W.E.B. DuBois and the Equality of Education
The United States of America has always stood as the land of opportunity, the land of equality; however, the African American journey toward cultural equality has been a complex and laborious one that still continues today. The passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in the second half of the 19th century did not instantly bring about equal rights and liberties. Instead, the country remained solidly divided upon racial lines which favored white people, and were only solidified with Supreme Court decisions, and the individual states' endorsement of the Jim Crow laws. However, not all African Americans believed the answer to equality was in desegregation. William Edward Burghardt DuBois, founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.), believed that the current "separate but equal" policies could be used for the advancement of the community as a whole, and integrating the schools would only have a negative impact on black children's educations. He asserted that the best way for blacks to hope to achieve equality with other Americans would be through concentrated pursuit of the equal portion of the clause. In the 1950's DuBois' own N.A.A.C.P. took on the Plessy decision articulating that
"To endure bad schools and wrong educations because the schools are 'mixed' is a costly if not fatal mistake" (DuBois) In his most prominent article DuBois addressed the issue of separate schooling. DuBois questioned whether or not integrating the school systems was in the black students best interest. DuBois vehemently objected to this treatment, and the thousands of dollars spent to bring an end to segregation, but unfortunately his cries fell upon the deaf ears of the N. Instead, the children were taught a white curriculum that barely acknowledged the presence of blacks in America. DuBois reasoned that the most beneficial environment for blacks to learn was among others like them. It is also important to note that this statement holds true across the nation and not only in the South as many people like to believe. This was quickly defeated as blacks began receiving an unfair lack of education. The vast majority of schools are deficient when the level of achieved integration is considered. White America was not generally tolerant of other cultures, and the Klu Klux Klan often took violent measures against colored families. He found the belief that blacks are inferior to whites to be an untrue self-fulfilling prophecy that had been perpetuated since the first white settlers came to America. Racial tracking stems from the efficiency movement of the first half of the 20th century. Since tracking was not especially prominent during DuBois's time, one of his main concerns was the assimilation of the African American culture into the white curriculum. Perhaps the most vital aspect is for the teacher to immerse himself in the community of which the students are a part.
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