“The White unemployment rate? It’s nearly more than triple for Black… bubbling crack, jewel theft and robbery to combat poverty and end up in the global jail economy.”
Mos Def, Mathematics
We live in a nation divided. Lines defined by gender, religion, socioeconomic status, and race run through the very fabric of our society and more literally from a geographical point of view. Despite the lack of de jure segregation as it existed into the later half of the twentieth century, segregation remains deeply ingrained in our society today. We champion diversity and strive for equality amongst all citizens, yet minority groups, particularly African-Americans and Latinos, continue to be oppressed as a result of urbanization and concentration in low-income areas, unjust institutions of criminal justice and imprisonment, and lack of equal opportunity in public schools. Tens of millions of Americans are denied their right to equal opportunity in poor neighborhoods, in court and in prison, and in classrooms nationwide. Without attention, this injustice will continue to manifest itself in our communities and in our culture for years to come.
It is natural for people to live in communities based on common heritage or ethnicity. Throughout history humans have organized themselves based on their beliefs and culture, but what we see today is different. The cycle of poor education, poverty, and incarceration has become an undeniable phenomenon among minorities in urban areas of the United States. In cities across America, African Americans and Hispanics live with outrageously high rates of poverty and, subsequently, crime. According to US Census data from 2012, minorities earn a real median income that is $10,000 or more less than the national median, and nearly $20,000 less than non-Hispanic White Americans. Poverty is worst for African Americans, of whom there are 24.2% living in poverty, compared to the national average of just 11.8% [1]. While these numbers are shocking, they pale in comparison to the rates of incarcerated persons by race.
African Americans and Latinos make up a tremendously disproportional percentage of the population in the United States prison system. Particularly in the aforementioned low-income areas, many minorities are forced to crime, be it drug related, theft, or otherwise, as a necessary source of income. 37.2% of prisoners are Black, yet only 13.1% of Americans are Black [2]. In addition, convictions of drug related offenses, robberies, and murders are all significantly higher among African American inmates than the average. These statistics are far too overwhelming to be deemed coincidental, and point to poor urban living conditions and lack of lack of educational and economic opportunities as causes.
There in lies both the problem and the solution. Racial segregation remains prevalent in our public school system, especially in urban areas. It is not uncommon for young people in Chicago, America’s most segregated city, to attend kindergarten through high school without having any classmates of another race [3]. A New York Times article outlined data from the Department of Education which revealed the unsettling truth of racial segregation in public schools. As the demographics of our nation continue to shift with growing minority populations, children of different races remain separate in many schools. A study by the Civil Rights Project at UCLA reported that 43% of Latinos and 38% of African Americans attend schools where fewer than 10% of their classmates are white nationwide [4]. The segregation is not solely based on race, though. The same study showed that minorities are twice as likely to attend schools where the overwhelming majority of students are impoverished. One must certainly be skeptical of the quality of education and opportunity to excel that these children are receiving. It is out of this skepticism, though, where the opportunity for change is born.
In order to provide an equal opportunity for all young Americans, education must be the first priority. In order for poor Black and Hispanic children to have a fighting chance in our competitive economy and job market, they must first be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to receive higher education or find work to provide a more comfortable life for future generations. This is not a discussion of affirmative action. It is instead a call to arms directed at the Department of Education and school districts across our country. The solution to the problems of poverty and crime among racial minorities lies in the education and empowerment of the younger generation. It is our responsibility as Americans not to be complacent with regard to these deep-rooted injustices. We must invest in the education of young African Americans and Hispanic Americans not only in the interest of equality, but in the interest of the future prosperity of our Nation.
[1] http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-245.pdf
[2] http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
[3] http://www.salon.com/2012/07/11/segregation_in_urban_schools_salpart/
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/education/segregation-prominent-in-schools-study-finds.html?_r=0
All the statistics and concrete evidence you provided in your essay were extremely helpful, and made your argument very convincing. I think your writing style was clear and concise, which made the essay easy to read and comprehend, but also very earnest, which made me just like this essay a lot, and makes you as an author seem knowledgeable and sincere about the topic. The last half of the essay emphasizes the importance of education, so maybe you could try to incorporate it more in the beginning of the essay too to make it even stronger.
Overall this was a strong essay. The statistics were very helpful for your argument. Your paper also flowed pretty nicely. Perhaps you could be a little bit more specific with regards to the solution in your conclusion. For instance, What exactly does it mean to invest in minority education?
I thought this essay did a good job to display the many statistics found on the subject. The essay read fairly easy and was convincing due to the large amount of information found on the subject.