In terms of how people naturally separate themselves by race and considering how America is today, it seems like the court case Brown vs. Board of Education never occurred. Segregation is still a problem that our world faces today, particularly in America involving African-American people, and it frequently goes unnoticed. Things must change in order for the United States of America to function how it was originally supposed to according to our laws and the Declaration of Independence. There is plenty of research done and proof to explain how it still occurs in the lives of many minority Americans on a daily basis. Segregation has not ended in the United States because of certain laws and ways of life that people must surrender so that this country can operate fairly. 

Zoning laws are laws that create segregation in cities because of the way that the governmental zoning is set up, and many people are not aware of the “cheating” that goes on because of these laws. The article, “The Segregation That Zoning Inflicts on Cities,” mentioned a study that looked at the zoning laws in 95 cities from 2000 until 2010. This study used the Wharton Residential Land-Use Regulation Index to measure “land-use regulations,” which are the government codes that allow people to use and buy buildings and land and divide between neighborhoods and other areas. Land-use regulations bring racial segregation and economic segregation. These regulations cause certain areas of cities to become more “high-class,” which is mainly white people, therefore, segregating races. Density laws also cause this same issue with wealthier people because homes become more expensive, essentially kicking the minority out of the area. Additionally, several sociologists who ran this study examined how the poorer areas had mostly minorities living in them. There are “wealthy” and “poor” parts, and lines are drawn to divide the areas on the map. In the study, many factors determine how the land is divided and how the segregation happens. This article is important to my research because these certain laws create problems with people groups. These laws cause segregation, which should not happen, since segregation is against the law itself. I do not think that laws should cause people of different skin colors or religions to separate and racism to happen, therefore, these laws must be changed and improved in order for them to not cause racism. Segregation should not still be an issue in the United States because there have been so many things to end it, yet it is still present. 

Another crucial subject in this argument is to discuss is the fact that African Americans often are overlooked in general. It seems like that they are oftentimes the last to get picked for a group or not as noticed as other people. Just because a certain person has a different skin color than another does not mean that they should not receive equality. People cannot choose their skin colors, so no one deserves to be looked at differently or not be paid any attention because of it. Is skin color really that big of a deal? To answer this question, no, it is not that big of a deal. God created all humans equally. No matter how we look, what we like, or what we believe, all people should be treated the same way. We should be grateful that there are different looks and skin colors, otherwise, the world would be so dull. African-Americans are under-represented in the realm of education and they are not given the same rights as the majority. Not giving people a proper education because of their skin color is against American civil rights. Not only is this information depressing, it is also an important part of the research because it explains how blacks do not get enough attention, especially in schooling. This is such a major part of life and is unfair for African-Americans to not have a proper education, because that essentially ruins their entire future. 

“If the Moral Imperative to End Segregation Wasn’t Enough, Here’s Some Economic Data” is an article that includes detailed information about Chicago and how bad the racism is there. There are different things in Chicago that are being affected in a negative way toward black people, but white people are not having to deal with these issues. This source shows some data to prove my point that segregation is such a problem, and it has information about what the economy has to do with segregation and how poorly African Americans are doing in certain areas. This article pays particular attention to Chicago and writes that desegregation in this city would improve many aspects of city life and the economy. There are many issues in this city such as crime rate and amount of people graduating, and they all have to do with race. This source is critical because it shares this statistical information: the amount of all races graduating college would increase by 83,000, the homicide rate would drop by 30 percent, and the black per capita would increase by approximately 12 percent, if desegregation happened (Grabar). This vicious cycle must end, and people need to start being treated in the same way as one another, no matter who they are, what they look like, or what they have done.

The article “Report: How Black America has changed in 40 years” is not only about African Americans, but also Hispanics. It says that things have changed for the better in terms of segregation, from life expectancy, to how few of them are now living in poverty, to the number of students graduating high school and college. For example, the amount of money blacks earn working is just 24% below the amount of money that white people earn, which is a major development. Altogether, the issues of racism and segregation in America have gotten much better over the past 40 years. Although their ways of living have improved, they are still not as good as white people’s. Because of jobs, some people are wealthier and live in nicer houses than others, but other people, of other races in this sense, should be treated better and not have to worry about feeling less than because of where they live or work. Although some of them have occupations that do not allow them to earn as much money as white people, the zoning should be changed to allow them to live a better life than they currently are living. 

The ending of segregation in the late 1960s and the negative effects it has on children can be learned about in “Blacked Out: Racial and Gender Segregation in Gifted Education 60 Years After Brown vs. Board of Education.” Children are hurt, but oftentimes people are so busy looking at the information and statistics that they forget to pay attention to how much it must bother and hurt them. This article notes tendencies in segregation in schools in America and how it finally began to end in the late 1960s. It also discusses that segregation is still a problem, if it is thought about in a certain way. Also, the authors give evidence showing negative effects of segregation on students. No one deserves to be treated in this manner, but especially not the children. It is so sad to have to see children going through this tribulation. They should be able to live a happy and fun life, just like any white child, yet many of them are being bullied and hurt on a daily basis because they are “different.” In reality, everybody is just a person and nobody is more special than anyone else. Children do not deserve this treatment and I think teachers are the ones who need to help in this area because they are with children all the time and are the only ones who have control over this type of bullying situation.

A news clip is used for this research to exemplify how segregation has slowly been coming back, even though the court case, Brown vs. Board of Education, ended it 60 years ago. Anybody can go to a school or church and see how spaced apart different people sit. This clip shares the story of Clarence Sutton, a resident of Tuscaloosa. He went to a high school in the 1980s and there was a good mixture of black and white people, whereas now there are only two white people in that entire school because all the white people have moved to “better” schools. Having someone tell his personal experiences makes the situation real for the audience. This certain story is crucial to the argument that segregation still exists because it is an example of how things are nowadays, concerning segregation. 

Next, an article from The Atlantic by Alana Semuels explains the idea of white flight. Areas of cities are sometimes known as “the black part” or “the white part,” and it is becoming more common for white people to see black people move in next door and decide to move to a different part of town. Living in white-only areas of towns and gated communities are becoming the new normal for racist whites. White people are being drawn to big cities, such as Washington, D.C., to save time and money getting to work by using the city transit systems, but they “price out” the African Americans (Semuels). 

Finally, the last source to prove that segregation is still an issue is a news article entitled “How, after 60 years, Brown v. Board of Education succeeded — and didn’t.” It explains why Brown v. Board did not actually work and do what it was supposed to do. This is much needed information because people know about this court case, but are unaware of how little it did, though it was such a big deal. The author discusses the ending of segregation in schools and what Brown v. Board of Education actually did. It ended the “separate but equal” rule, but did not completely desegregate schools, like it was meant to. When the decision was made, Thurgood Marshall promised that schools would be desegregated within about five years, and that white and black children would be equal in the realm of education and jobs. Sadly, things are turning back around and the amount of schools with both white and black children is declining, according to Strauss. At the moment, black children are close to being as segregated as they were during peak time of segregation the 1960s. The fact that Brown v. Board of Education wasn’t entirely successful is a disappointment to the world. 

Discussing this issue is important to me because I believe in equality. The American founding fathers do as well; yet equality is not truly occurring in our country today. What needs to happen is white people need to take the initiative and be more inclusive. Because blacks are the minority, it is almost as if they do not feel like they can go to whites or make the change first because they are “under” them. White people must understand this and end racism. Major changes have happened in the past, thanks to brave African Americans. That could happen again, but it is time for whites to step up and make a difference. What is so hard about this entire situation is that the issue is so pertinent that it is hard to get past. It has become normal in the world, but I believe in change, so I know things can change for the better. 

Simply writing this essay does nothing to support the cause, other than create awareness for racism. What I plan to do to is be equally kind to people of all kinds, go out of my way to make friends with people who are “different” from me, and share my thoughts with others. Even if I do not make the biggest difference, I can say I took part in helping this cause and letting it be known that things are not how they should be in this realm. 
