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Hayley Tran

Professor Brody

ENG 301

29 April 2019

The Shame of the Nation – “Separate but Equal”

“Still Separate, Still Unequal" is written by Jonathan Kozol, a civil right activist

highlights the idea of “separate but equal" (proved to be a failure) to a whole new level in U.S.

schools. Education is meant for everyone regardless of their race, background, and social status.

Gaining knowledge through education and school should be equal for all in addition to the same

basic needs and treatments. However, equality is not the case in regard to the equality of

education; white is superior to black hence the unequal treatments and hatred toward people of

color. Throughout years and years of fighting for equality, it seems surreal to obtain American

value – equality. Fighting for equality has been going for quite a long period of time and it seems

to get worse due to the current resegregation of American public schools and the Education

System in America.

Not living up to American value – equality – take away the freedom that was originally

there to protect and give access to others including people of color. The term “racial segregation"

associates with school segregation because it defines who can be enrolled simply by their skin

color and many different factors that should not be an option in the beginning. According to

Kozol, the Supreme Court and the arbiters of culture are to blame for the current resegregation of

American public schools. The Supreme Court should have enforced laws to prevent any

segregation between whites and blacks especially school segregation with unfair treatments,

“You have … We do not have” (Kozol). Furthermore, I also believe that the Supreme Court is to
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blame for what people of color went through emotionally, mentally, and physically, “‘If people

in New York woke up one day and learned that we were gone … how would they feel? I think

they’d be relieved’” (Kozol). With the mindset that one race is superior to the other and one does

not deserve to be on the same ground as the other, the fight for a decent education in America

will be a huge struggle.

Diversity is what makes America unique although school segregation proves it otherwise.

I absolutely agree that the state of inner-city schools represents a “moral failure” in America due

to the lack of necessities and the schooling itself such as the lack of outdoor playground, indoor

gym, and collapsing ceiling (Kozol). Adding to the lack of resources, people of color are viewed

as not highly educated and are considered job stealers, “‘Immigrants who can’t even speak

English’” taking American jobs, people of color playing ‘the race card’ to get their way, and, of

course, hot Latinas” (Carmen Lugo-Lugo). It is important to Kozol to see this issue in moral

instead of political or social terms because it portrays the shameful doings of the United States in

the belief of equality for individual in U.S. soil. Politically speaking about the idea of “separate

but equal,” it does not prove justice to people of color due to their hypocritical actions toward the

lesser race.

The belief in equal rights is guaranteed to U.S. born individuals on U.S. soil despite one’s

race but it is proved otherwise by school segregation. People of color have to live a life with the

lack of necessities and resources, they are denied to participate in any activities within the

whites, and most importantly, they are not guaranteed with equal treatments. The role of

education in American society is equal treatments and resources for all but the facts from various

articles proved otherwise. Education serves as an opportunity for many children of color if and

only if it awakens the United States.

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Works Cited

Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. “A Prostitute, A Servant, and a Customer Service Representative: A

Latina in Academia.” Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for

Women in Academia, 2 Aug. 2012.

www.academia.edu/1985375/A_Prostitute_A_Servant_and_a_Customer_Service_Repres

entative_A_Latina_in_Academia.

Kozol, Jonathan. STILL SEPARATE, STILL UNEQUAL America's Educational Apartheid.

Jonathan Kozol, 2005.