Archive for January, 2007

Ohio State Schools

{ January 30, 2007 @ 3:09 am } · { Film Diary }
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       “A bunch of flowers growing in garbage cans…” This is the phrase an elementary school teacher used to describe her students. The school is located with in an urban area in the state of
Ohio. The schools condition is far passed unacceptable for a learning environment. The elementary school that is teaching our nation’s future had hot wires hanging from the ceiling, leaky pipes everywhere, unsuitable restroom facilities, unsuitable eating facilities, and unsuitable heating equipment. When a kindergarten class has to walk a block to use the restroom, it is unacceptable! In
Ohio, the building and safety codes for businesses and houses are different from the codes that deem a school safe. This means that people in the state work in better conditions then the schools they send their children off to learn in. Thus the codes for the schools are said to be unacceptable for any other citizen to live or work in.

            The urban schools however are in a rut when it comes to fundraising for a better learning environment. A schools funding comes from local property taxes and other miscellaneous local taxes. However when there is high unemployment rates and low property values, then taxes cannot be raised in order to provide money for educational use. It is not like the surrounding areas do not care that their children attend a school where there is puddles on the floor after every rain, they just do not have the finances to better the school.

            How do we fix this problem that connects wealth with the quality of education? The whole state of
Ohio should be concerned about their urban schools, not just the surrounding region. A school tax should possibly be placed on the citizens of that state to help better their schools. Once taxes are collected they can be evenly distributed or distributed based on need. However, how does one decide which schools need the money more than others? I believe safety is the number one issue; schools that have wires hanging from the ceiling and that still use coal as a heat source have more safety needs than a school that needs more technological advances. This money that is distributed to each school will be added to the money contributed by the community towards its own schools in its area.  This allows for schools in wealthier communities to still reap the benefits from living in an area of money.

            The solution to help these schools in need is not easy to provide. However, the students, teachers, families, and citizens of the state all agree that something needs to be done in their benefit. When someone will stand up and take action in order to raise money for these schools, no one knows. Lastly I would like to point out that this movie is dated, so the information that I have provided may stand incorrect or proven wrong in the present compared to when the movie was originally made.

Racial Privileges and Racial Wealth Divides

{ January 29, 2007 @ 12:53 am } · { Reading/ In Class Response }
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In the Declaration of Independence it was stated, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Within this sentence there is a phrase that to this day has yet to be portrayed within American society. The truth is people may be created equal but they may not be considered as equals. In a society that is predominately white, whites seem to receive more and better advantages than people who are considered to be minorities. These advantages that whites receive are due to something called white privilege.

According to Robert Jensen who wrote the article, “White Privilege Shapes the
U.S.,” “…the ultimate white privilege: [is the] privilege to acknowledge you have unearned privilege but ignore what it means. (pg 79 Privilege: A Reader)”  Jensen makes a point through this statement, some whites realize that they have advantages over other races, however they choose ignore it due to the fact we are said to be in an equal society. However, most whites think they receive their advantages through building themselves up through hard work. They do not realize the benefits their relatives have received and had passed them down through the generations. The fact that these advantages still exist in the twenty first century proves that there is still forms racism alive today.

When writing on such an emotional and political issue, I believe that one should recognize both sides of the issue. In American society when we hear the word racism, we mostly hear of whites discriminating minorities. Also, its not minorities that have the privileges, its strictly whites. However, I beg to differ. There is such a thing known as minority privileges. For example, the government has placed multiple racial status quos that corporations and universities, and other miscellaneous public places must meet in order to stay in business. This allows for minorities to get somewhat of an advantage over a white person. Not only is it shown through job opportunities and university acceptances, but also in financial aid recipients.   

I spent the majority of my senior year of high school applying for as many scholarships that I could find. However the amount of scholarships that are open to minorities only seem to outnumber the amount open to anyone. The reasoning for this however is understandable, minority wealth and finances seem to be substantially smaller than those of whites. As stated in the article, “Overview: The Roots of the Racial Wealth Divide,” written by Lui, “The racial wealth gap has continued to grow. From 1995 to 2001, according to the Federal Bank Reserve, the average family of color saw their net worth fall 7 percent, to $17,000 in just six years, while an average white family’s net worth grew 37 percent, to $120,900, in the same period. (pg 2)”

Lastly, I would like to point out I am on neither side of the argument, I just thought it would be thoughtful to show that there is such a thing as minority privilege, thought it’s not as prominent.