Essay - Race Relations - Brown v. Board of Education - Assessment Answer

Essay Assignment

Assignment Task

This assignment is a thematic or comparative essay, chosen from the questions in Section B.

Question:What impact did the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision have upon race relations in America?

Race Relations: Brown v. Board of EducationIntroduction

Racism has been a limiting factor in the American culture for a long time. There are several cases in which racism has brought about issues in the American legal system. The court made a unanimous ruling concerning the decision to make public schools that were separate but equal for blacks and whites. This was back in 1954 when racism had taken a toll on the well-being of the students in various schools all over America. There was the creation of a civil rights movement that was greatly catalyzed by the Brown case. The case was meant to create education reform in every part of America as well as act as a challenge to segregation in the society. The guise of ‘separate but equal’ did not however seem right to the court which found it unfair to segregate students as a result of their skin color. The tangible matters did not affect their ruling but rather made the request irrelevant to the benefit and growth of the society. The court’s opinion on the case, however, was that all children were entitled to a good education despite of their race. This was referred to as the state’s responsibility to seeing the same come to pass. The court recognized the harmful effect of segregation on the children’s well-being. The essay will make an analysis of the impact of the decision made to race relations in Africa.

General view of Segregation in America based on different cases

There are cases that are brought forward in the court from various places within America making it a common issue among the members of the society. The premises of the cases are however mostly based on facts and local conditions that differ which make it important not to make decisions based on the generalized factors of the common cases that are brought forward within certain periods.

. The cases all have one thing in common in that the black community seeks help from the courts needing help with maintaining a no segregated public school system. The problem arose mostly with their being denied chances to be admitted to schools where white children attended. There existed no equal protection of the laws against segregation since they were biased and mostly focused on the well-being of the white children solely. The nature of public education at the time was that it was bound to spread in selected parts of the country and leave out other parts.

The court ruled out the decision to separate children in the defense that it was no constitutional since it was on the basis of a harmless and uncontrollable situation. The principle that had been brought forth as a result of a different case regarding the same problem was also overruled. This principle is the ‘separate but equal’ principle. There are several constitutionalists that did not support the decision of the court not to support segregation. This was based on the fact that there were laws that were precedent and already established with regard to the segregation of races. Besides race relations, other affected areas were the criminal justice, political processes, the church and also the state. Ruling out the minority groups would cause the church and the state to fall out in argument of inequality and in-substantial arguments regarding the way in which people of a different race should live.

Racism has been a cause for panic in many states and is mostly characterized by a negative perception of the minority groups which also ends up ruining their reputation for generations on end. Public education has, for a long time, been referred to as the pillar for racism. The case referred to in this essay does not change the fact that there have been two sets of educational standards based on racist opinions and unconstitutionally supported laws. The segregation cleared out the level at which the white people felt supreme to the black people. In the case that the government allows for equal rights for both the black and white people, then the integration process may be dealt with. This means that equality can be restored without having to worry about the race of the individual. The race relations in America are always conspicuously full of the evidence that segregation is still existent in some parts.

This has not been fully ruled out seeing that it is an issue that persists even as the leadership structure keeps changing within the country. The reputation of the minority in accordance to racist reports is made to seem violent and uncouth. This is mostly common in places where the level of civilization is still on the verge of growth. The continued efforts to eradicate racism are still prevalent in some parts and are an indicator of how segregated the minority groups are even in the modern world. Having a section of the country show prevalence in the level of racism and also be a part of those that support segregation indicates that the leaders are also not inclined towards being the source of hope for the minority.

The double standard ratio that is evident has required the black people to work extra hard in order to be ranked in the same category as the white people. The truth of the same does not however mean that the black community accepts it. The lack of consideration for the black people and 5their equal capabilities has created a deeper ridge between the two races. The odds of growing up amid crime for the black community have since then been proven to be a higher. This in accordance to psychology is a form of self-defense to exercise the level; of power which has been greatly denied to the community. The decisions made in the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954 have affected several mindsets and indicates a change in the view of black and white segregation.

Decisions made on the segregation of Children in Public Schools

The landmark case is considered as one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th Century. The decisions made were based on the court’s ruling that the segregation was violation of the Equal protection clause that was a part of the fourteenth amendment. The court revolutionized the constitution into considering the equality of race and also recognizing civil rights as they are supposed to be in accordance to the state and the rules brought about by the government. The segregation of schools had already been introduced as a result of the Plessey case which legalized the same and ensured that the process was a success. The segregated public schools however supported the equality of facilities for the public schools despite the level of segregation and the cases that were brought forth by lawyers to let the black children go to school with the white children. The Topeka Kansas School is the school that was filed against for not letting one of the children have access to white schools. The claim made against the same is that the equality clause did not matter in this case. The reason for this is due to the complete unequal facilities that had been made available for the schools.

The Plessy doctrine however ruled out the factor and was used as evidence of substantial equality when it came to the school. The fourteenth amendment however, contrary to the Plessy doctrine did not prohibit the schools from integrating and allowing the children to merge. The substantial equality had no proof and was considered not a genuine part of the amendment. The racial segregation had the black girls within them show very low self-esteem which affected the way they functioned and also their education standards. The separation of the children caused inferiority complexes that adversely affected the zeal and ability to learn for the black children. There came a lot of opposition to the landmark case seeing that it exercised substantial equality in the manner at which it was supposed to. The modern civil rights movement had not been initiated at this point by the case but the case still initiated a struggle for race equality in America. There were various components of a citizen’s public life that came with the fourteenth amendment. The first component is the course that was charted to see to the basis of democratic citizenship.

This citizenship level gave the black community a chance to exercise their power and demand for rights as equal citizens with the white people. The other component is the normal socialization. The component is mostly concerned with the social life of the black and white people whereby they have the right to have normal relationships without being a target for crime cases in the society or a target for unfair treatment. Professional training is the other component that is considered in the amendment which is a part of what equality should entail in accordance to the constitution. This means that the training should offer equal skills to those involved despite of the race.

Impact of the Decision made on race Relations in America

The issue of segregation has caused interracial behavior whereby whites and blacks are not able to relate on a basis where they view each other as people but rather as members of racial groups. This has paved way to disagreement and discrimination in various sectors. It also gives power in accordance to race and paints a bad picture on the black people deeming them powerless. The white people have had a chance to take over the society and create their own rules based on their opinions and perspectives with regard to the race and placement of the minority groups. The depression of having to bear with social and economic disadvantage is furthered by the segregation of public schools in America. This depresses the student performance levels and causes them inferiority complex. The future that is therefore dependent on the children’s efforts does not come to be achieved as expected since they are not in a position to make the best out of the opportunities that are given to them. America has therefore been slowing down growth for the black community by not being able to offer equal rights to those involved.

The segregation of public schools ha imbedded a certain mindset concerning the black community that is also developed in several generations. The residential isolation of low-income black children is normal since it has been associated with several unlikely factors. The factors are such as economic circumstance whereby the black people are viewed as the unfortunate ones by default. This has become a common status in the American community and all dingy and average neighborhoods are bound to represent the black community. The constant repetitive nature of the racial bias has caused the creation of a negative mindset even to new generations and those that have been in the society and a part of the community.

America views the black community as that which is a dangerous influence to the rest of the community members. It has also for a long time been considered powerless following a history of slavery and working under the command of the white people. The increase in crime among the black people is results of the need to self-defend and also exercise their power in a different way. The impact of segregation in this case is that it has created a mindset in the black community that the state is not in a position to exercise equality even with the progress made in civilization and the modern world.

School reform has also proven not helpful in substantially improving the performance of the poorest African American students. These are the most disadvantaged and have been blinded of the social and economic conditions that are bound to propel them towards the future. The social and economic disadvantages are not however associated with poverty but rather emotional conditions that greatly affect the performances of those involved.

The other impact caused to the race relations of the community in America is that the individual predictors of low achievement have been done away with. The predictors are such as the limited access that the black community has to routine and preventive healthcare. The children that are affected by these situations in the state are not able to show consistency. This has reduced in an effort to ensure that equality is applied in every area of the Children’s lives since one area affects another. The other predictor is the illiterate parents that are not able to help their disadvantaged children. This comes as a result of racism whereby the chance to study and better themselves has been denied and also the chance to have their parents and mentors read to them whether consistently or not.

The decision made has brought Americans to the realization that African Americans have similar capabilities to succeed since they only differ on the outside.

. A smaller percentage of Americans also choose to believe and propel the wrong perspectives in relation to the black people. The relevance of equality has been amended in the constitution and laws against racist behavior brought to the knowledge of people. The segregation of neighborhoods is very intense and leads to segregation in every other relative place. Research shows that young African Americans between the ages of 13 to 28 years are likely to live in a poor neighborhood. This is mostly because of the higher likelihood that a family of black people will live in the same conditions for a longer time than a family of white people.

Racism has been a large part of America and ending it is a long and hard procedure. The only way that whites would see blacks differently however, was by integrating schools which was the most effective and non-biased way of ending racism in America. There has been a need to isolate children from their parents in order to protect them from learning the behavior of racism since it is passed on from one generation to another. The decision has brought America to the realization that there is a much greater need to integrate the students more and also enhance greater knowledge on the African American History.

Conclusion

Racism is still a prevalent problem in America and the only way this can be effectively dealt with is by integration and education. The level at which the community is receptive to the issues of racism is still low and based on ignorance. The issue of keeping blacks as second-rate citizens will always be a problem if the separate but equal clause is still existent. The unwillingness of ignorant white people to participate in worthwhile change is also a factor that escalates the level at which racism increases as the generations come and go. The unjust history of segregation in America has been saved by the landmark case of 1954 and made to be viewed in a much greater light.