Story of School Episode 3

The main thing that took me by surprise in the documentary is the exclusion of certain events that led to segregation.  The film only paid attention to Brown v. Board of Education, even though I’ve done research in EDU 362 that suggests there were five or six different Supreme Court cases that led to desegregation in schools.  This is a very good example of heroification in our education.  Similar to the treatment of Christopher Columbus and Helen Keller, the Brown v. Board of Education court case has become a legend that people think is greater than it actually was.

            I wasn’t quite as surprised by the defiance of the South to desegregate.  As most education students know, Arkansas National Guard and federal troops faced off against each other.  I am actually more surprised that this situation didn’t become worse.  Looking at something like this, I can’t help but think of the assault on Fort Sumter that started the Civil War. 

            I found it interesting how early television advertisements promoting education started.  I remember seeing a lot of these when I was younger, but I thought the public service announcements were started in the 90s.  I find it terrible that these were required in the 50s and 60s because it set the tone for the future education for minorities.  Since their parents had never graduated college or high school, the younger generations didn’t think twice about leaving school to start working.  This is also the case with low SES families.