The Educational system in all districts are made to provide the best form of learning to many of its students within their communities/neighborhoods. But things we have been left in the dark about is why certain schools are properly funded to benefit those that aren’t of different color/diversity. Not only that but even after many years after segregation of schools, it is evident that many schools are selective of the type of students chosen to be able to receive acceptance as well as opportunities to take advantage of their school system regardless if it's deemed as “public”.

According to one of our district city hall meetings, we have established what the need for resources is its entire purpose. However, it's evident that a divide in the amount of resources provided to people are often considered another form of systematic racism and here is why. Firstly, less resourced schools are schools that keep minorities within while more resourced are ones with mostly white schools. This is seen as highly unfair. Not only should resources not be an important thing to be held away if a student doesn't seem eligible or met towards the requirement of obtaining, but this also imposes a way of systematic racism in our heads. For example, schools that are more resourced prioritize white students while less resourced take in any they get. This directly shows the unequal treatment and relationship in the diversity in its students. This sparks a need for resourced equity in schools and the children that are taking the advantage of it without any exclusion of people that are seen as different from whatever they prioritize to be acceptable for its educational infrastructures.

The prioritizing of who deserves to be eligible for getting access to good resources and schools based on race is highly unacceptable since it diminishes other youth. For example, it causes many people of color to be left with the remaining (lesser amount) of resources implemented in their schools instead of getting any access to what white people are gaining from their public schools, because of this realization, there is now a need for more funding for public schools that are well in need in many districts, which in long term, could create equilibrium between the white public schools that are already properly funded. If this continues any longer we will be implementing into our public youth day by day that white people are more worthy of resources and financial support then black people that should just stick with what they already have and manage. Not only that but there are also other forms of educational systematic racism we don't take to account such as the gentrification of white people moving into minority based communities, but not sending their children to the schools in those neighborhoods. Instead, they feel their children are more worthy of schools that are more funded with resources and are predominantly not of diversity. This has been completely normalized for too long. Hence, I believe it's necessary that we push and advocate for a break in this educational system that prevents the people of color (minorities) from obtaining anything that is even close to the proper funding and resources that the predominately white public schools are often given, and allow for more developments of integrated schools that provide equal opportunity of learning with properly funded resources from their districts to occur.

—By: Gbenga Akinrosoye

Dec 16, 2020

Know your rights