talking points #7 on Lawrence

Premise:

• equality
• whites
• African American
• segregation
• children
• schooling
• racism
• inferior
• superior
• separate
• education
• desegregation
• unconstitutional
• oppression
• society
• power
• privilege
• self-interest
• discrimination
• Americans
• courts

Author's Argument:

Lawrence argues that Brown vs. Board of education was a failure and that the court's lack of recognizing the true nature of racial segregation was not intentional and the lack of recognition affects Blacks today. The Brown decision denies the reality of race in America and it did not do enough to make blacks feel equal.

Evidence:

1. "If the state discriminates by continuing to participate in labeling blacks "not fit to live with," it is surely beside the point that it is not an active participant in particular acts labeling Blacks not fit to go to school with." This shows how Blacks are inferior and shows how Brown did not recognize the true nature of segregation.
2. "Once it is understood that segregation achieves its purpose by labeling blacks as inferior, it becomes clear that segregation is firmly entrenched when the label of inferiority is reflected in societal attitudes; moreover, once the label is firmly affixed, it will not be removed or alleviated by a mere discontinuance of official name calling. " This shows how Brown's decision denied the reality of race and how it affects Blacks today.
3. "The real resistance to the true desegregation of society comes from fear of competition in a society where opportunities are limited." This is another example of how Brown did not recognize the true nature of racial segregation and how it has affected blacks today.

Questions/Comments/Points to share:

I really had a tough time understanding this article. I am not sure what I have written down is the author's argument because I was very confused reading this. I did understand that the author did not like the decision in Brown and I do see how the decision affects Blacks today. We leaned about Brown vs. Board of education in Political science and I thought that it was great how schools that were separate were no longer considered equal. Also, I thought it was great how schools had to be desegregated in the south, but this article shows some repercussions in the Brown decision.

There is a part in this aritcle that caught my attention. It said that "white high school dropouts have lower unemployment rates than black young people with some college education, or that the economic gap between Blacks and whites is widening, despite growing numbers of Blacks in higher education." This is very upseting because this shows me that blacks are seen as inferior even to this day. This shows me that racial segregation has affected blacks today and has made them seem inferior.