Discrimination of African American Women in Academics
Human history is long and filled with discrimination. People with the same color discriminate others. The most famous and obvious is that the White people discriminate colored people. In addition, people within the same race discriminated their own member by their gender, religious, political stands, etc. Women have been discriminated for decades. Before race is an issue, women in difference race are discriminated by the opposite gender within their race. The matter causes the Black women, such as African American women, being discriminated in different work fields. They often experienced discrimination in different stage of their lives. However, they overcome all the struggles and discrimination by acting, building relations with people who benefited them and involved minimal in the White world. (Myers, 2002) Despite the fact that discrimination on African American women is everywhere, I will focus on the discrimination of African American women in academics. First, African American women has less opportunity on higher education than White women. Second, African American female scholar was looked down by White scholar in academic. Last, African American female scholar was treated unequally towards African American male scholar.
First, African American women has less opportunity on higher education than the White women. The racial discrimination started at 1870s and officially ended in 1954. During the racial discrimination, everything for Black people is separate from the White. Black people could not enter “White only” restaurant and facilities, such as restroom. Black teenagers who qualified for college were often blocking from traditional White own or operate school because they are black. In the book by Myers, (Broken Silence : Voices of African American Women in the Academy, 2002), she descripted her experience on getting into college. Although she ended up entering a Black private college, she was rejected and blocked by a state college in the State she grows up with because she is black.
Second, African American women scholar was looked down by white scholar in academic. Myers was told that there were a white male professor in the same school told her student that she won’t make her student learnt anything. Also, her work was not judged appropriately. When she has good work and publishing, she would get comment from white male colleagues, such as “she is a prolific writer and researcher who known nationally-but her works are mostly about blacks and are lightweight.” (Myers, 2002, p. 55) Also, she experienced discrimination from white female students on a term paper issue. (Myers, 2002, p. 56) There is more and more similar experience on her and other African American women. From their experience, we could understand that although the racial discrimination period has ended in history, the issue still happened around us. Even if an African American women scholar graduated at the same...