Perspective: MLK Day

Continuous Disservice on a Day of Service

By Gretchen Gales
QuailBellMagazine.com

In case you forgot, today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The holiday is in honor of Dr. King's birthday  and is always set on the third Monday in January (which can be on or around the time of his real birthday, January 15th). On this day, I believe even Dr. King would be more than willing to give back to the community as a birthday celebration. Many cities across America organized service events in honor of a man who spent his life serving.

But most people will only serve on days oriented towards service such as MLK Day, the Thanksgiving season, and the Christmas season. Once that's over, many people stop caring until the next holiday. If you're financially stable, it's easy to donate a few books to low-income families, volunteer for a day at a soup kitchen, or repaint the walls inside a nursing home. And there's nothing wrong with doing any and all of those things, and I hope you consider participating in at least one of them. But for long term results, long term dedication and presence is required. Especially in improving education and promoting true equality.

As a future teacher, I already feel the pinch of eventually having to buy many of my classroom supplies, even if I went to a privileged school. The struggle of getting some parents actively involved in their children's lives. So what would it be like to teach in a district where a child couldn't even afford the supplies required to fully engage in their learning environment? To live in a school district that continuously fails to provide an education that would help low-income students leave the situation they're in?

And how did they become that way in the first place?

During the 1950s, groups of similarly structured housing clustered into what we call the suburbs. The new suburban environment was (and still is) a happy medium between the city and the rural setting. It also provided a place for many whites at the time to settle after refusing to live among the rising African-American presence in the cities. This grand exodus of the white population to the suburbs became known as "white flight" and sparked another trend of injustice towards all minorities. leaving the area with a socioeconomic disadvantage. Without the presence of a middle class, the pool of tax money the cities once got had been slashed, and cities fell into urban decay. In a 2008 study of the spacial dynamics involved in white flight, a survey indicated that "White respondents tend to rate integrated neighborhoods as substantially less desirable than predominately White neighborhoods" (Crowder and South 793). So even in modern society, underlying racism still haunts us. People don't like stepping out of their comfort zones, but their comfort comes at a cost. 

The problem leaks further into the urban schools. Parents will intentionally move out of urban neighborhoods into suburban ones in favor of a higher quality, safer education. But here's the thing: schools benefit from the majority presence of a middle class, or even a more active presence of outside support from parents, guardians, and other family. The middle class pumps money into the economy, has spare funds and time to devote to their children, and are more than willing (in a close community like mine) to help each other. Showing up occasionally doesn't improve much. Think about it: food banks don't survive off of once a year donations. Successful ones have a steady flow of food coming in at all points of the year. It's  the same with consistent outside influence in school districts. With colleges becoming more exclusive to obtain access too, I can understand why some parents would want to move their child to a school where they would gain an advantage for a future college application, but if these families would stay, they could work towards improving the conditions of less privileged schools. 

Want a quick example? In high school, I participated in the orchestra. We were lacking in funds, support from administration, and even parents or guardians. We desperately tried to get on par (in recognition) with the band and chorus. On the days of our concerts, some kids would be dropped off and then picked back up once the concert was over, leaving the child to feel as if it were more of a chore than an exciting time to showcase their skills. A year after I graduated high school I decided to go back and see the annual Halloween "Spooktacular" concert we had always performed in autumn.  I decided to go and show some support for them and to see how the pre-concert carnival turned out. Years before, we used old music stands and a cheap stuffed basketball to make a throwing game and other equally mediocre inventions for entertainment. Naturally I expected a disaster. 

When I walked in to the lobby I wasn't sure if I came the correct night. I honestly thought it was the chorus concert. The orange and black lights, massive blow-up lawn decor, and rented games made it seem like something only the chorus department could afford.  But I saw a flood of violins, violas, cellos, and a bass or two. As it turned out, they had gained three or four very active members of the orchestra boosters. The boosters club had certainly risen to the occasion thanks to the women who stepped up to organize a craft and bake sale. Just one year and the program had better resources, a better turnout, and much more funds to put towards future expenses.  

Though it would take much longer to completely turn an entire school district around, but being brave enough to make a long-term commitment as Dr. King did to his efforts will no doubt leave a lasting impact on your community. 

 To find out more about Dr. King and his mission, click the following links:

• "I Have a Dream" Speech

• Educational Resources

Bibliography: 
-Crowder, Kyle, and Scott J. South. "Spatial Dynamics of White Flight: The Effects of Local and Extralocal Racial Conditions on Neighborhood Out-Migration." American Sociological Review. 73.5 (2008): 792-812). Print. 

#Real #MLK #WhiteFlight #PublicSchools #SocialJustice #Race #Gentrification #UrbanDecay #PersonalExperience

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