Research project

Answer

Acharya, A., Blackwell, M., & Sen, M. (2016). The political legacy of American slavery. The Journal of Politics, 78(3), 621-641.

Slavery, in the colonial era, indeed, left a legacy, that is still embraced in the Southern parts of the American nation. Although American received its independence several years ago, blacks and whites in the American South are still separated on social, political and even economic grounds. While the American constitution advocates for equal human rights of all citizens, the question as to why the whites consider themselves superior to the blacks remain.

Acharya, Blackwell & Sen, (2014) give insight on the impact of colonial slavery in the American South. According to the authors, racial attitudes that were experienced during the colonial period are still observed in the American South: “…we show that whites who currently live in counties that had a high concentration of slaves in 1806 are on average more conservative and express colder feelings to African Americans” (1). According to the authors, the emancipation period after the American Civil War was the main reason as to why the Whites developed attitudes towards the blacks. As a result, whites in the American south implemented anti-black reactions, which fostered the institutionalization of various policies such as Jim Crow Law. Another reason for black discrimination in the south is the prevalently high concentration of blacks in the South (6). I agree with the authors that high concentration of blacks in the south is one of the reasons for black discrimination. Unlike the colonial period, there are many African economists, professors, and more appealing positions in America; a factor that may threaten the superiority of the whites.

The article has helped students understand why discrimination is still observed in the American South. However, in my final research project, I would like to explore more on how the emancipation period fostered African discrimination as evidenced by the quote: “We argue that emancipation was a cataclysmic event that undermined Southern white’s political and economic power” (2).

Bertocchi, G., & Dimico, A. (2014). Slavery, education, and inequality. European Economic Review, 70, 197-209.

Although slavery was abolished several years ago, it still startles me that the awful act is still prevalent in our American community. The human rights act advocates for equality. However, equality has been suppressed by inequality, which evidenced by income equality in the American economy. The higher income per capita depicted in the American economy does not represent the quality living standards of all Americans, as income inequality is a common social issue in the country.

Bertocchi & Dimico, (2014) elaborate on the relationship between slavery and income inequality in the current society. The authors give wide evidence as to why slavery is the main cause of the current income inequalities between whites and blacks. According to Bertocchi & Dimico, the current education inequalities is related to slavery before the Civil War (1).Precisely, American counties which were highly affected by slave labor, portray high rates of educational inequalities in the contemporary period. For instance, in research to determine education attainments between white and blacks between 1940 and 2000, the authors reveal that while a mean of 15.42 whites was enrolled for Bachelors degree, only 8.75 blacks were enrolled in the education level (23). I agree with the authors that the current income inequality is as a result of education inequality since most blacks in the American society descended from slaves, who had little or no education.

The article is important to students since it gives insight into the history of educational inequalities in America. In my final research project, I would like to explore more about the relationship between educational inequality and slavery. In my research, I will explore various theories, such as the racial discrimination theory and the human capital transmission theory as evidenced by the sentence: “According to the human capital transmission theory, the legacy of slavery runs through educational inequality” (16).

Logan, J. R., Minca, E., & Adar, S. (2012). The geography of inequality: Why separate means unequal in American public schools. Sociology of education, 85(3), 287-301.

The question as to how slavery impacted our education system has been a hot topic among scholars across the globe. During the colonial period, blacks were subjected to slavery to offer cheap labor in European plantations. Due to long working hours and few wages, many Africans did not receive an education, causing education inequalities. However, the reason as to why education inequalities are observed in the American society, even after independence, is still a dilemma for most of us.

Logan, Minca & Ada2 (2016) explore the issue of educational disparities between whites and blacks in the American society. According to the authors, blacks are more likely to attend schools with high poverty rates, while their white counterparts attend white schools. Therefore, whites are more likely to perform well in their academics as compared to blacks, who attend schools with poor educational structures and low qualified staff. I agree with the authors that students who attend schools with high rates of poverty are more likely to perform more poorly in their academics than students in well-developed schools. Developed schools, which are mostly attended by whites, have highly qualified teachers and research centers, such as libraries, to enhance their education. Therefore, whites are more likely to portray education superiority than black Americans.

The article is important to students since it gives insight into the factors that cause education disparities in the United States. Moreover, students can learn why many Africans live under the poverty line than whites in the United States. In my final research, I would like to expound my research as to why blacks are assigned to poorly performing schools: “.. typical black…children are assigned to schools that perform so much below the media…” (n.p.n.).