Nayeem Uddin
PSY31500
Final Essay
Prior to attending PSY31500, my definition of educational disparities in the United States was from a narrow point of view. I only saw that private schools received better funds than public schools, which helped in creating better opportunities for the students. However, the disparities were much broader than I imagined. On the first day of class, this realization slowly came to surface after examining the tables of District Accountability and Assessment Results for Elementary/Meddle Level Students for the 2013-2014 school year. These tables showed scores on statewide ELA exams and Math exams. The data depict that out of all students, 80% scored below their grade level on the ELA exam while 79% scored below
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The movie “500 Years Later” is a documentary that depicts the present day struggles of African Americans after being freed from slavery. ___These historical inequalities are evident in present day and promote a sense of segregation. The segregation placed between the dominant cultures and minorities creates limitations for individuals which can be seen in the environment in which they reside. Ghetto life 101 is an audio documentary by two boys, 13 year old LeAlan Jones and 14 year old Lloyd Newman, describe life in the ghetto. Their lives revolve around alcoholic family members, teenage pregnancy, guns, and gang violence. At one point, they compare it to Vietnam as they frequently hear gun shots and witness violence. Being surrounded with such negativity permanently scars a child. It eventually brings upon what Cornell West calls a “nihilistic threat”. Nihilism is defined as a life without meaning which leads to rejecting religious/moral principles, eventually resulting in chaotic behavior. The nihilistic threat is a precursor to nihilism. The boys are growing up in an environment where they see their own people as examples to follow. This leads them to think they’re only option is to join