An Analysis Of The Development Of The African American Education After The 1950s-through Cases From The United States Supreme Court

The present thesis is an analysis of African American Education after the 1950s by the cases from the United States Supreme Court. Education is very important for everyone because it is not only directly related to status quo of people, but also it could enhance one's social position as a whole. African Americans have realized it and they have paid much attention to education. They know that it is one of the most important ways to change and improve their lives and social status. However, as they came to America first as slaves and in the following years they were always treated unfavorably because of their skin color. They received unequal treatment in many social aspects, such as housing, employment, public transportation, and so on. Originally, as slaves, they had no freedom of person, let alone the equal education opportunity. When Abraham Lincoln declared to abolish slavery in 1865, African Americans began the road to get not only education but also the same education as the whites. From the 1950s'to the present, African Americans have tried to realize the dream mainly in two ways, one is the judicial system, and the other is their own endeavors. They have kept suing the unequal treatment in the school to the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body in the United States. Early in the 1800s'there were cases about African American education. With American Civil Rights movement and its influence increasing, the final decisions by the Supreme Court actually provide great assistance to the blacks'education. They have made great progress in their education in the past years. Moreover, African Americans' pursuit of equal educational opportunity is just the best interpretation of American individualism, which emphasizes freedom and equality. Besides, from the view of the author, America schools should carry out multicultural education to supply equal education opportunity for African Americans. For instance, the school culture and curriculum should be reformed; the teachers should improve themselves and change their attitude to the minority students; multicultural education could help the minority students to realize and determine their identity in the school. Obviously, multicultural education isn't enough and the America government and educational department should take other measures to solve the problem.