Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                Chris Elliott                        Zach Lee                  Christian Palmer
                Geronimo Rodriguez       Blake Whitaker       Kristen Young

Segregation by any other name

Nebraska's only black state senator, Sen. Ernie Chambers, was the mastermind behind a bill that opponents have decried as a return to segregation, and the bill was signed into law by Governor Dave Heineman on Thursday.

The law will take effect in July, and will divide the 45,000-student Omaha school system into three smaller districts -- one that is mostly black, one primarily white and one with a majority of Hispanic students.

The U.S. Supreme Court didn't know what it was talking about in 1954 when it made that kind of thing illegal.

On the other hand, maybe it did.

But the fact remains that no matter how many laws there are against it, segregation seems to happen in this country on a regular basis. 

Just look across the street at Jack Yates High School. The racial makeup of a student population -- especially in public schools -- is a reflection of the surrounding neighborhood, and the sad fact is that there are black neighborhoods and white neighborhoods and Hispanic neighborhoods -- not to mention areas predominantly populated by Asians, Jews or any other conceivable ethnic group.

But segregation, whether it's state-sponsored or not, is the wrong way to solve the real issue here: the inability of Americans to deal with racial differences. 

Segregation is nothing more than thinly veiled racism -- a way to protect people from having to meet and socialize with people of another racial group.

As easy as it makes it to only meet and work with and study with those who are similar to you, it's just not right. And that doesn't mean that everyone needs a token black, white or Hispanic friend, but making laws that corral people in with others because of their skin color is definitely a step in the wrong direction.

Let Nebraska bury its heads in the sand, and hope someone else will lead Americans toward true racial harmony.