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Environmental Analyst: Why are young black men sometimes feared in America

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Environmental Analyst: Why are young black men sometimes feared in America

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This article states how some people still get afraid when they see a young black male in public regardless of where they are because of stereotypes that they have built in their own head. In the book the author states the journey into manhood in South Africa is celebrated, but in America young men are often feared. Because of this there can be and is still some divide between communities.

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fear of black men in public spaces is one epidemic we may never find a vaccine for - cnn

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There's one epidemic we may never find a vaccine for: fear of black men in public spaces

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The Central Park dog dispute, the Minneapolis police fatal arrest and the Ahmaud Arbery shooting are fresh reminders that black men have long been a bogeyman in White America's collective psyche.

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Solidarity: How to help people from resorting back to crime- Nolan 

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Solidarity: How to help people from resorting back to crime- Nolan 

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In this article it states that 41% of the people currently incarcerated in prison do not hold high school diplomas. For this reason it states that prisons should offer education to people in jail because if they do this then it will result in more people that when they leave prison they won't have to resort back to crime because they will have an education that they got in prison.

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Education Opportunities in Prison Are Key to Reducing Crime

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Federal and state funding should support and expand prison education if the United States hopes to reduce its rapidly growing prison population.

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Social issues: How South Africa has changed since the dismantling of segregation (Peter)

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Social issues: How South Africa has changed since the dismantling of segregation (Peter)

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Since the removal of apartheid (racial segregation laws) South Africa has seen great freedom for the non-white majority, including a Black president. However, issues still remain to this day both economically and spatially. Black south africans hold only a small share of the economy. Also, the education system still has issues, with white schools still remaining difficult for black south africans to attend

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African National Congress (ANC) supporters listen to an address by Nelson Mandela in March 1994 [File: Walter Dhladhla/AFP]

Three decades ago, on April 27, 1994, after centuries of white rule, Black South Africans voted in general elections for the first time. This marked the official end of apartheid rule, cemented days later when Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the country's first Black president.

Since the arrival of Dutch settlers in the 1600s and British colonists in the 1700s and 1800s, South Africa had been a project that subjected Black people to systematically segregationist laws and practices.

Keep reading

But it was the adoption of apartheid in 1948 that codified and formalised these racist practices into law. It strictly separated people into separate classes based on their skin colour, putting the white minority in the highest class, with all others, including Black, Indigenous, multi-race people, and descendants of indentured Indian workers, below them.

South Africa's road to freedom was long and bloody - laden with the bodies of thousands of Black activists and students who dared to protest, both loudly and quietly.

The wounds of those times are still painful and visible. Black South Africans make up 81 percent of the 60 million population. But, burdened with the trauma and lingering inequalities of the past, Black communities continue to be disproportionately afflicted with poverty.

Here's how apartheid unfolded, how it collapsed, and what has since changed in South Africa:

What was apartheid?

The Afrikaner National Party (NP) government formally codified apartheid as government policy in South Africa in 1948.

Translated from Afrikaans - a language first spoken by Dutch and German settlers - apartheid means "apart-hood" or "separateness", and its name embodied the ways the ruling white minority sought to separate itself from, and rule over, non-white people socially and spatially.

The policies rigidly and forcefully separated South Africa's diverse racial groups into strata: White, Coloured (multiracial), Indian, and Black. These groups had to live and develop separately - and grossly unequally - such that although they lived in the same country, it was largely impossible for any one group to mix with another.

The rules were debilitating particularly for the Black majority who were relegated to the bottom rung. Laws limited their movement and squeezed them into small sections of land. The places they were allowed to inhabit were generally impoverished and included designated "Bantustans" (rural homelands) or townships on the outskirts of cities - settlements largely built out of ramshackle corrugated iron homes that were unplanned, overcrowded and had few to no amenities.

Meanwhile, the minority white population reaped the benefits of a gold-and-diamond-powered economy and flagrantly underpaid non-white labour as it kept the lion's share of land, resources and amenities for themselves.

Apartheid also affected Indians, at first brought into South Africa as indentured labourers and later as traders, and multiracial people, called the Coloured community, who faced segregation and discrimination but to a lesser degree than Black Africans.

What were the apartheid laws?

Apartheid was enforced through a system of strict laws that kept everything in its place. There were "Grand" laws dictating housing and employment allocations, and "Petty" laws dealing with rules of everyday life, like the racial separations in public amenities.

Some of the most important laws were:

Where people lived: The Group Areas Act - People were legally segregated based on race and allocated separate areas to live and work in. The law relegated nonwhite groups further away from developed urban cities. Black people, in particular, were housed in under-resourced fringe townships far from the centre. From the late 1950s, some 3.5 million Black South Africans were forced to relocate from urban areas, and some 70 percent of the population was squeezed into 13 percent of the country's most unproductive land. Those who opposed the laws and refused to move had their homes forcibly demolished and were sometimes arrested and imprisoned. Black people, specifically men, who worked in cities as a source of cheap labour were required to carry "pass books" that dictated which white areas they were allowed to be in and for how long. Under the Separate Amenities Laws, public transport, parks, beaches, theatres, restaurants, and other amenities were segregated racially. Signs stating "Whites Only" and "Natives" were commonplace.

What people learned: The Bantu Education Act - Apartheid laws stipulated the segregation of schools, including setting a different standard of education for different races. White schools were the best resourced, Coloured and Indian schools in the middle, while Black Africans were intentionally given an inferior education, specifically meant to ready them for manual labour and more menial jobs. A later law also segregated tertiary education. Some universities allowed non-white students to study but only to a limited degree, as apartheid officials sought to intentionally underskill the population. Government spending on white institutions was far higher than those catering to other groups.

Who people could marry: The Immorality Laws - While intermarriages between white and Black people were already illegal under a 1927 law, a revised version (PDF) criminalised marriage and intimate relationships between white people and all other groups. The penalty was up to five years imprisonment. Thousands of people were arrested for this during apartheid, with nearly 20,000 prosecuted.

Why did apartheid end?

Apartheid came to an end out of the need for the white minority to sustain itself, not because of a change of heart, noted Thula Simpson, a historian of apartheid at the University of Pretoria.

"There was nothing benevolent or voluntary about the retreat of the white government," he told Al Jazeera. "It was because there was an internal criticism of apartheid, and people were basically saying, 'In order to maintain white supremacy, you must maintain white survival.'"

Before apartheid finally yielded, it was placed under tremendous pressure, including by growing resistance among Black South Africans. Political groups like the African National Congress (ANC) led by Nelson Mandela, and the Pan African Congress (PAC), roused the population, instigating protests, peaceful and violent. These movements triggered deadly crackdowns by the apartheid government.

When, on March 21,1960, apartheid police officers opened fire on some 7,000 Black people protesting pass laws, killing 69 people and injuring 180 others in what is now known as the Sharpeville Massacre, the world noticed. International uproar and condemnation from the United Nations followed, even as Mandela was imprisoned and the ANC liberation movement and others like it were banned by the apartheid government.

The 1976 killing of hundreds of Soweto pupils protesting the compulsory use of Afrikaans in Black schools also drew a similar global reaction. June 16 still marks the African Union's "Day of the African Child," in remembrance of those killed in the Soweto Uprising.

Increasingly, South Africa became isolated as it was slapped with economic sanctions, starting with a trade ban from Jamaica in 1959. The country was banned from sporting events, as well. By the 1990s, President FW de Klerk was forced to release Mandela and start negotiations for a democratic transition.

What's changed since apartheid?

Legally and politically, much has changed in South Africa, with people of all races now free and equal under the law. Anyone is technically able to live, work and study anywhere, and people are free to interact and marry across colour lines. Black South Africans have democratically governed through the ANC for the past 30 years, compared with during apartheid when it was illegal for a Black person to even vote.

However, despite the significant gains, the legacy of apartheid is still present economically and spatially, which has contributed to South Africa being one of the least equal countries in the world.

Economy

Although South Africa's economy grew with the end of apartheid and international sanctions, Black South Africans households continue to receive only a small share.

In the first decade after apartheid, the ANC-led South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) went from $153bn in 1994 to $458bn in 2011, according to the World Bank.

However, a cocktail of corruption and government inefficiency has seen economic growth taper off, with gross debt rising from 23.6 percent of GDP in 2008 to 71.1 percent in 2022, according to researchers at Harvard ( PDF).

While infrastructure quality has declined in general - partly due to the crumbling of the coal-powered electricity system that provided cheap power for production - it is exacerbating the historical inequalities Black communities face, experts said.

"The whole network has not been maintained so now the collapse is spreading out [even] to areas where it was not the norm," Simpson of Pretoria University said, referencing South Africa's recent, but frequent power and water cuts. "That impacts first and foremost the poor people," he added.

In 2022, the World Bank classified ( PDF) South Africa as the most unequal country in the world, and listed race, the legacy of apartheid, a missing middle class and highly unequal land ownership, as the major drivers. About 10 percent of the population controls 80 percent of the wealth, its report said.

Researchers from Spain's Universidad de Vigo in 2014 found ( PDF) that the average monthly income of Black South African households was 10,554 rand ($552), compared with 117,249 rand ($6,138) in white households.

In 2017, a government survey tracking household expenditure echoed those findings, stating that nearly half of all Black-headed households were spending the least while only 11 percent were in the highest spending category.

Economic woes have added pressure on the ANC, which is predicted to lose a parliamentary majority in the upcoming May elections for the first time since 1994. Simpson said a divide between older voters who witnessed the ANC's struggle to end apartheid and younger people who do not have an attachment to the party has widened.

Education and skilled employment

After apartheid collapsed, historically white schools with good amenities and qualified teachers were desegregated and drew ambitious parents from Black communities, where government schools were poorly funded and lacked amenities like toilets - conditions that have persisted. According to a 2020 Amnesty International report, out of 23,471 public schools, 20,071 had no laboratory, 18,019 had no library, and 16,897 had no internet.

However, there is persistent trouble with transport to these formerly white-only schools for pupils from low-income and rural communities as these areas remain far apart and are not easily accessible. Pupils have also complained of racism in the formerly segregated white schools.

Meanwhile, general unemployment in South Africa is at more than 33 percent - one of the world's highest. Nearly 40 percent of Black South Africans were unemployed in the first three months of 2023, while that rate was 7.5 percent among white people, according to government figures ( PDF).

Where Black people make up 80 percent of the employable population ( PDF) and account for 16.9 percent of top management jobs, white people who comprise about 8 percent of the employable population hold 62.9 percent of top management jobs.

A new law aimed at seeing more Black people employed - the Employment Equity Amendment Bill of 2020 - was signed last year by President Cyril Ramaphosa, but it sparked debate, with South Africa's main opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) saying the law prescribes "race quotas" for companies and would cause other groups to lose jobs.

Housing

Although Black South Africans are no longer confined to rural, fringe townships - and people of colour spread out to urban areas across the country at the end of white minority rule - many still live in settlements with limited amenities.

In the once-majority-white Cape Town, for example, the population of Black South Africans increased from 25 percent in 1996 to 43 percent in 2016, according to the Center for Sustainable Cities ( PDF).

"There's been a massive redistribution of the population and whites have moved to the suburbs or outside the country," Simpson said. "It has created the opportunity for Black South Africans to move closer to business districts."

But, the historian added, "the townships remain the areas that have not been de-racialised."

In some parts, small buffers separate Black townships from high-income neighbourhoods, providing starkly visible differences in satellite images. For example, a quick Google Maps tour will reveal the beautiful Strand, a seaside community in the Western Cape province that boasts of big homes with large, well-tended yards, and clean streets. Just beside it though, the Nomzamo township stands, with tinier homes and streets littered with refuse.

Raesetje Sefala, a researcher at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), said her organisation has observed that townships are still expanding. "They continue to resemble their appearance during the apartheid era, indicating that similar small land sizes are still being allocated," she told Al Jazeera.

Sefala said the South African government now groups townships together with well-serviced suburbs as "formal residential neighbourhoods", which makes it difficult for researchers to track the actual improvements in quality of life since the end of apartheid.

However, as someone who comes from a township, "I can attest to the extent of the poor service delivery," she added.

Government reforms have sought to provide subsidised homes for low-income earners, with some four million homes ( PDF) delivered since 1994 according to the South Africa Human Rights Commission. But some of those policies have meant houses are located far from economic centres, inadvertently recreating the same apartheid dynamic, some researchers have said.

Besides, there is a national backlog of some 2.3 million households and individuals still waiting for a home since 1994.

Meanwhile, rural homelands, where Black people were once forced to reside, continue to be at a disadvantage. For one, they experience extremely low employment rates: Although some 29 percent of South Africa's population lives there, employment rates are roughly half of what they are in all other parts of the country according to Harvard researchers. Experts have blamed the government's failures to expand connecting infrastructure like transport, technology, and know-how to these historically excluded places.

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April 27, 1994: What has changed in South Africa 30 years after apartheid?

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Big socio-political gains have followed apartheid but the legacy of racism and segregation is still starkly visible.

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Kenny Weirich: Nelson Mandela and aparthied government.

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Kenny Weirich: Nelson Mandela and aparthied government.

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Nelson Mandela had the goal of taking down the Apartheid system (racist government system that treated blacks as lower then whites) in South Africa. He became a lawyer, politician, and then president of South Africa. He eventually brought down the system.

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Nelson Mandela, in full Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, byname Madiba, (born July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa-died December 5, 2013, Johannesburg), Black nationalist and the first Black president of South Africa (1994-99). His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African Pres. F.W. de Klerk helped end the country's apartheid system of racial segregation and ushered in a peaceful transition to majority rule. Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for their efforts.

Early life and work

Nelson Mandela was the son of Chief Henry Mandela of the Madiba clan of the Xhosa-speaking Tembu people. After his father's death, young Nelson was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Nelson renounced his claim to the chieftainship to become a lawyer. He attended South African Native College (later the University of Fort Hare) and studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand; he later passed the qualification exam to become a lawyer. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC), a Black-liberation group, and became a leader of its Youth League. That same year he met and married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Mandela subsequently held other ANC leadership positions, through which he helped revitalize the organization and oppose the apartheid policies of the ruling National Party.

In 1952 in Johannesburg, with fellow ANC leader Oliver Tambo, Mandela established South Africa's first Black law practice, specializing in cases resulting from the post-1948 apartheid legislation. Also that year, Mandela played an important role in launching a campaign of defiance against South Africa's pass laws, which required nonwhites to carry documents (known as passes, pass books, or reference books) authorizing their presence in areas that the government deemed "restricted" (i.e., generally reserved for the white population). He traveled throughout the country as part of the campaign, trying to build support for nonviolent means of protest against the discriminatory laws. In 1955 he was involved in drafting the Freedom Charter, a document calling for nonracial social democracy in South Africa.

Mandela's antiapartheid activism made him a frequent target of the authorities. Starting in 1952, he was intermittently banned (severely restricted in travel, association, and speech). In December 1956 he was arrested with more than 100 other people on charges of treason that were designed to harass antiapartheid activists. Mandela went on trial that same year and eventually was acquitted in 1961. During the extended court proceedings, he divorced his first wife and married Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela ( Winnie Madikizela-Mandela).

Underground activity and the Rivonia Trial

After the massacre of unarmed Black South Africans by police forces at Sharpeville in 1960 and the subsequent banning of the ANC, Mandela abandoned his nonviolent stance and began advocating acts of sabotage against the South African regime. He went underground (during which time he became known as the Black Pimpernel for his ability to evade capture) and was one of the founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation"), the military wing of the ANC. In 1962 he went to Algeria for training in guerrilla warfare and sabotage, returning to South Africa later that year. On August 5, shortly after his return, Mandela was arrested at a road block in Natal; he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

In October 1963 the imprisoned Mandela and several other men were tried for sabotage, treason, and violent conspiracy in the infamous Rivonia Trial, named after a fashionable suburb of Johannesburg where raiding police had discovered quantities of arms and equipment at the headquarters of the underground Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela's speech from the dock, in which he admitted the truth of some of the charges made against him, was a classic defense of liberty and defiance of tyranny. (His speech garnered international attention and acclaim and was published later that year as I Am Prepared to Die.) On June 12, 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, narrowly escaping the death penalty.

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Nelson Mandela | Biography, Life, Education, Apartheid, Death, & Facts

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Nelson Mandela, the revered anti-apartheid activist and South African president, fought for equality and reconciliation, leaving an enduring legacy of peace and social justice.

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Causes for low HS graduation rates in impoverished areas (Peter)

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Causes for low HS graduation rates in impoverished areas (Peter)

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The article states that students in high poverty schools have less experienced teachers, less access to high level science, math, and advanced placement courses, and lower levels of state and local spending on instructors and instructional materials. It goes on to say that the average teacher salary in high poverty schools was about $46,000 in the 2013-2014 school year compared to over $57,000 in low poverty schools. In short, less funding usually leads to a worse environment, making it harder for students to excel

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Unequal Opportunities: Fewer Resources, Worse Outcomes for Students in Schools with Concentrated Poverty - The Commonwealth Institute

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This report takes an in-depth look at resources and classes available at over 1,800 public schools across Virginia. The findings are clear: students who have fewer resources outside of the school building are getting shortchanged in the classroom as well. And the differences are striking.

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Social issues: causes of drug dealing (Peter)

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Social issues: causes of drug dealing (Peter)

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The source explains that one major cause for young people to start selling illicit drugs is the rising poverty rates in urban areas. Another reason is peer pressure, as kids usually associate dealing with having a status/role and view it as a way to make good money. Not only that, but the disorganization within families and communities has been found to be a a cause for increased drug selling.

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Psychosocial Correlates of Adolescent Drug Dealing in the Inner City: Potential Roles of Opportunity, Conventional Commitments, and Maturity

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This study examined a model of the simultaneous and interactive influence of social context, psychosocial attitudes, and individual maturity on the prediction of urban adolescent drug dealing. Five factors were found to significantly increase…

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Chapter 3- Environmental Analyst: Schooling System- Nolan

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Chapter 3- Environmental Analyst: Schooling System- Nolan

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In this article it addresses my question on how we can make schools better so that kids want to go to schools more rather than feeling an urge to skip and not go to school. It gives a list that shows 5 steps schools in America can take in order to achieve a goal of making schools better and making kids actually want to be there so that they don't skip. The first is acknowledging the fact that there is overcrowding in schools, the second is make funding schools a priority in America, the third Is address the school to prison pipeline, the fourth is raise standards for teachers, and the fifth and final one is put classroom-running and curriculum-building decisions in the hands of the community.

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In 2015, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released its global rankings of student performance in math, reading, and science, based on the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA (an exam given worldwide every three years to assess 15-year-olds in 72 countries). The last several PISA scores have revealed that in terms of education outcomes, the United States is far from No. 1. That year, the United States suffered an 11-point drop in math scores, leaving it 35th in that subject and 20 points below the OECD average. The country's students scored just above average in reading and science.

The debate around how to improve the education system in the United States is a fraught, complicated one with incredibly high stakes. But that shouldn't discourage policy makers from engaging in it. In the spirit of finding reasonable places to begin, below are five of the first steps lawmakers and other officials should take in what's sure to be a multiyear, multistep process to improve outcomes for students.

1. Acknowledge and address overcrowding.

2. Make funding schools a priority.

3. Address the school-to-prison pipeline.

4. Raise standards for teachers.

5. Put classroom-running and curriculum-building decisions in the hands of the community.

1. Acknowledge and address overcrowding

A study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 14 percent of US schools exceed capacity. Of course, the problem is concentrated and disproportionately affects low-income and minority students. For example, approximately one in five Chicago Public Schools elementary students start the school year in overcrowded classrooms.
Overcrowded classrooms, time and again, have been shown to be less effective:

Teachers are spread thin.

Students don't get the attention or personalization they require.

Students lose interest, which plants the seeds for dropping out.

Teachers and students feel increased stress.

Policy makers can begin to avoid this problem by drafting master plans that refuse to tolerate even slight overcrowding. This process must be ongoing, and maintenance will be necessary, as new housing developments can force shifts in school capacities. Dedicated task forces of lawmakers can stay on top of such changes.

An ongoing issue

The issue of overcrowding in schools isn't a new one. Another study based in New York in the mid-1990s found that overcrowding is "sharply" linked to lower achievement among students of low socioeconomic background. That study found that both students and teachers felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and, at times, disgusted with the state of overcrowding within their schools.

What's more, teachers in overcrowded schools often report a lack of resources or that their schools are in less than ideal condition. This lack of space can lead to lessons being taught in non-instructional areas, such as gymnasiums, which, in turn, can heighten levels of stress among both students and teachers.

2. Make funding schools a priority
The statistics around school funding in the United States are sobering:

States contribute 44 percent of total education funding in the United States.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that 34 states channel less funding into education on a per-student basis than they did prior to the recession years.

Between 2008 and 2016, local school districts cut a net total of roughly 297,000 teaching jobs.

The problem isn't simply a matter of cash-strapped states or the federal government struggling to come up with revenues. It's a matter of priorities. Consider this: just about every state in the country spends more to house the average inmate than it does to educate the average elementary/secondary student.
Here's what some of those priorities could look like:

Implement a progressive tax code. By taxing wealthy citizens and corporations their due, local and federal governments could afford to bolster the public education system. The political will to make such a change seems to be growing more and more remote, but with a citizenry that is engaged in demanding that our society invest in its students, that can begin to change.

Look at the bigger picture. This investment pays off, too-in a big way. In 2008, economists found that investing in education has an impact on the country's overall economic health by increasing the gross domestic product (GDP).

Increase teacher funding and support. Policy makers should focus not only on funding for building new schools and improving older buildings but also on increasing funding for teachers, particularly in low-income areas. Since many teachers choose to work in affluent areas because of the potential for better pay or working conditions, the quality of teaching in poorer schools can suffer. If policy makers and school officials can work together to attract and retain teachers at such schools, students with greater educational needs will benefit from the improved teaching quality.

3. Address the school-to-prison pipeline
The statistics are unsettling:

More than half of African American young men who attend high schools in urban areas do not earn a diploma.

Of these dropouts, nearly 60 percent will go to prison at some point in their lives.

The school-to-prison pipeline issue is complex, and its contributing forces include suspensions that disproportionately involve young African American men, in-school arrests, and zero-tolerance policies with harsh punishments that were put in place after the 1999 Columbine shooting.

Now that these patterns are being openly noted and discussed, policy makers can take concerted steps away from feeding the pipeline by focusing on restorative justice and keeping young people away from the justice system whenever possible.

Restorative justice works

A greater emphasis on alternative discipline methods, rather than detention or suspension, can lead to significant improvement in student retention and success. In one case, a high school district in California reduced the number of expulsions from 1,096 in the 2010-11 academic year to just 66 in 2014-15 by focusing on restorative justice as a means of conflict resolution.

Build a school community for all students

If schools are focused on measuring their success solely by overall student achievement, students who bring down the average are more likely to be forced out. Instead, curriculum development and classroom priorities should focus on each student's individual success. A more compassionate and understanding school environment is likely to reduce the need for security guards, police officers, and zero-tolerance policies-all of which contribute to a hostile and regimented environment.

4. Raise standards for teachers

Studies have found-not at all surprisingly-that underqualified teachers are tied to poor outcomes for students. The good news is that this is one of the most straightforward areas where policy makers can have an impact. They must clarify standards for teachers seeking licenses and raise standards in areas where student outcomes are lowest.

Raise the bar

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015, has had the opposite effect. ESSA eliminated the "Highly Qualified Teacher" provision from the previous law, meaning that the federal government is much less involved in teacher licensing and evaluation.

The National Education Organization says that theses changes promote alternative teacher education programs that don't adequately prepare teachers to enter the classroom. With these changes, individual states need to raise the bar for teacher certifications to ensure that educators are truly prepared for their jobs.

5. Put classroom-running and curriculum-building decisions in the hands of the community

In recent decades, the education system has moved away from teachers and local boards in terms of who makes decisions that affect classrooms and curricula. Consequently, student outcomes have suffered.

Policy makers who are aware of this pattern can push for a move away from standardized control and toward community-based mechanisms, such as community-elected school boards, that have the power and authority to make decisions about how their students are educated.
Involving parents in their children's education where possible can also contribute to a student's achievement.
People coming together with coherent messages for policy makers about the changes they'd like to see in their education systems can only benefit students. With these initial steps in mind, lawmakers and their constituents can start to move together in the direction of change.

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5 Ways Policy Makers Can Improve the Quality of Education | American University

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There are a lot of debates around how to improve education system in the United States. Learn 5 ways policy makers can improve the quality of education.

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Solidarity Analyst: Education System- Nolan

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Solidarity Analyst: Education System- Nolan

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This article tells the reader about all of the issues that we have in our education system and how it affects people in all scenarios. It talks about how the funding for the schools is based off the area that the school is in but how are lower income areas going to have good schools if this is the case.

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Fixing Failing American Schools - Proximity Learning

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Problems with the failing American education system bring deeply embedded and longstanding disinvestment issues to light.

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Environmental analyst: affect dangerous neighborhoods have on kids' futures

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Environmental analyst: affect dangerous neighborhoods have on kids' futures

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Living in neighborhoods with high levels of crime have shown to produce negative affects on children who grow up there. Specifically, their brain chemistry is altered and mental health is damaged.

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Living in violent neighborhoods affects children’s brain development

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Living in neighborhoods with high levels of violence can affect children’s development by changing the way that a part of the brain detects and responds to potential threats, potentially leading to poorer mental health and other negative outcomes.

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Environmental analyst: single mothers and the affect on children (Kenny Weirich)

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Environmental analyst: single mothers and the affect on children (Kenny Weirich)

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20% of children born to married parents will witness their divorce by the age of 9 years old. 50% of kids with dating/cohabiting parents will witness their breakup. switching from a two parent household to a single parents household will disrupt a child's routine and education as well as adding new stress to the childs life, which can cause mental health issues and lead to issues in the future.

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Social Issues: Substance abuse/use in  (Kenny Weirich)

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Social Issues: Substance abuse/use in  (Kenny Weirich)

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Baltimore has a higher drug use rate then any other county or city with in Maryland. Crack Cocaine, Heroine, and Fentanyl are all big players in the drug crime in Baltimore. An addiction to any of these drugs can form in just 5 days. People in Baltimore with addictions are stigmatized and rejected by other citizens of the area.

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Links have been provided on this page to resources and data related to substance abuse, addiction-related harm reduction, drug treatment, and other associated issues.

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Social Issue: Medical Errors in Hospital- Nolan

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Social Issue: Medical Errors in Hospital- Nolan

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In this article it states that women who go to hospitals in America are more likely to be misdiagnosed in their time there and be sent home than a white women. It states that one women was misdiagnosed during her time at the hospital and when she went to the hospital she said that she was sent home within 5 and a half hours, and when she was at home she said that she immediately started feeling pains in her stomach that were related to her body filling up with fluids showing that she was misdiagnosed during her time in the hospital.

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Medical errors kill scores each year in the U.S., especially women and minorities

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Hundreds of thousands of U.S. patients are harmed or die each year because of diagnostic errors. Women and minorities are up to 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed than white men.

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Solidarity Analyst: 1968 Baltimore Riots

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Solidarity Analyst: 1968 Baltimore Riots

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As a result of MLK's death in 1968, riots ensued in Baltimore. The riots have had a profound affect on the communities. The article reveals that four cities experienced over 100,000 dollars of property damage, with Baltimore experiencing 12 million in damage. 43 were killed, 3,500 were injured, and 27,000 were arrested. People lost their businesses and chaos did not leave neighborhoods.

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Fifty years later, cities still suffer the economic effects of the 1968 riots – Religion & Liberty Online

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This month marks the 50th anniversary of the riots that began in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The riots—sometimes referred to as the Holy Week Uprising or King assassination riots—spread through 110 cities across the United States. As historian Peter B. Levy notes,