Staff Picks: Education and Race

"America has a social mobility problem. The Supreme Court declared racial segregation to be unconstitutional. With this declaration it was assumed that integration and racial equity could finally be achieved, and that education could, in fact, be the great equalizer in America. In actuality, this is what arose: nearly every path of social mobility, including education, work opportunities, and government spending, is tilted still toward a wealthy, mostly White elite group of people.The importance placed on education to better one's social standing has been indoctrinated into the American people's mindset; however, if the quality of education is not the same, how are equality and mobility to occur when minorities are disadvantaged from the start? 

Education for minority students has become a main consideration in terms of curriculums, schools districts, and educational settings. New measures are constantly being tested to meet the educational needs of students. However, a majority of students entering the teaching profession are white and female, thus complicating this objective. Factor in segregation of school districts and drastic funding differences. African Americans and other minorities are fighting a decades-long uphill battle.

This curated collection of titles focuses on education and race as a whole. Works vary, from a mother expressing her fears for her two black sons growing up in a world that has stereotyped them from birth, to inquiries into the dangers of outcome based funding, through to the role educators play in providing the tools for minorities to be on equal educational footing with their white counterparts. Selections also include personal stories and essays of those who lived through struggle, and hope to educate others about not facing the same hardships. The books in this collection and their themes are especially important in today’s society, where African Americans and minorities’ voices are finally being heard, not only with regard to injustices and inequality in education, but also in the workplace and various facets of life."

-- Statement by Annette Mims

Staff Picks is curated each month by the Gottesman Libraries' staff to highlight resources on educational topics and themes of special interest. Education and Race is brought to you by Annette Mims, Library Associate, and Trisha Barton, Designer. For a related book display, please see Teaching Anti-Racism.

Image from September Staff Picks: Education and Race, Courtesy of the Gottesman Libraries, Teachers College, Columbia University

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