Racism - The Ideological Link of Dominance and Power

The second ideology that affects the funding of the arts is racism.  Racism is the idea that the dominant group holds power over and treats a group of individuals differently based on their “perceived” race (Professor Leach-Bizari, Class Notes).  Statistics show that low income, generally urban schools, and most often attended by minorities such as Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans, receive less funding.  This gap in funding shows a hierarchy in which the Whites are privileged and hold power over the minority.  Due to the hierarchy of power, the Whites benefit from the implementation of the arts while the minorities are left powerless and unable to move ahead.  The arts provide students with a plethora of necessary skills and experiences, and allow students to be creative and express themselves in a multitude of ways.  The arts can help students define themselves as individuals, and can be used as a means of expressing themselves to the world around them.  Using the arts in the classroom can be a way of teaching against oppression.  However, those that are not being given the chance to partake in these activities are not being given the chance to become fully human.  This point furthers the perceived racial hierarchy, where those in power (and with the funding) have the ability to grow as a human being, and those without power (and without funding) are not able to grow as an individual.