Racism In Colleges Essay Research Paper Racism

Racism In Colleges Essay, Research Paper

Racism in Colleges

Racism has been a steady problem all through time. One of the most

troublesome areas of racism is in places of education. Finding a cure for this

would be a major step towards ending racism in general. No one has ever thought

of a solution yet, and racism will be strong as long as there isn’t one.

It all started back when the colonists traded certain goods for slaves.

They had never seen a black person before and thought of them as lower human

beings because they did all of the colonists’ work for them. Since blacks were

so low, they were never given a good education.

This lack of education continued throughout the centuries. Even in the

1700’s slaves were never taught how to read or write. In the 1800’s everyone’s

feelings about slavery, good or bad, culminated in one big war, the American

Civil War. During this period, the slaves really tried to break free from their

past stereotypes. A small percentage of them taught themselves to read and write

and they began to teach others.

Some blacks even fought in the Civil War. The most educated were

selected and several black units were formed. Once the North had defeated the

South in the war, the slaves were freed from bondage, however, that did not mean

that they would be free from the terrible prejudice that still permeated the

country.

Schools sprang up in all black areas but were not given the public

funding that they needed and deserved. They were usually only one room and very

dirty. They were given the oldest and most worn out books and equipment that

were available. There weren’t even many teachers who were qualified and were

willing to teach at an all black school. Even though education was instituted

for African Americans, which was a step in the right direction, it was a very

small step and still didn’t give blacks the education they deserved.

This treatment prevailed for many years after the Civil War. A new

concept, segregation , evolved and was predominant from the late 1800’s through

the first half of the 1900’s. Whites assumed that they were better than black

people and didn’t want to be around them in anything they did. For example, in

buses, whites were given privileged seating in front; but blacks had to sit in

the back. Moreover, if there were not enough front seats whites could preempt

blacks from their back seats. There were separate restrooms, drinking fountains,

stores and, of course, schools.

Segregation remained the same for many years until one day in 1955 a

black woman named Rosa Parks sat down in the front of a bus where all of the

white people were sitting. When she was told to move to the back of the bus, she

refused to budge. This action set off an uproar among blacks who questioned

their rights for the first time.

In the 1960’s, the governor of Alabama, George Wallace, was a militant

supporter of segregation. In 1963 two blacks, Vivian Jones and James Hood,

sought admission to the traditionally segregated University of Alabama.

According to legislation at the time, they had every right to go there; but

since the governor was so anti-black and pro segregation, he didn’t like it one

bit. As the two black students prepared to enter the college, George Wallace

stood in the doorway, blocking their way addressing the need for segregation. He

refused to move, so the national guard was called in to restore order and admit

Jones and Hood to the University of Alabama. This was an important moment in

black history because it marked the first time a black person had been admitted

into an all white college.

Although laws pertaining to civil rights were enacted that ended

segregation, hatred and racism still continued; and it appears to be even

stronger now than it ever has been. Today there is no legal segregation in

colleges but a recent study revealed that most southern colleges remain

segregated.

In this day and age, there are many diverse ethnic groups and cultural

backgrounds that populate the same colleges. With this great amount of people,

there is naturally much tension between the many groups. From this tension

arises the hate groups on college campuses. Whether they are against whites,

blacks or any other groups, they cause many problems in the steady flow of

education.

Although everyone has the freedom of speech, even if the majority

disagrees with it, they do not have the freedom to do whatever they want to

fellow human beings. These hate groups become uncontrollable when they assault

or desecrate things that other races value. In October 1995, two black students

from Rowan College in New Jersey were beaten on the college campus by a couple

of white football players. The fight occurred at the Study Hall pub when racial

slurs were used against the black students. When the black stude

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