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Chloe Ibardaloza

Ms.Wolke

Pre AP English Segregation Throughout the Nation

9 May 2019

Segregation swept the nation throughout the 1950s and 1960s affecting the lives of many

colored people in any way possible. This led students to not be able to have equal opportunities

and equal education as opposed to white students. This forced the country in great disturbance

throughout its segregated neighborhoods, cities, and communities all over the nation. “...the

legacy of segregated neighborhoods created during the era of Reconstruction and Jim Crow laws;

enduring racial preferences among whites who choose to live near other whites people.” (Source

D) As America’s history of de facto segregation seems to be in the shameful past, today it is still

evident that it is still occurring in communities all around the nation.

In the act of America trying to desegregate schools by bussing and funding every school

equally, it is very obvious on how there are fine divided lines throughout cities on how well

educated students are or how much funding is placed into their schools. According to a diversity

article on America’s history it states, “In education, a black-white achievement gap persists

largely because the poorest pupils are concentrated in racially homogenous schools where

instruction is overwhelmed by children's out of school challenges; these schools are segregated

because their neighborhoods are segregated.” (Source E) The source here explains how with

education gaps students don’t perform well on tests. Another article states that “U.S schools

have become more segregated since 1990, and students in major metropolitan areas have been
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most severely divided by race and income.” ( Source F) This statement proves that even as the

country is trying to erase segregation, the economic level of white and black families are

drastically different. This results for black students to not be able to have access to the same

education and opportunities as opposed to white students due to their economic class.

The long history of segregated black and white neighborhoods has been put in place by

governmental policies and projects. In an article it claims that “Yet the government built separate

projects for black and whites citizens, determining future residential boundaries.” (Source E)

With the government's involvement in developing neighborhoods that creates segregation among

communities. Another text claims that, “....many urban neighborhoods were integrated because

workers of both races lived in walking distance of downtown factories. The PWA demolished

many such integrated neighborhoods-deemed slums- to build segregated housing instead,

creating segregation where it had never before existed.” (Source E) The projects and policies

that our lawmakers put in place were rebuilding the wall of segregation that citizens were trying

to break down. The integrated neighborhoods that were in place even before the government had

touched it all had equal opportunities in the workforce. Ever since the government projects for

“erasing slums”, the result of this that segregated neighborhoods are more present.

On the point of black schools not getting enough funds for their schools, it is also

affecting the academics and education certain black schools can benefit from. As reported by the

articles explaining segregation and diversity in America, “ ...noted that racial segregation in

schools has such a severe impact on the test score-gap that it outweighs the positive effects of a

higher family income for minority students...the level of integration was the only school

characteristic that significantly affected student’s learning growth.” (Source F) The source here
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explains how school funding and education that the students receive has a major impact on how

well they perform on tests. Another report states, “Hostile, sometimes fatal confrontations

between police and African American youth might be rarer if the poorest young people were not

concentrated in neighborhoods lacking well-resourced schools, good jobs, and transportation to

better opportunities.” (Source E) These pieces of evidence show how minorities access to jobs

and opportunities are not available to them. Due to the lack of resources and funding schools

may receive. This development over time causes minorities to feel not educated enough on

certain topics that do go on around the country.

Some may argue that a handful of communities in the suburbs have lower prices than

the city, which offers more diversity for its population. Although this may be true, the de facto

racism existed in these acts. In an article, it mentions that “is that it was white in the ‘70s and

80s. As the black middle class moved in, the white middle class stopped moving in.” (Source D)

Another article states that “...believing their racial homogeneity is “de facto”, tied to private

prejudice, personal choices, realtor discrimination or income differences that make middle-class

suburbs unaffordable to most African Americans.” (Source E) This proves that most

neighborhoods have racism put in place due to what minorities move into the community. The

prejudice and discrimination that minorities face due to living in segregated communities are not

what this country was meant to do.

To conclude as America is trying to strive more towards integrated communities, it is

still evident that de facto segregation is still occurring today in schools, neighborhoods,

communities, etc. The funding for schools depending on what neighborhoods it’s set in, the

government putting in place policies that create segregation in neighborhoods that were never
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exposed to it before, and the levels of education that minorities receive opposed to white

students. All these factors are why de facto segregation is still evident today in our nation. Even

as we strive more towards a less segregated country, we all are more segregated and separated

more than ever we were before.