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Summary Of Savage Inequalities

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Summary Of Savage Inequalities
The author of Savage inequalities is Jonathan Kozol and this chapters describes life in East St. Louis. East St. Louis is a black community on the Mississippi floodplain. Kozol states that East St. Louis is the most distressed small city in America. The people of East St. Louis are exposed to the burning garbage and foul chemicals from nearby industries. The people are also exposed to toxic waste, raw sewage, and the dangers of lead poisoning. The city, which is 98% black, has no obstetric services, no regular trash collection, and few jobs for the people there. The schools lack qualified teachers, and the schools are so broken-down it would amaze most Americans. This city of East St. Louis is isolated from its wealthy neighboring cities …show more content…
During his first visit Sister Julia stated that the new school was sinking because of the roof was too heavy. According to the Post-Dispatch, Martin Luther King Junior High had been evacuated for the second time in the spring of 1989 because of sewage fumes, backed-up toilets, and sewage in the bathrooms, kitchen, and basement. Kozol discussed the topic of inequalities with students and administrators. He discussed inequalities in classes, with teachers, and with facilities. These black students are required to attend East St. Louis schools without the hope of being transferred or bussed to a better school. As a teacher stated only about 55% of the kids will graduate from school and from this 55%, maybe one out of four will go to college. As Kozol travels through East St. Louis High School, he finds that teachers are not able to teach properly because of the lack of proper materials. The science labs are outdated by at least 30 years, they lack of proper text books/no textbooks, no lab tables, understaffed rooms, etc. In this school a lot of the teachers do not care about teaching anymore and a lot of them are full time substitutes without proper qualifications. Which of course, leads to students not paying attention or not getting any encouragement or the push they need to succeed, or even care about going to, school. Kozol observed in a lot of the classrooms students sitting around talking to other student. In most cases the teachers were not able to teach, or unwilling to even try anymore. The school is so poor that it cannot even afford toilet
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