Since when does Liberty and Justice for All mean Education for Some?
Education in America has moved from a luxury that some can afford to a right that all children deserve in the populace’s mind. However, this is not a reality for all children. Vast disparities are often seen between schools in different states, cities, and counties. Simple differences can be seen between schools in the suburbs versus schools in cities. Particularly on the east coast, gentrification and defunding have caused vast differences in the qualities of education accessible by students. In our readings this week, Shame of a Nation by Jonathon Kozol examined the condition of current schools in disadvantaged areas such as South Bronx, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. The statistics for these schools are that they are populated with overwhelming numbers of African American and Hispanic students, with hardly any white students to be seen (Kozol, 146). This is due to white families either sending their children to private schools to avoid allowing them to exist in such a setting, or moving out of the neighborhood they are located in and up the social ladder.
These neighborhoods are mostly occupied by low-income families as well as immigrant families, such as Miguel Fernandez’s family. His mother brought him as well as his five siblings to the South Bronx despite warnings from others because she had family in the area and would need their support to raise six kids on her own (Noguera, 258). However, this was never a permanent destination for their family. Miguel speaks to this fact when he addresses the concept that, while the South Bronx has become in some parts home, it was and continues to be seen as a stepping stone for him and his family. This truth speaks to an important fact about the area that they live: no one is actively choosing to live their. Only those who must live there, whether it be for support or lack of money or involvement in criminal activity, live in this area. Because of this, it is an often overlooked and brushed aside portion of America; while rallying calls could be issued, and flags raised in defense of their rights to education, no one is actively up in arms about this issue in the public’s eye.
The fact that more awareness is not being created for this issue is alarming. All children should be provided the opportunity to have an education regardless of where they live, their race, or their background. The fact that we as a nation are allowing this to happen is not ok, because it sets the example that we only care about people if they fit the mold that we like. That is not what liberty and justice for all means. We as a whole should care about this issue because these people are part of the next generation of scholars and academics that have the power to change the world; why should we stop them by giving them an education that is beneath them?
While this did not affect my perception or hopes for my volunteer work I will be doing this semester, it does reinforce for me the importance of what I am doing. Because I am working with Next Generation Scholars, I will be in a position to directly affect students in similar albeit distinctly different situations. I look forward to this opportunity as a chance to have fun and make a difference.
