Except for the last chapter, Hill does indeed paint a
bleak picture regarding the future for so many of our citizens. I must admit
that after reading the book, my first reactions were of disgust and despair. How
are the people who suffer from these State-sponsored hurdles supposed to break
free of them in order to experience a safe and more rewarding life?
The first two areas I’d like to see addressed are
education, our police forces, and the prison system. I suggested in one of my op-eds that larger,
diverse high schools should organize into a variety of learning academies to
better prepare students for college and career, but the benefits of such a
setting go beyond career potential. So
many students lack a stable, loving home environment. In my years teaching I have found that a lack
of family support is possibly the biggest cause of student failure. The academy
model directly addresses the problem because the students matriculate together
and oftentimes have the same teachers over the course of their high school
careers. The rapport and relationships built
upon this system provide the support often lacking at home, resulting in more
confident, motivated, compassionate young people who will be more likely to
become good citizens.
It is time that we as a nation admit to the embedded racism in our police forces and strive to eliminate it. Community members are so distrusting of the police, and it's hard to blame them. Improving the relationships between the community and police would go a long way towards correcting some wrongs we've all seen over the last few years. Reducing the number of men and women in our prison
system can also go a long way to help those who most need it. The fracturing of families has proven
devastating to children and is also directly related to school failure. It’s vital for our communities, large and
small, to embrace the importance of keeping families together.
Several of the issues Hill analyzes are subjects for
discussion over the course of the school year.
It always amazes me how many of my students believe the lie that anyone
can escape poverty simply by wanting to
Hill’s book is a powerful tool in dispelling such a popular, yet naïve belief. It’s actually amazing that people are able to
break free of such oppression. I just wish I has some magic answers to fix the
disparities in America.
Sheila I agree it amazes me how students are truly led to believe that they can make it out of poverty if they just try. It's like a cop out for officials and government that are supposed to create the best environment or do all they can to fix the environment, instead of helping or improving the issue of poverty they just tell children all you have to do is work real hard and you will escape it yourself. In that lie the foundation of the issue itself, because these children are born in impoverished neighborhoods they are looked upon as not as important and therefore the same opportunities and improvements are not given to them as they are given to children born in a more middle class environment.
ReplyDelete