On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court overturned the previous ruling of “separate but equal”— set forth by the case Plessy v. Ferguson—by deeming it unconstitutional as racially segregated schools were inherently unequal and deprived of the protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14thamendment. However, the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (photo above) was simply the start of the long journey towards diversity in the academia. Not only did this landmark ruling lead towards the desegregation of schools but it sparked the civil rights movement in the United States which in turn led to the historic passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
But what’s happened since then?
While much progress has been made since the 1950’s, racial disparities in education still plague our society today. Though Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka broadened the academic pathway for students of color, the lingering effect of systematic racism has taken its toll on generations of minority students. Due to a wide range of factors, many students of color have limited access to the necessary tools to be academically successful. According to a 2018 study by the National Center for Education Statistics, while the achievement gap between white and non-white students have narrowed by 30% over the past 20 years, many black and Latinx students are still well below both district and national benchmarks in both reading and mathematics. Staggering still are the relatively high absenteeism and dropout rates of minority high school students which are thus reflected in proportionately low post-secondary enrollment and even lower pursuit of graduate degrees. Again, the study notes that while the statistics have improved, only 50% of black students and 70% of Latinx students between the ages of 18 and 24 are currently enrolled in a 2- or 4-college immediately after graduating high school and less than 20% of all minority groups being awarded either master’s or doctoral degrees.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), many of these educational disparities are due in part to socioeconomic status, a decline in affordable health insurance, and the lack of proper early childhood childcare and education. Furthermore, the under representation of minorities in curriculum and on-campus resources has negatively affected the mental health of students of color, causing them to be more racially self-conscious and aware of bias surrounding them. Along with harmful stereotypes based on social constructs, not only has the underrepresentation of students of color led to a gap in academic achievement but it has also led to racial segregation and tension amongst the student population’s various social circles thus spiking the discipline rate for many minority groups.
The educational system is broken.
As educators, one of our primary goals is to protect the mental, social, and academic well-being of each of our students. Here, not only should we be providing vital educational resources, but we must also cultivate an environment of celebrates and highlights diversity. If we fail to advocate for higher quality early childhood and post-secondary education programs that are both affordable and accessible to all students, these disparities will continue to widen the achievement gap for students of color. Furthermore, there must be a greater push for the equitable treatment of immigrant students through comprehensive academic counseling, strategic in-classroom support, and access to dual-immersion/bilingual classes. On a larger scale, both community members and educational policymakers must be made aware of the negative effects of the underlying racial segregation that is still present in schools in order to establish more inclusive policies and practices. However, this is still a few years in the making.
Here’s what we can do now: the greatest tool an educator can utilize is their ability to have more meaningful, inclusive, and intellectual conversations with students. While many school districts issue prescribed curriculum, it is well within the purview of the teacher to supplement examples, discussion items, and resources that provide their students with a broader perspective on any given academic standard. Here, not only will students learn about required foundational knowledge, but they can also have access to the monumental contributions in history, science, math, and literature made by people of color that the textbooks so often leave out. By highlighting historical figures such as Chien-Shiung Wu (a Chinese-American physicist whose work on the Manhattan Project led to great discoveries in nuclear physics) and Mae Carol Jemison (the first black woman to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor), students of color can finally see themselves in education and as part of the mainstream narrative. In doing so, this will push students to be more assertive when it comes to pursuing higher education while encouraging them to work harder both in the classroom and at home as now, they have notable role models with whom they can relate to.
The achievement gap for students of color is slowly diminishing but it’s going to take a collaborative effort between teachers, community members, and leaders in education to truly make a difference and close the gap completely. Change is coming and I cannot wait to see how far we can go.
Sources:
de Brey, Cristobal, et al. “Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2018.” National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Feb. 2019, https://www.nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019038.pdf.
“Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Education: Psychology’s Contributions to Understanding and Reducing Disparities.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2013, https://www.apa.org/ed/resources/racial-disparities.pdf
Photo courtesy of History.com
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