Letter From Birmingham Jail: The Standardization Of Our Education System

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” once said minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. in the Letter from the Birmingham Jail. Where to start with inequality is anywhere and everywhere -- no one in the world is permitted to stand idly by while others are persecuted. For this essay, it all starts in our education system. In this society, the standardization of public systems has stomped our creativity and given way to unopposed prejudice. Our world, our innovation, starts with our students, and pushing them into conformity is no way to begin the stages of adolescence, of which soul searching is a hallmark. In no conceivable way does a school dress code efficiently allow a sense of self to flourish and develop - suffocating

Many pro dress code arguments do not fully provide all factors affecting changes in violence in the school, violating the integrity of the evidence - like this statement by Sociology Professor David Brunsma, “Uniform policies may indirectly affect school environment and student outcomes by providing a visible and public symbol of commitment to school improvement and reform. They are not the sole factor responsible for the numerous behavioral and academic outcomes attributed to them.” The evidence on school uniforms working is shaky. It is similar to the stress created by uniforms - they could even be counterproductive. It is typical - the stricter the authority, the more rebellious the teenager. The more pressure you add on to a collective group of kids, the more they all wish to rebel, act out in some way. And it is not like putting certain clothes on people will suddenly stop gang violence. As the industry evolves, there are more and more markers for social inequality for bullies to pick apart. Taking away individualized clothes does not fix the half of

In particular, the opinion that many hold is that parts of dress codes target male clothes, or even that arguments against dress codes come from an idealistic view of the world. Some dress codes have baggy pants, “gang related” clothing, and hoodies pointed out - typically male clothing, and while victim blaming is wrong, but it is the easier way to prevent having victims. However, this fails to understand that so-called “male” clothing is really targeting racial minorities instead. Not only that, but the moment society begins to try to focus on a pessimistic view of the world instead of an optimistic one is the moment it begins to