This week we have been learning about the issues of segregation and lack of diversity in New York City Schools. It was shocking for me to find out that New York state has the most segregated schools in the country. Furthermore, it shocks me to learn that the integration of students of all race is still a problem in New York City schools. The two readings, “Does the Negro need Separate Schools?” by W.E.B. Du Bois, and “Why Our Schools Are Segregated” by Richard Rothstein, provide contrasting views on the same argument. Du Bois argues that blacks don’t necessarily need integration with whites; what blacks need is more funding for their schools, so that the blacks and whites could be separate but equal. On the other hand, Rothstein argues that integration is necessary in order for blacks to be given more opportunities. The two contrasting views on segregation and integration provide interesting arguments.
Du Bois makes the appealing argument that school integration is not beneficial for blacks because the people in predominantly white institutions don’t treat blacks right. I believe Du Bois accurately writes that “what [the negro] needs more than separate schools is a firm and unshakable belief that twelve million American Negros have the inborn capacity to accomplish just as much as any nation of twelve million anywhere in the world ever accomplished, and that is not because they are Negroes but because they are human” (p333). This line is important because it emphasizes that blacks are humans just like whites and every other race; however, blacks are not treated fairly and cannot strive towards a higher education when they are in an environment where they are looked down upon. With more funding, schools that are predominantly black will be able to reach their full potential because they will have the support of each other and their peers.
Rothstein believes that integration is the key to increasing opportunities for black students in society. Rothstein highlights that segregation is the result of government action and that we are responsible. With low-income housing in predominantly black areas, it is harder for blacks to be integrated into middle-class neighborhoods that are predominantly white. In addition, the education of the children’s parents plays a huge role as well. Rothstein argues that with less educated and literate parents, children miss out on early exposure to education, thus “classrooms fill with students who come to school less ready to learn, teachers must focus more on discipline and less on learning” (p51). Rothstein believes that integrating theses troubled students with privileged students could help close the learning gap so that the less-privileged could benefit more.
Both readings relate to what we have been discussing in class, specifically, the readings related to the article “Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City,” by Nicole Hannah-Jones, because these are all things to think about when choosing a school for a child. It has been proven that less-priviledged black students have benefited a lot from attending predominantly white, privileged schools; however, it has also been proven that with the right resources, predominantly black schools can thrive as well. At this point, students of every race and background should be able to succeed at any school, and integrating students should not be a problem.
