Civil Rights Heroes By Jonathan Kozol - 1504 Words

The names Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Jackie Robinson, Fannie Lou Hamer and Thurgood Marshall are all civil rights heroes, not to be forgotten. However, Jonathan Kozol reveals that the schools he has had experience with that are named after these civil rights champions are actually dishonoring the dead. Professor Gary Orfield indicates that schools that are comprised mostly of minority students, less than 1% white, are essentially â€Å"apartheid schools.† There is a reciprocal action, â€Å"To give up on integration†¦.requires us to consciously and deliberately accept segregation†(Orfield and Eaton, 20). It is noted that some of the reasons New York has this problem is due to government enforced school boundaries, housing segregation and non-enforced fair housing laws. Thus, the schools are named after the heroes in a show of respect and honor, yet their segregation is a dishonor to the namesakes. The racial isolation of the students le aves them feeling hidden, unwanted and inferior. This is a dishonor to those students and the people who fought so persistently for equal opportunities. Among other injustices, some schools in the South Bronx and other areas do not have basic essentials needed to conduct a safe environment ripe for learning. The apartheid schools are unsafe and underfunded, lacking enough rooms, chairs, play areas, libraries and enriching programs such as art and music. The funding disparity is saddening; with the Board of Education