to create a better and more equal reality. In some cases, such as my own, the formation of an individual’s identity is influenced by a collection of social variables typical of those within their society, as well as variables considered atypical. An absence of organized religion, Caucasian racial categorization, a culture...
Words: 2772 - Pages: 12
...follow the same traditions and values. This paper is going to explore what impact culture has on the lives of young children. What role culture plays in the lives of children who are being raised by parents who are from two different cultures will also be discussed. Also how these children cultural development are shaped by the diverse group of people they encounter in school and the roles their parents play in their lives. According to Diller (2011), culture is viewed as a lens through which life is perceived (Diller, 2011, p. 5). A child’s first lesson in culture usually comes from the teachings of their parents. Swick (1986) points out that it is in the performance of various roles that parents introduce children to the basics of their culture (Swick, 1986, p. 72). Children also get to learn about culture through watching their parent’s behavior in various situations. Parents are usually the first people who a child can learn about their culture from and once they start school, their teachers also take on this role as well. Thomas (1998) said that within a family, culture can define boundaries, expectations, rules for interactions, ways of defining problems, communication patterns and specific coping skills (as cited in Crippen & Brew, 2007, p. 107). Culture plays a big role in the lives of children because it dictates how these children will do things in their everyday...
Words: 2366 - Pages: 10
...Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists American Psychological Association Approved as APA Policy by the APA Council of Representatives, August, 2002 Copyright, American Psychological Association, 2002 Author Note: This document was approved as policy of the American Psychological Association (APA) by the APA Council of Representatives in August, 2002. This document was drafted by a joint Task Force of APA Divisions 17 (Counseling Psychology) and 45 (The Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues). These guidelines have been in the process of development for 22 years, so many individuals and groups require acknowledgement. The Divisions 17/45 writing team for the present document included Nadya Fouad, PhD, Co-Chair, Patricia Arredondo, EdD, Co-Chair, Michael D’Andrea, EdD and Allen Ivey, EdD. These guidelines build on work related to multicultural counseling competencies by Division 17 (Sue et al., 1982) and the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development (Arredondo et al., 1996; Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992). The Task Force acknowledges Allen Ivey, EdD, Thomas Parham, PhD, and Derald Wing Sue, PhD for their leadership related to the work on competencies. The Divisions 17/45 writing team for these guidelines was assisted in reviewing the relevant literature by Rod Goodyear, PhD, Jeffrey S. Mio, PhD, Ruperto (Toti) Perez, PhD, William Parham, PhD, and Derald Wing Sue...
Words: 24938 - Pages: 100
...Shawnta Morris CJE 101-01 Research Paper October1, 2013 Racial Profiling and the Effects it has on Blacks in the Criminal Justice System. Some people wonder what is racial profiling. Racial profiling deals with miss-education, slavery, and incarceration. Since the beginning of slavery African Americans have suffered due to their identity. Racial profiling deals with selecting a person for their complaint of a specific racial group. The main reason in advocating racial profiling in the background of criminal study can enlarge the possibility of arresting criminals. Paul Bou-Habib stated, “If the rate at which members of a specific racial group commits a crime is higher than that of other criminals will be caught if the police concentrate their efforts on investigating members of the racial group in question?” (2011, p.34). It is injustice, when police officers, political officials, and judges have learned how to automatically have a racist attitude towards blacks. For example, my friend was in McDonald’s parking lot and he was in the process of switching seats with his friend because he was exhausted of driving. While leaving the parking lot, the officer had pulled them over because he seen a black guy get out of his car and thought something seemed suspicious. The officer implied that my friend did not use his right turning signal. The term “driving while black has been used to describe the practice of law enforcement officials to stop African-American drivers without probable...
Words: 1936 - Pages: 8
...Belonging This essay discusses defines belonging. It identifies some elements of belonging, and focuses on selected few. It discussed concept of belonging from my perspective and looks at the significant of that from Aboriginals perspective based on research. It gives a brief history of the cruel nature of colonisation, its impact on Aboriginals and how this colonial mentality is perpetuated through discrimination to the Indigenous Australian disadvantage. It states why the policy introduced by the government does not sound promising, what the Aboriginals wants and human rights implications in the issues facing the Aboriginals. Definition of belonging Belonging is the connection and relationship of individual with the world around him/her. (Jacques Dufresne….) Even though belonging has physical components, it can be felt individually, and develops to diverse stages with time and circumstances. This means that human state of belonging is not permanent. The status of belonging can be explicated by the choices that people make. The concept of belonging Analysing and reviewing sense of belonging I approached it by applying to my own being-that I belong to a family, my mother and fatherland, an ethnic/cultural group, a religious, professional and community groups. Within these groups I have forged good relations. The thrives that keep this profound affiliation going for me is the values we share, that include honesty, caring, sharing, participation, inclusion and respect...
Words: 4541 - Pages: 19
...Bias, along with stereotypes and individual experiences, shapes how the life of an individual will turn out. A person with positive experiences in school and home along with the help he or she needs to succeed, he or she will avoid the school-to-prison pipeline and lead a more productive life. Whereas, a person with poor experiences in one or both environments and with little to no help needed to succeed, one might fall into the school-to-prison pipeline and not reach his or her full potential. Some examples of poor experiences include being seen as a bad kid (whether it be because of a learning difference or background), struggling because of the lack of help or misused resources, falling into the wrong crowds, and many more. The lack or poor use of support and our biases...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...A Diverse America This paper focuses on the question “How can people be made more accepting of diversity?” The paper is organized into five sections: What I Knew, What I Want to Know, Literature Review, My Search, and the Conclusion. The sections What I Knew and What I Want to Know provide background knowledge on why this topic is one of personal importance and why I fell others should see its importance as well. The two sections also address what subjects will be spoken of and researched in the paper. The Literature Review is divided into three sections: What is Diversity, How Does Diversity Affect Individuals, and How Can Acceptance of Diversity be Promoted. Each of these sections provides research on their respective questions, mostly focusing on religious and racial diversity. The My Search section contains information from a personal Interview with Dominik Unger, a previous political refugee. Finally, the conclusion contains personal...
Words: 2931 - Pages: 12
