Ratio Of Blacks In Jail To Blacks In College Is 3 To 1

The Wisconsin State Journal published an AP article on this recent study yesterday:

More than three times as many black people live in prison cells as in college dorms, the government said in a report to be released today.

The ratio is only slightly better for Hispanics, at 2.7 inmates for
every Latino in college housing. Among non-Hispanic whites, more than
twice as many live in college housing as in prison or jail.

The numbers, driven by men, do not include college students who live
off campus. Previously released census data show that black and
Hispanic college students - commuters and those in dorms - far
outnumber black and Hispanic prison inmates.

Nevertheless, civil rights advocates said it is startling that blacks
and Hispanics are more likely to live in prison cells than in college
dorms.

"It's one of the great social and economic tragedies of our time," said
Marc Morial, president and CEO of the Urban League. "It points to the
signature failure in our education system and how we've been raising
our children."

The Census Bureau released 2006 data Thursday on the social, racial and
economic characteristics of people living in adult correctional
facilities, college housing and nursing homes. It is the first in-depth
look at people living in "group quarters" since the 1980 census. It
shows, for example, that nursing homes had much older residents in 2006
than in 1980.

The new data have limitations. In addition to not including commuter
students, the data do not provide racial breakdowns by gender or age,
though they do show that males make up 90 percent of prison inmates.

Also, most prison inmates are 25 or older while 96 percent of people in
college housing are age 18 to 24.

The data show that big increases in black and Hispanic inmates occurred
since 1980. In 1980, the number of blacks living in college dorms was
roughly equal to the number in prison. Among Hispanics, those in
college dorms outnumbered those in prison in 1980.

There are many reasons black students do not reach college at the same
rate as whites, said Amy Stuart Wells, a professor of sociology and
education at Columbia University's Teachers College.

Black students are more likely to attend segregated schools with high
concentrations of poverty, less qualified teachers, lower expectations
and a less demanding curriculum, she said.

"And they are perceived by society as terrible schools, so it is hard
to get accepted into college," Wells said. "Even if you are a
high-achieving kid who beats the odds, you are less likely to have
access to the kinds of courses that colleges are looking for."

Students who don't graduate high school are much more likely to go to
prison, said Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project at
UCLA. Nearly 40 percent of inmates lack a high school diploma or the
equivalent, according to the census data.

"The criminal economy is one of the only alternatives in some of these
places," Orfield said. "You basically have the criminalization of a
whole community, particularly in some inner cities."

Blacks made up 41 percent of the nation's 2 million prison and jail
inmates in 2006. Non-Hispanic whites made up 37 percent and Hispanics
made up 19 percent.

Remembering Brown v. Board (The Weekly Dave)

This author has been MIA recently because of a move across country, but now has working internet, and managed to hang his six-foot posted of Lenin the other day, so writing for General, Your Tank... can now resume with all due diligence.

With that, here's this week's Weekly Dave. The Tuscaloosa School District responded to complaints about overcrowding by forcibly moving hundreds of minority students. Congratulations, folks, for being so racist that even the New York Times had to analogize your actions to George Wallace's.

Democratic Presidential Hopeful: "Americans are fatter, dumber"

So, I've never heard of this guy before, but ex-Alaska Senator Mike Gravel during a Slate sponsored debate moderated by Bill Maher had those choice words for John and Jane Q voter. I'm sure if all Americans had access to the educational health care benefits granted to the offspring of a US senator, things would be different (in fact for every 'limousine insurance' receiving US senator there are approximately 500,000 people without ANY health insurance). Or the fact that the US legislature is probably the only institution in the country that gets to vote to increase its salary while millions of Americans have to live with the woefully inadequate minimum wage. In fact, Congress increased its own salary nearly 10 times between the previous increase in the minimum wage and the most recent.

Especially enraging to me is that this wanker's own party, the one from which he is seeking nomination for the presidency, has gone hand in hand with every measure coveted by the Bush administration, be it No Child Left Behind or continuing to fund and cheer lead the war that is depriving students and families much needed health and educational opportunities (not to mention killing them). He has the gall to suggest that much of the blame rests on 'lazy' teachers who don't work the entire year like 'every else' and that what we need are 'super teachers' who are willing to put in the extra effort. Now, I agree that teachers have a pivotal role in education, but it is hardly their fault that the Democrats and Republicans have gutted public schools from after school programs and subsidized lunches to slashing student aid at the university level while denying pensions all the live long day.

I'm sorry Mister Gravel, but I think you might want to do some reading yourself. As far as obesity, maybe if we had subsidized healthy food for people who can't afford them? I don't see the Democrats chomping at the bit to expand food stamps, WIC, or any other such programs. Oh wait, his party SUPPORTED Bush's 2005 budget that threw some 300,000 people off of food stamps. Perhaps if McDonald's and other fast food locations weren't the cheapest food and easiest solution for families that work too many hours to make meals, like the ex-Senators cleaning staff probably do, I'm sure that some changes could be made.

Interestingly enough, I find myself agreeing with Gravel's closing statement: You can't trust your politicians. They won't make change on their own.