Saturday, October 22, 2022

Part 3: Assignment 3

I can see how separate but equal would be a viable option in education in today's society. But not through the concept of racial inequality that has been previously exploited in our history. In today's terms, separate but equal could be displayed in the context of grade levels: each student, no matter their level, is still an equal participating member within their school (not one student is superior or better than the other). Keeping students separate within respective grade levels of education encourages confinement within curriculum based learning. Each level has objectives to which they should achieve before they can move onto the next level of education. However, I'm not sure separate but equal will never be true in the context of race and education. I cannot even say that together and equal will be true. Once the trend of segregation and superiority begins, the likelihood of releasing that fad is not an easy feat. Because our country has practiced white supremacy for centuries, the stigma of racial superiority still lingers in the society we live in, no matter how many years later. Although the challenge to defeat this stigma is very much possible, it would take the adaptation of the minds of billions of people, not of whom all think alike and/or are willing to do so. Even in the 1950's, parents "went to the school board, they talked to the school board, they did everything that they could in order to get [the school board] to understand", so that all children could be deserving of equal and honest education (Mondale 135). However, the school board responded with a severe lack of urgency and claimed that although schools were separate, they were treated equally. It was obvious to the public, then and now, that the separation between schools was not even close to similar, not to mention equal. The process of desegregation was in desperate need to make its appearance, not just for "facilities and resources and the constitutional and moral reasons", but for the learning equality as well (Mondale 137). The schools and resources provided for students of color were unkempt, affecting the quality of education given to them. Lack of supplies cannot excuse the lack of education, for it only hinders it more, creating an environment with inequality in communities.

I think the education of any and all mistakes, no matter what context they are made in, is the only way to truly understand and recover from that mistake. It takes learning of said mistake to recognize where one as an individual, or where a society as a community went wrong. It also takes the recognition of one wrong mistake and the realization that the recovery could be applicable in other contexts. Learning from one's mistake is one thing. Realizing that another could be prevented takes critical thinking. The remembrance of prior mistakes to avoid another worldly catastrophe can only benefit the future. Because this course provides education on past mistakes, in this case racial and educational inequalities, I think it could be beneficial to other members of our society to take this course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lsDJnlJqoY 

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Part 2: Assignment 3

Educating children in the 1900-1950's era was a complicated process. Many people saw the benefits of it; others could only see to the Americanization of cultures. The favoritism to American culture became the main focus when teaching children of all backgrounds and the colonization of students posed as a big issue in school systems. Immigrants' cultures were not valued, rather tossed aside as Christian holidays were praised and celebrated. Most schools "required that students recite passages from the Bible, or the Lord's Prayer" (Mondale 96). Even language learning was strictly English only. When schools tried to incorporate other languages in their curriculum, the idea was shot down. It was noted that "all of the teaching took place in English", when most of the students combined in one classroom "'spoke eight or ten or fifteen different languages'" (Mondale 94). Schools even honored and "emphasized American heroes and anthems" (Mondale 95). Unfortunately, not everyone could see this suppression, for they focused on the unity and aide that schools brought to their community. As far as educating poor students, schools were there to help children in need of certain facilities: "part of the reason they had swimming pools in the school was so kids would have a bath", for not all students had the ability to clean themselves before they begin the day's work (Mondale 90). People became so blind by the good that schools provided for students that eventually, the bad was forgotten. They only noticed that "the Gary schools were open...to serve the entire community" (Mondale 91), not that the Gary schools were crafting students to become good workers to provide for the economic status of the country. The assimilation of children into American culture helped merge students into one, unified educational class, but also masked other cultures and representations, creating a shallow, unthoughtful system.


The intelligence quotient, or I.Q. tests became the sole, deciding factor of how successful a student would become. The I.Q. test was used to "have a better understanding of each individual's ability or capacity, and create a kind of social efficiency for the country", to build a sort of "Utopia" (Mondale 101). It determines a child's path from the moment they take the I.Q. test, through to their high school education, to see if they will move on to secondary or college education, how successful their career will be, and more. The issue with the I.Q. test is that the questions are questionable - "TRUE OR FALSE: A large man is always braver than a small one" (Mondale 102). One cannot base another's future on the outcome of a test, particularly when it favors the "quality of people by ethnicity, by race, by class" (Mondale 101). To assume that children's mental capacity can be analyzed by a sequence of questions is only to assume the knowledge they know at that point in time, without taking into account of their future educational expertise. Plus, given the now known information that students learn differently than other students, different learning and/or testing types should be considered within the I.Q. tests, yet it was not. Soon enough, the publicity of I.Q. tests "'got a huge pickup in the media and really helped to popularize the idea of I.Q. as the crucial human quality'" (Mondale 102). With a good enough score, "'[America] will come to your door, they will give you a scholarship and they will put you on the road to success'" (Mondale 103). Which is fantastic for those who are fortunate enough to receive such credit. But for those who are not, they will not benefit from the school system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdzz0sEaiT4
*begin at 5:26-9:22, jump to 11:32-12:50*

Works Cited

“The (Racist) History of the I.Q. Test !!!” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdzz0sEaiT4. 

Streep, Meryl, et al. School: The Story of American Public Education. Beacon Press, 2006. 

Capstone Project: Post 5

June 27, 1991 Dear Journal,     Here's to the retirement of the good work I have put forward to help the people of my community. From my...