Branches Book

BRANCHES

who attend low-income schools in the U.S. are African American. The disparity in high school graduation and college graduation rates between black students who come from economically disadvantaged communities and white students from economically blessed districts is massive. From a distance one might think that this dilemma is not the product of racism, but in reality it is the result of 150 years of underinvestment in black communities. Whites, unlike blacks, have been receiving substantial support in their communities by the federal government since the end of slavery. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave millions of acres of Indian lands in the west of the U.S. to white settlers from the north at either very low prices or for free. The pioneers “populated the land, building towns and schools and creating new states from the territories. In many cases, the schools became the focal point for community life, serving as churches, polling places and social gathering locations.” 7 This federal program helped lift poor white families from poverty to prosperity, but although whites enjoyed the fruits of federal care, blacks were denied it. While white children received an education, blacks did not. While white men had access to employment and food, blacks had to forge their own path while facing hatred everyday. This was the first federal program after the start of the American Civil War that widened the disparity between whites and blacks and created the foundation for a culture of investing in whites and ignoring blacks. Eighty-two years later, during the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the GI Bill was passed. The GI bill “provided veterans of the Second World War funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing.” 8 The 1944 bill single handedly hoisted millions of Americans into the middle class through education, housing, and employment, but again blacks were left to hang out dry. Fast forward to 2016. The state of education in black communities is decrepit but that is to no fault of the black community. When we look at the condition of these schools through a historical sense we can clearly see that the shape of these schools is to no fault of the blacks. It is the result of a government that didn't invest in a large part of its citizenry. It is the result of a government that ignored and continuously, for much of America history, worked against helping its poorest and most vulnerable citizens. But what is even more detrimental for the African American community is the system of funding for these schools. Public school districts receive money through three means: federal, state, and local funding. Although it varies from state to state, the largest source of income comes from local funding. This means that if a student lives in an affluent area with high property taxes— which is the main source of revenue for local

7 https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-act 8 https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=76

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