Civil Rights Laws Cracking Down On Educators
You would think that since the years of Martin Luther King Jr. racism would have been completely abolished. Yet, there are many instances of it still occurring today. Numerous parents, students, and teachers are reporting such instances at universities across the country.
Sometimes I wonder if we are more concerned with producing degree-carrying individuals than individuals who help carry each other.
However, the Department of Education is enforcing civil rights. They are investigating schools and institutions that are showing possible signs of racism.
The New York Times article Officials Step Up Enforcement of Rights Laws in Education, reports that the Department will be sending out letters to “15,000 school distracts and several thousand institutions of post-secondary education.” These letters will outline 17 areas of civil rights concerns. The Department is now actively working to abolish civil rights issues early.
Everyone deserves an equal opportunity for higher education. Obviously students will have to work hard in high school to achieve grades that meet university standards, but they shouldn’t have to meet a race standard.
Martin Luther Kings Jr. said, “The late Eugene Talmadge, in my opinion, possessed one of the better minds of Georgia, or even America. Moreover, he wore the Phi Beta Kappa key. By all measuring rods, Mr. Talmadge could think critically and intensively; yet he contends that I am an inferior being. Are those the types of men we call educated?” Eugene Talmadge was the Governor of Georgia and was recognized as a fierce racist.
Educational leaders should not be discriminating against students. If they are guilty of such acts, they should not be considered educated. Although they may have advanced degrees and years of experience they are lacking the fundamental skills of social living.
The reason we respect Martin Luther King Jr. so much is not because of his education, but his character. Who you are as a person means more than your degree. Educators should focus on developing students’ character and their own.
The Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, “Despite how far we’ve come over the last 45 years, we know there are still ongoing barriers to equal educational opportunity in this country.”
With the increase awareness and enforcement of civil rights, racism will hopefully one day be completely abolished. Students, parents, and educators can raise their voices in defense of what is right. Education should be available to all regardless of racial ethnicity.