Imagine walking into the admissions office of a high school or college you wish to attend. You are cordially greeted by the secretary and she asks for your name. After .
responding to her, she leads you to a room which has six other prospective students. You .
take a seat and wait your turn to be interviewed by the Dean of Admissions. Looking .
around, you notice something odd. You are the only minority in the room. The Dean .
steps out of his office and calls your name. He looks around and an apalled look comes across his face when you stand up. While in his office, the Dean asks you a few brief questions and he says that he will notify you once a decision is made. Two weeks later you get a call from the school and the person on the phone says that you were not accepted because all of the spaces have been filled. Later on that day, you are informed that the other six people who were in the waiting room with you were asked to be students at that institution. Now, think about how it would feel to be discriminated against because of your skin color or gender. Both Adrienne Rich and bell hooks speak of a similar discrimination. While Rich's essay is a commencement speech for graduates of Smith college for women, hooks' essay reflects on her personal experiences as a young black woman from a small town who was educated at a prestigious university. Although these essays are about experiences which happened roughly thirty years ago, they can be applied to today's educational system, but to a lesser degree. Contrary to the past, racial and gender discrimination is less prevalent in today's educational system due to the advances of minorities and women, but despite their advances, they are still not as prized as the white male. .
While the occurrence of racial and gender discrimination in today's educational system is lower than in previous years, it still occurs, which makes it a valid topic for discussion.
