"African Americans: Deculturalization, Transformation, and Segregation"

After reading over and considering Spring's chapter 3 on "African Americans: Deculturalization, Transformation, and Segregation," I found much of the information to be quite interesting and shocking.

From what I have learned in school, you always hear of the North being opposed to slavery, espcecially at the time of the Civil War, but in this chapter it discusses the slaves and living conditions they faced here in the North. On page 44, it discusses the increase of slaves that were hired to work in the workshops and warehouses of northern states. I was very surprised upon reading this because when we think of slaves, we traditionally think of plantations and the slaves who worked in the fields. It just goes to show that history is sometimes hidden or missing from one's learning repritore.

I also found it interesting that today we talk of education being an equalizer, that is, everyone is deserving a decent education. I find it striking that back in the day, education was used to "subjugate a population" (page 42) and that the power of education was used for bad instead of good. "It can be used to control a population after it has been conquered or to deny a population an education or try to limit their educational oppurtunities (page 42)." Slaves and freed slaves were put into segregated schools which were "designed to keep them at a low level of education. (page 49)." Inferior teachers and shabby classroom conditions did not help the situation either.

In some ways this still happens to students today - some face shabby classroom conditions and teachers who may not be up to par in their teaching skills. Also, considering what area students attend school in, they may be kept at a low level of education and may never reach their full potential. Its saddening to think that this is still going on since schooling of the 1800 & 1900's - we have made strides in the field of education, but there is still much to be done.