Challenges Faced by African Americans in Education and Upward Social Mobility - Essay Example

In past, Africans were brought to the US with the intention of slavery but now they have become permanent residents of the US. Moreover, identifying the inherent aspects related to the history of Europe had been an integral part of my studies in school as well. This is because the US and European countries such as the United Kingdom has a long and conflicting history that dates back to several years.

It has been recognized that the United States has the 8th largest population of people in the world who are of African descent. In the United States, education is structured by taking into concern the emotion of the people of African origin who are residing in the US. African Americans are well connected with the history of the US, so the education system is structured in such a way that their emotions are kept intact.

In the schools, we had given topics such as the journey of the African Americans to the US. We learned about the matter of slavery along with various slave codes. According to the Afrocentric perspective, certain facets of African culture like art forms have pervaded western culture significantly.
CONNECT THE PAST TO THE PRESENT
The American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) was a coherently structured movement by pressure groups that had major political along with social consequences, particularly for the US. Black clergymen such as the Reverends Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Joseph Lowery, Fred Shuttlesworth and Wyatt T. Walker among others relied on religious faith tactically applied to solve America's obstinate racial problems. The three most important achievements of the Civil Rights Movements are the banning of school segregation, gaining voting rights by the African Americas and limiting discrimination for the African Americans (Schaefer 1-250).

The Civil Rights Movement that spanned a period of more than a decade was significantly facilitated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which marked a turning point that accomplished far more than the removal of racial barriers. It led to the overpowering conversion of American social, political and cultural life (Karson 11-15). Even, subsequent to the declaration by the Supreme Court that public school segregation was illegal, black activism was necessary to force the federal government to put into practice the decision and extend its values to all areas of public life rather than merely in schools. As far as the voting rights are concerned, because of the Civil Rights Movements Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which significantly increased the number of southern blacks who were able to register to vote.

However, it was also the last foremost racial protest of the era of the 1960s to receive considerable white support. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the major achievements of American law and together with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the topmost achievement of the Civil Rights Movement of the era of 1950s and 1960s. The 1964 law restricts and prohibits unfairness on the basis of sex, race, national origin, or religion and, in schools and at the workplace, restaurants, businesses and other establishments that are open to the community i.e. both white and black. (Schaefer 1-250).

CHALLENGES FACED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS IN EDUCATION AND UPWARD SOCIAL MOBILITY
Despite the apparent success of the Civil Rights Movement, civil rights activists who were mainly African Americans had witnessed various challenges such as economic as well as political and most importantly in relation to education. However, in recent times, people belonging to African American descent have started to demonstrate a greater level of the urge to attain quality education alike the white Americans. Thus, they have started to gain considerable upward mobility in terms of social status and employee recognition.

The notion of upward social mobility is vital as it is observed that African Americans to date face critical challenges in the United States at times despite being well-educated. They are at times deprived of good jobs due to inequalities within the society. In order to overcome these challenges, acquiring quality education can play a vital role. It can enable to alleviate the prevailing inequalities in society for African Americans (Pekelsma, “To Promote Upward Social Mobility, It Is Very Important To Address Structural Inequalities”; MacLean, “The Civil Rights Movement: 1968-2008”). Read More