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I don't think the op has truly considered the situation. While there may be a trend of racial segregation in Birmingham, I'd estimate that the discrepancy is more explained by demographics. A lot of cities in the South that are poor with high black populations don't have a lot of white families. The whites living there will have a much higher instance of retirees. The white families with young children will mostly have moved out of Birmingham proper and into suburbs. You could argue this is segregation also but the blame shouldn't be placed on the inner-city whites. Another thing to consider is the presumably higher birthrate of the black women.
Yes, Compton's white population is very small, but if you're comparing Compton to a white (or any other town) with people of only one race, Compton isn't the right comparison, as it's pretty diverse from a racial standpoint:
[LEFT]Races in Compton:
Hispanic (56.8%)
Black (40.3%)
Other race (37.3%)
Two or more races (3.6%)
American Indian (1.2%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (1.1%)
White Non-Hispanic (1.0%)
[SIZE=2](Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races) [/SIZE][/LEFT]
Compton is becoming increasingly Hispanic though. According to the Census Bureau, Hispanics make up 63.8% of Compton's population. Blacks make up 33.5% of the city's population. And whites make up only 0.4% of the city's population.
Judging by this information, Compton isn't really that racially diverse.
Compton is becoming increasingly Hispanic though. According to the Census Bureau, Hispanics make up 63.8% of Compton's population. Blacks make up 33.5% of the city's population. And whites make up only 0.4% of the city's population.
Judging by this information, Compton isn't really that racially diverse.
It's a lot more diverse than many cities, though, including, say, Burnsville. That's not say it's the epitome of diversity, just that Compton is by no means the poster child for lack of diversity. You don't have to have white people to be diverse.
And lets not even get started with Detroit :P I don't like how people blame whites for looking out for the best of their family. White flight exists because when white families see their neighborhood going downhill due to worse and worse people moving in, they will move out and go to a better place for their family. In what way is that bad? Until more black people (or anyone for that matter) stops this whole racism complaining and just starts taking life into their own hands nothing is going to change. Stop asking for help from the government and just fix yourself.
Until everybody in the USA is put on equal terms without any special projects or help there will always be racism. Why is it there are not any special white-only programs? Imagine the kind of press coverage that would get.. Why is it OK for there to be a special college fund for black students but not white students? I'm lost to this but it only creates a barrier between races. These programs should not exist because if all races are equal there should not have to be special programs (affirmative action) that put them to lower standards. That would personally kill my ego if I knew that I received something because I was mediocre but I was the person used to fill a racial percentage.
And lets not even get started with Detroit :P I don't like how people blame whites for looking out for the best of their family. White flight exists because when white families see their neighborhood going downhill due to worse and worse people moving in, they will move out and go to a better place for their family. In what way is that bad? Until more black people (or anyone for that matter) stops this whole racism complaining and just starts taking life into their own hands nothing is going to change. Stop asking for help from the government and just fix yourself.
Until everybody in the USA is put on equal terms without any special projects or help there will always be racism. Why is it there are not any special white-only programs? Imagine the kind of press coverage that would get.. Why is it OK for there to be a special college fund for black students but not white students? I'm lost to this but it only creates a barrier between races. These programs should not exist because if all races are equal there should not have to be special programs (affirmative action) that put them to lower standards. That would personally kill my ego if I knew that I received something because I was mediocre but I was the person used to fill a racial percentage.
Special programs by private funding should be allowed to help anyone they choose imo but you're right there's a major double standard at work here. These minority college funds should be based on class, not race. It completely leaves out poor white people only because of their skin color. How is this not racist? Technically and legally ok but still racist.
What about poor Appalachia? This might be the whitest area of the country and is also one of the most impoverished. But they don't get half the attention as inner-city minorities. I'd also say that both rural whites and minorities in the South don't really get any attention or more importantly funding.
Another issue at work here is that races voluntarily segregate themselves, quite often. Hence the terms, white neighborhood, black neighborhood, hispanic neighborhood, Chinatown, etc. Other races than whites tend to not be fond of forced integration as well. They do not want their kids bussed out to round out numbers any more than anyone else with half a brain. The whole issue of 'diversity' has become a powder keg. Mainly because it is being forced on people (of all races) who do not want to be used to even out racial percentages because of some misguided belief that forcing something on people will make them accept it faster.
I grew up in Boston through the whole desegregation fiasco. First I watched my community of Roxbury go from a ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood to a segregated Black ghetto at the urging of realtors and developers. The developers reaped big gains by manipulating real estate transitions through a failed urban renewal plan that divided hundreds of acreage to prepare for a highway that never was to be. Homes were destroyed, people were relocated all the while realtors steered minority folk towards the apartment buildings (that replaced single homes)that were built in place of the demolition.
Neighborhood schools were closed and razed. By the time the remaining schools were mostly Black they ended up at the end of the public school disbursements of funds---lack of books,services, and good teachers. So it was determined that the segregated schools violated the students rights to a good education. It wasn't until the school system was segregated that it suffered such neglect.
So they ended up bussing kids to other embattled neighborhood schools while simultaneously closing more schools in the Black community.
If seperate WAS equal then probably no one would have a complaint. There has generally been a methodical pattern of neglect for predominately minority school populations. If the neighborhood schools were left intact but properly maintained and funded then athe community would have been more stable.
Intergration would have been much easier if parents could count on a consistently good school program for their kids.
So, yeah, for the most part, under the old American status quo, segregation is bad.
hmm, my mom teaches at a MOSTLY BLACK school, in a MOSTLY BLACK neighborhood
very high % of graduation, first and i believe only school in the county to be Microsoft Certified
the school gets more than their fair share of district funds and it is probably because of the lack of diversity
I don't think we can honestly call today's segregation voluntary (with some exceptions, of course) since so much of it is driven by costs, especially housing. In many parts of the country it costs more, sometimes a LOT more to live in a district with decent schools. I can think of many such communties that have little or no rental housing available, and the rentals available are not at all affordable (and as far as buying, forget about it). Sure, rich people of all races can afford to live in those locations, but that ignores the reality that wealth is still highly segregated in this country.
You can live wherever you want to live, but only if you can afford to do so. Most people don't WANT to live in some of the nation's worst neighborhoods, but while legally they're not going to be blocked out of a wealthy neighborhood or suburb with safe streets and decent schools, they also have be to able to pay for it.
Add in locally-funded school districts and the connection between good schools and property values and you have a cycle that's tough to break as the system now stands.
As far as the definition of community goes: I personally find it troubling to see community defined as being around people with the same background and ethnicity. To me, a community is where you live and maybe work; it doesn't matter if your neighbors are the same color as you or share your same ethnic background, political affiliation, or even have common interests (beyond a shared interest in making the neighborhood a safe and nice place to live).
Why are schools in poor neighborhoods worse than schools in good ones? Who is to blame...teachers, students, parents, priority of spending by the state? The biggest issues revolve around safety, behavior, and quality of teaching staff.
Lot's of schools are bad because the students are unruly, and the school earns a reputation for being dangerous, so they don't attract the better teachers. No one wants to put their kids in a dangerous school full of gangs or with a troublesome reputation. Rather than leave behind the academically challenged, they push them through the school system since they can't afford to leave them back anyway. Kids act like animals and the teachers lose their incentive to even try in some cases, especially if they feel threatened. This was and is common in NYC. One way around that is, parents who lived in poor neighborhoods would find a relative who lived in a good school district, often a cousin, and use their address to get their kids into a better school. Sometimes that was good, sometimes it was bad, it most often leads to overcrowding. So now the good schools get over burdened and the things that led to the demise of the bad schools starts to effect the good ones.
As for communities, yes, they are made up of like minded folks and though race should not be an issue, it often is, and it's not just whites who segregate. People with common backgrounds seek one another out, that's why you have Chinatowns, Little Italy's, Greek neighborhoods, Puerto Rican neighborhoods, Black neighborhoods, Irish neighborhoods etc. It's not always a sign of some racial divide or animosity, sometimes folks just like to share their time and lives with people from their homeland or of similar interests. Not saying a community should be defined this way, but not all segregation is forced or established because of hatred or discrimination.
we will get over the concept of race when "gooning" stops.
children are not born hating. it is carefully cultivated at home & in the community.
Based on real life experience and observation as well.
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