Final HCFATE MNM 607 JPN

Niehaus Hist. Case for Access to Education

The Historical Case for Access to Education.

MNM 607 Social Justice

4/19/15 J.P. Niehaus

Introduction to the Issues


Whenever there is strife or injustice, there are opponents, people on either side of an issue

or series of issues. There have been many examples in history where movements for social and

sustainable equality have flourished, fallen or been delayed because of lack of popular support or

lack of cohesive leadership and vision. A major factor in gaining popular support is whether

people from all backgrounds felt welcome to join in the cause for justice or whether they were

viewed as so called ‘other’s’ or even the viewed as the problem. Good intentions are important,

noting problems is essential, but how a group goes about voicing a specific concern to gain

universal support is not only important, it is what makes or breaks a movement. It is not only the

content of what is said; it is how it is said and implemented. A common purpose can be

presented in many ways.

One such issue is that of access to education regardless of race, ethnicity and religion and

how to practically apply solutions to a problem. It is okay to have opposing views on how to

move forward in a cause, but have a universal voice while respecting differences is often a tall

order. Especially in the case of access to education, which has often been viewed as a resource to

personal and communal improvement. Access to education and knowledge has always been an

equalizer when it comes to injustice, power shifts into a more equal setting when the

downtrodden are empowered. With access to education and knowledge that comes with it, the

educated can return to or create new environments where the dividing factors such race, religion,

politics or any other antiquated reason for separating can be discussed and set aside.

In 2015, A Supervisor in the Client Relations Department for a top Investment Banking

firm in the United States was interviewed about her experience and education at what is known

today as Tuskegee University, a historically Black College, the school has deeply seeded roots in

fighting for equality and access to education.


“The questions pertain to Access to education and it is a social justice class. I picked

Tuskegee because of the history and the lens of African American perspective from

reconstruction until the 1950's. But like I said I need a modern context.

Can I ask when you when there? 1989-1994

What you degree is in? Political Science

And what made you choose TU? Rich history of the school was what initially enticed me,

to have the ability to learn more about Booker, George Washington Carver, the Tuskegee

Airmen, etc., I was not getting an education like that at home! I also wanted to go to

school as far away from California, to see if I could adapt to country living versus the fast

paced big city. Other factors were I have relatives in Alabama, and I received a

scholarship to Tuskegee.

Did being an African American Woman influence the decision, or was it more for the

high academic standards? Both influenced my decision; I only applied to HBCUs

(historically black colleges and universities) because my prior experience was primarily

attending schools with a majority of students who did not look like me😊, and Tuskegee

has a highly accredited Liberal Arts program that made my decision easy.”

The previous was a whole unaltered transcripts of the simple yet straight forward

questions asked to a supervisor who in the author’s opinion with probably make Manager within

the next few years and Officer in the next five to ten if she so chooses. The author of this paper’s

bias comes from the position of being primary source. (She was this Author’s boss before he was

promoted to another department per her recommendation).


Patience always seems to be the order for the various situations within Investment

Banking Industry. But for Woman it is more competitive because of the ‘glass ceiling.’ More

prevalent that even that is the constant undercurrent of Racial bias and often stereotypes. While

most people are taught to look past ethnicity, it is hard to ignore the role that preconceived

conceptions and bias play in this age of ‘colorblindness and political correctness.’ What may be

meant to be polite can strike the wrong tune when you take away from identity. In this instance

the interviewed was proud to be a part of a heritage of progress and social change that was

engraved within the very fiber of Tuskegee. So to deny that and not recognizing the strength in

identity that is present can not only be ignorant but also rude and unfair. To strike to the core of

someone’s identity and other them by saying they must adhere to the melting pot that lacks in

diversity is falsehood in equality. To overcorrect to the place of monochromatic stasis is perhaps

as bad as denying an entire culture. Angela Davis spoke to ‘Black being beautiful’ and Thomas

Jefferson held, “…that these truths to be self-evident that all men, (including women), are

created equally.”

Justice is the Harmony of the Law, The Respect of Order and the Will of the People

In What is Justice? Classic and Contemporary Readings, Second Edition by Solomon

and Murphy they quote the ancient Chinese Philosopher Mencius (ca. 372- ca. 298 B.C.) “All

men have things they cannot tolerate, and if the result is Humanity. All men have things they will

not do, and if what makes this so can be fully developed in the things they will do, then Justice

results. If a man can fully exploit the thing in his mind in which makes him not wish to harm

others, then Humanity will result in overwhelming measure. If a man can fully exploit the thing

in his mind which makes him reluctant to break through or jump over (other people’s) walls,

Justice will ensue in overwhelming measure…” (p. 57). In reflection of what Mencius is


speaking to is what many philosophers, Scholars and some Artist refer to as Consciousness.

In the historical sense from example given above, the Ancient Greek and Roman

Philosophers to The Founding Fathers of the United States of America as it States in the First

Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. “Amendment I - Congress shall

make no law disrespecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to

assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.” (p.131) Often overlooked

and underrated in the context of social justice is this simple and elegant introduction to the

constitution was written well over two hundred years ago but it states in the matter of ethos and

logos to state that those who see a wrong in the wrong with society have not only the right but

the responsibility to act in the benefit of the those around them.

The Current State

Fast-forward to the modern day in 2015, in Denver, why does Cherry Creek Schools, a

largely White population have a better chance at college and brighter future than kids in

Montebello, which has mostly a minority populace. Money, from both new and old sources,

comes to mind. And there is truth in that. But in comparison with access to education and

resources in more rural town like Nederland, Colorado, again admitting bias, where the author is

from is mostly White people. Nederland is not that much more affluent that Montebello. In fact

when looking at average incomes, the spread is not much. Montebello is again largely a Black

and Hispanic. So besides rural setting which has been shown through various studies to have

minimal impact on income why is there such disparity? Separate but equal was struck down

decades ago why haven’t the education systems in the United States caught up? The answer,

Americans have not evolved, in culture of standardized testing, lack of funding and community


involvement, Americans have failed and continue to fail, but there is always hope. To look to the

future, lessons can be learned from the past.

In Recent History Booker T and W.E.B.

Booker T Washington was the well noted and respected leader and teacher of the

Tuskegee Institute; he helped found the school in 1881. W.E.B. DuBois was a noted author,

teacher and the first African American Student to earn a Doctorate from Harvard University. In a

recent interview with National Public Radio Tuskegee University current president, Dr. Brian L.

Johnson spoke to how both men who were working towards the same goal of racial equality.

And how access to education leads to a better life. He also discussed how they were often in

opposition to one another on how to achieve or even work towards this goal.

According to Dr. Johnson (2015) on Tuskegee University’s article, “Washington’s

approach was practical for the masses, the children of former slaves. DuBois focused on

advancing the ‘talented tenth,’ an exceptional group of African-Americans who would uplift the

black community…” So while both men had a similar mission of uplifting the black community

with education, they had vastly different approaches that lead to conflict. The article continues

and points out the obvious yet overlooked fact. “Johnson, a DuBois scholar and author, urged

readers to look beyond perceptions and to see that Washington and DuBois were related in their

purpose.” He continues “This Washington versus DuBois idea has become a political construct,’

Johnson said .”

They were both working towards the same goal yet within that context they had opposing

views on how to get there, Washington viewed education as a tool to empower and uplift for

everyone while DuBois and his to ten percentile view put emphasis on creating leaders for the


black community. Both ideas worked on many levels and helped progress the cause for equality

and empowerment through education. The National Public Radio article points the flaws in the

ideas that both men had. Washington was often viewed as moving too slow, being to accepting

of the status quo and has even been viewed as a sellout. While on the other hand DuBois fought

for the same racial equality and access to education, he was often called a classist because of his

“Talented Tenth” view. The article continues and even more differences between the two men

are pointed out.

Washington saw the benefit of a gradual process. DuBois wanted more direct, immediate

action. Washington pushed for vocational training. DuBois favored collegiate education.

‘Education must not simply teach work — it must teach Life,’ DuBois famously said.

Washington's approach was practical for the masses, the children of former slaves. DuBois

focused on advancing the "talented top ten percent of the African American populations. He

believed an exceptional group of African-Americans who would uplift the black community

So why were these men so different? Why would men who were obviously intelligent

men fighting for the same cause come up with such different solutions? Experience and

situation, Washington was born a slave and was from the south and obviously had different life

experiences that DuBois who was from East and had more experience in theory and writing.

Neither men were inherently wrong because history has shown that social and cultural change

can happen slowly over time but also rapidly depending on the situation. Part of being an

effective leader is being able to adapt and evolve with the situation.

The G.I. Bill


Evolution within a situation and becoming specific with action to affect a more general

issue has often been the problem for social justice. Specific action to bring the public attention to

an issue is balancing act. A story of success with access to education in the face of classism,

socioeconomic status and a world recovering from war was the passage of the G.I. Bill after

World War II. McEnaney (2011) points out the massive success and unique situation that lead to

the bill.

The bill was designed to compensate veterans for what the fight had taken from them —

physically, psychologically, economically. It represented a massive government outlay to house,

educate, employ, and mend returning soldiers, from joyous homecoming to deathly departure. It

was, as Glenn Altschuler and Stuart Bluminput it, “a New Deal for veterans,” an extension of

government activism and welfare provision passed through bipartisan effort… (p. 45).

The men and women that had fought in World War II sacrificed a lot for their country

and while after war it can usually take years for a country to recover, the United States invested

in those who had fought creating a new vibrant and thriving middle class. The GI Bill in

conjunction with the massive industrial boom that came with war lifted the nation out of the

depression of the 1930’s and a more educated middle class the business and technology evolved

quicker and even social movements were born or in the case of the civil right movement reborn

and evolved to be more effective.

The GI Bill brought to light the racial conflict; Minority Veterans were not receiving the

same respect and access to resources as White Veterans were. McEnaney points out some of the

systematic issues that were a part of the system that GI Bill was being instituted with.


…the decentralized management of the GI Bill’s benefits practically guaranteed a racially rigged

contest within the community of veteran contenders for assistance. The people in charge of

dispensing veteran health care, education, job placement, and mortgage benefits were all locals,

not overseers from Washington, D.C., so regional race relations trumped whatever federal law

dictated. Thus, almost a year after the GI Bill went into effect, the American Council on Race

Relations found that officials obligated to help veterans access employment benefits instead

“follow[ed] the pattern of the local community with respect to segregation and discrimination.”

(p.44-45).

Meaning that anyone who was not white was often not getting the same access to

resources, especially in the Jim Crow South where Segregation and racial tensions were still in

effect. Even with positive social change there is still often a pattern of getting past bias and social

blockages that must evolve.

Asking the Right Questions, Having the Conversation

The recognition of different types of leadership and theories such as Booker T

Washington and W.E.B. Dubois and how events and theories have and still are evolving is

essential. Many of the problems which were outlined in the civil right movement from the 1950’s

and 1960’s which lead to legislation such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act are still issues today.

Evolving and recognizing struggles are important. Knowing that they have a link to a community

is important. Historically access to education is key to success in facing those struggles. It is

often not hard to recognize a problem, and realize the need for change. The most challenging part

is recognizing and then implementing positive change. A movement must evolve and adapt to

the situation.


“...Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The

wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my

lamp beside the golden door!" That is what Emma Lazarus’ famous poem says at Ellis Island

where generations of immigrants to the United States entered our country. America is a nation

made of the world; of those brave enough to stake a claim, not just a nationality but a morality, a

universal sense of right and wrong. It is in the fibers of every person to choose to say, “I believe

in honesty, hard work, and respect.” Everywhere in the world there are country’s made of

diversity, and while diversity can pose challenges and even strife, it is there greatest strength, if it

embraced. If America as a country, as people, loses sight of these principles, Then Americans

lose sight of themselves and the very identity and core of what makes them great.

To be the beacon of hope and prosperity to the farthest reaches, there must be action to

light ‘the lamp.’ To be the beacon there must be praxis, thoughtful action that is both universal,

and before finding the answers, a society must be willing to ask the right questions first; The

ones that make people uncomfortable but is the problem glaring right through. For some reason

in the recent history of the United States there has been lack dialogue or even a proper

discussion. There are no delusions of utopia or grandeur. But for a culture to evolve beyond the

prejudices that cripple it, ignorance must be called out. The light shined in the dark places. The

way forward now that past has been discussed is just as important. A lesson from the past is near

useless unless it is used to implement positive change for the future.

The Diversity in Education Advocates Organization (DinEA)

Better Students, Better Communities, Brighter Futures. That is the slogan for the

Diversity in Education Advocates Organization. The organization will put a strong focus on the


importance of education and community involvement. It is the work of the founder, the author of

the paper, the Manager Patrick Heekin and the Technological Director Colby Niehaus. The

philosophy being that more educated people are, the more opportunities there will be for them

and the stronger the community will be because it. The strength comes in the ability to not only

advocates for oneself upon becoming more informed and educated but also being able to get the

social networks and contracts that help a community not only survive but thrive.

While most nonprofits hope to grow into organizations that support many programs and

institutionalize as a resource for individuals and the community at large. It must start with single

program and must never lose a pulse on those that they are trying to serve. A grassroots

movement can catch on in flash but to be that fateful lighting that strikes the storm it must be

calculated and planned. Yet at the same time serving specifically and evolving to the needs of

those they serve.

To accomplish this goal, the first informational meeting will be used to outline the

program, get input and be there to build trust and a relationship between the school, the

community and DinEA. The first program will be a scholarship program for student based

volunteerism for high school seniors. First and foremost the high school, or high schools, will

have to have students in need. The school will be reached out to, at first the teachers and

administrators of school will be asked and then evaluated to see if a need is there in their

opinion. There is no point in giving to those who have when there are those lacking in the basics.

As administrators and teachers, there is an intimate and honest relationship, a trust that cannot be

exploited but rather used for their own students. They have key insights into student needs and

will be a valuable human resource.


A teacher can tell if the program is a good fit or how it can be modeled to fit, how many

students might participate, what community resources are available, such as locals businesses. If

there is an opportunity present, a need, an informational meeting will be held, where

administrators, teachers, parents, students and other community members will be encouraged to

attend to learn about what the program can offer not only their students but their community as a

whole. The informational meeting will be used to outline the program, get input and be there to

build trust and a relationship between the school, the community and the organization.

So the first step in any meeting will be finding out what the need is? What are students

lacking in experience and education that the school is having trouble offering? What are areas of

community that could be improved? What are issues within the community as whole? High

Crime? Environmental threats? How can DinEA adapt the program model and resources to meet

these needs an help the student institute the change they want to see. Starting off, it is important

to take the time to listen, open a dialogue and building the trust that comes with open lines of

communication is paramount. Having teacher and staff input before, during and after the

program will allow adaptable that allows for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Having

everyone with the same set of expectations and goals will allow for outlined in a clear and

concise way forward.

The next step will be outlining the resources that DinEA brings to the table, presenting

the program model that is specific enough to be focused and get results but also adaptive enough

to fit the community it will serve. The programs student participants will be required to pick a

charity, cause or community project to fundraise, work for or help in a way, and while local

causes are always important, anything they are passionate about that the third sector is fair

game. If someone can benefit from the students writing letters of support to service members or


Amnesty International, by all means. Positive change is essential in whatever form it comes,

interpersonal to the international.

The student can team up in groups or work as individuals, which ever they choose. They

will have set time frame and set goals depending on the project. They will be in charge of

organization and responsible for supplies, and any monetary responsibilities. That includes

keeping track of any possible donations. The responsibility breeds leadership and leaders need to

have basic skills.

To elaborate, part of the program’s purpose is building real world skills and

understanding what it means to give back to, support and be a part of a community. Call it civic

responsibility or just caring about neighbors, but it is a cornerstone of the program, the students

will have learning about community leadership in which ever why they deem fit. Within the

program the goal is to give the students real world experiences and skills such as leadership,

problem solving, teamwork, and various other important traits. The universal values of

philanthropy and giving back and the direct correlation that has to strengthening a community in

will be show in a real world setting. The skills of active creativity, critical thinking and

leadership will be evaluated by DinEA staff but also by supporters and the students themselves.

A constant dialogue between DinEA with parents, teachers, schools and the community

leaders and supporters to help guide the students and offer support will be key. The overarching

idea will remain for the students to rely on themselves or each other for most of the work. While

supporters, such as parents and teachers, will be important, it will be up to the students to do

most of the work. Yet to alienate a base of support is not a smart move by any means. The

dialogue will be a place where ideas can be presented, problems voiced and progress monitored


to ensure the success of the program for the benefit of the students and community. The adults

must be just as on board and a part of the process as the kids because without them a major moral

is gone. Booker T Washington made sure the rich White Industrialist in the South were as happy

to have them there as he was. If he had had the money and just build the Tuskegee Institute, they

would have most likely have been seen as a threat not members of a flourishing community.

In Conclusion for a new beginning

To conclude the presented argument for change, a historical pattern of three steps

forwards and two steps back must change. After the Civil Rights Movement, came the War on

Drugs; after the Civil War came Reconstruction and the Guided age, what will the decades to

come or event he centuries say about the way this generation acted in face of the problems

faced? Would Booker T Washington and W.E.B Dubois think the struggles this generation put

up in light of the circumstances noteworthy? To honor the past made by those who helped our

society progress for everyone’s sake, this generation must look past the slight differences, have

the hard conversations and ask the tough questions that no one wants to ask but must be said out

loud. Why does money still have such an influence still when education is right to all? Why is

race still and issue and is it fair to say that political correctness taken too far takes away from

one’s identity? Why is that America’s greatest strength, it’s diversity, viewed by some as it’s

greatest weakness?

Ask the questions, get the answers, if all else fails do what every source and example in

this paper did, if the system is not working, challenge the status quo. Someone has to be willing

to hold one another accountable; people will follow positive change and evolve given the chance.


"… Answer. That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and

you may contribute a verse.” Walt Whitman –Leaves of Grass (1892).

Sources:

1. Norwood, C & Johnson (2015) Tuskegee University president discusses Washington with

National Public Radio

http://www.tuskegee.edu/Articles/tuskegee_university_president_discusses_washi

ngton_with_npr.aspx Tuskgee University (March 5, 2015).

2. Norwood, C & Johnson (2015) The Legacy of Booker T. Washington Revisited,

Http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/05/388443431/the-legacy-of-booker-t-

washington-revisited National Public Radio. (March 5, 2015).

3. McEnaney, L “Veterans’Welfare, the GI Bill and American” Demobilization Journal of

Law, Medicine & Ethics health legacies: militarization, health and society •

Spring 2011 page 45, 44-45am that made my decision easy.”

4. Solomon, R. and Murphy M. “What is Justice? Classic and Contemporary Readings,

Second Edition. ” Oxford Press New York and Oxford (2000), pages 57 & 131

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/05/388443431/the-legacy-of-booker-t-washington-

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/05/388443431/the-legacy-of-booker-t-washington-

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