Chapter Summary: Schools And The New Jim Crow

I found chapter six, entitled “Schools and the New Jim Crow” by Jody Sokolower from Rethinking Multicultural Education the most intriguing and thought-provoking from this week’s readings. Reading the chapter has also made me more aware, as well as further developed my understanding about the issues surrounding racism and the education system today. In addition, as I was reading the chapter, I was able to connect it to an issue that is prevalent a little closer to home, within our Canadian society.
 Chapter six focuses on Michelle Alexander and her thoughts on mass incarceration amongst African American children and youth and the effects that it carries in schools. After reading this chapter, I thought about how similar the idea was in comparison to Aboriginal children and youth in Canada. Aboriginal children and youth in Canada can be referred to as one of the most vulnerable populations of children in our society, because of the significant gap between the education, as well as health and safety outcomes of Aboriginal children in comparison to non-Aboriginal children. There have been studies that have shown that on average, Aboriginal children have lower rates of school attendance, poorer learning outcomes, and are less likely to graduate from high school. As a result, this can impact the child’s long-term health and safety outcomes. Instead of being at school, Aboriginal youth may turn to use of tobacco, alcohol, or get involved with other risk behaviours. The statistics of Aboriginal youth and their low levels of education and their usage of tobacco, alcohol, or being involved in other risky behaviours has been getting better throughout the years, however, it is still a major issue that is still prevalent even to this date. What Aboriginal children and youth face in terms of their education and health and safety are one of the largest provincial, territorial, and nationwide issues that the Canadian government and society is faced with. Although it is evident that Aboriginal children and youth still face these problems even after a number of years, and is an issue that is constantly discussed about amongst Canadian society, why hasn’t it been solved, or at least gotten any better? Michelle Alexander mentions how “children who have incarcerated parents are far more likely themselves to be incarcerated” and that “when young black men reach a certain age- whether or not there is incarceration in their …show more content…
Although these notions may play a factor in Aboriginal children and youth’s education, health and safety, there is also another important factor that also plays a role that is embedded in society, which is the education system itself. Are teachers and school staff doing all that they can to promote the wellness of Aboriginal children and youth, or are they just allowing it to happen, based on the notion that there’s nothing they can do simply because the children are ‘Aboriginal’? 
 Although we cannot change history, we can definitely change the way we treat Indigenous students, as well as combating racism, discrimination, and stereotypical notions. Often, Aboriginal children and youth face acts of bullying in school, which may be also contribution to their levels of low attendance and school drop out rates. Teachers and school staff can play a role in diminishing this by educating students about Aboriginal culture, as well as racism and discrimination, which will hopefully alter the students perspectives on Aboriginals and racism and