Change Your World Week Winter 2024 (Archived)

ERA Coalition. "Bridging the Education Equality Gap: Empowering Students through the Equal Rights Amendment." ERA Coalition, www.eracoalition.org/author/hrezek/

The history of U.S. education is plagued with systemic bias and discriminative practices that lead to less access to resources, opportunities, and quality education for students of color. Racial inequality is still very deeply rooted in our education system, affecting young students' lives and their future success.

Many have recognized the need to address racial inequality in our schools and work to change our education system to be equal and equitable, but there is still much to do to reach a future where every student, regardless of color, will have a real chance to achieve their full potential. We can all work to achieve this future by understanding the racial disparities that students of color face throughout their education, and support groups that create strategies for creating a more equal and equitable educational system.

Stateside Staff. "It's Not Just Policing: How Schools Reinforce Racial Inequality." Michigan Public, 19 June 2020, www.michiganpublic.org/education/2020-06-19/its-not-just-policing-how-schools-reinforce-racial-inequality

Racial inequality is the unequal allocation of power, resources, and economic opportunity across race in a society. It implies that based on race, a person will have more or less social and economic opportunities. 

When referring to racial inequality in education, we see funding unequally distributed between schools, and generally schools with a higher percentage of black students are underfunded. We see a difference in curriculum, teaching methods, and discipline based on the color of skin. We see a lack of students of color placed in advanced classes or other programs for talented and hard-working students. These disparities affect students’ future in many ways, such as the likelihood of higher education and employment opportunities, which in turn perpetuate systemic racism and bias.

The inequality in education we see today is a product of history. Please watch the following short video to learn about racial inequality in education from 1647, the very beginning of public education in America, until now.

"The ABCs of Racial Inequality in Education." Politico, 24 Sept. 2020, www.politico.com/video/2020/09/24/the-abc-of-racial-inequality-in-education-091860

It’s a fact that poverty affects learning. How can students learn to their full potential if they are worried about being hungry, cold, or clothed? And now, in this age of technology, students are expected to use laptops at home and have access to the internet even if they go to a brick-and-mortar school during the day.

The 2016 Census of Michigan showed that black people had two and half times the poverty rate of white people. In 2017, Michigan was shown to have one of the highest rates of low-income students in high-poverty school districts. This economic gap negatively affects the educational progress of black children compared to their white peers, and the divide in education equality has only grown because of remote learning and expectations of using online resources for K-12 education.

Mack, Julie. "What the Census Tells Us about Poverty in Michigan." MLive, 18 Sept. 2017, www.mlive.com/news/2017/09/what_the_census_tells_us_about.html.

Mrozowski, Jen. "Engine of Inequality: Michigan's Education System." The Education Trust-Midwest, 9 Sept. 2021, midwest.edtrust.org/resource/engine-of-inequality-michigans-education-system/

Racial disparities are evident when we look at both achievement and disciplinary actions in education. Black students are less likely to be identified as gifted and placed in advanced classes or enrichment programs. This stems from many reasons, but a big one is that gifted students are more likely to be recognized by teachers who look like them, yet public schools in the U.S. are well known to have a lack of diversity when it comes to teachers. Despite the academic potential and accomplishments of students of color, these students remain under-represented in such programs, and it fuels educational inequality, leading to the loss of future success.

Black students are more likely than their white peers to face harsher disciplinary measures such as suspension, expulsion, and even law enforcement. Racial bias of school staff and zero-tolerance policies are just two of the reasons why this is happening. Zero-tolerance policies result in harsh punishment for minor misbehaviors. It helps perpetuate the cycle of the school-to-prison pipeline, where young kids are being punished by law enforcement for minor infractions done at school, essentially being pushed out of school through suspensions. These students are more likely to eventually engage in criminal behavior that can lead to prison.

Lopez, German. "Black Kids Are Way More Likely to Be Punished in School than White Kids, Study Finds." Vox, 5 Apr. 2018, www.vox.com/identities/2018/4/5/17199810/school-discipline-race-racism-gao

Examining initiatives aimed at tackling racial inequality in education gives valuable insights into the various ways we can address this issue. Change needs to happen at both the state level and national level, such as with initiatives that make education funding more equitable. We must join with others who take up the fight to dismantle racial inequality in education and take appropriate steps to give support to those affected by this issue and to promote positive changes.

Advocate for Policy Change
Advocacy is a powerful tool that should be used when trying to make a difference. Advocacy can help inform people, give people a voice, and when talking about policy change, it can even influence Congress when making decisions on what bills to pass. Campaigning for legislative reform and other policy changes will help break down barriers and encourage equity in the educational system. Advocating for this cause can include promoting bills to fund resource-starved schools, building a more diverse education workforce, and strengthening practices that dispel discriminatory behavior in schools.

Promote Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Classroom
Creating positive change in schools shouldn’t only happen at the state or national level. It must happen at the school level also. We can advocate for policy change at school by speaking up at school board meetings and reaching out to legislators of the school district.

Here are a few things we can advocate for to address racial inequality in education:

• Promoting positive change in discipline and zero-tolerance policies
• Supporting race, racism, and American history curriculum that teaches the truth without limitations
• Advocating for appropriate dress codes that do not suppress cultural and religious identities, such as banning race-based hair discrimination
• Review school district hiring practices and advocate for changes in hiring policy to promote a more diverse school staff
• Requiring school staff to partake in yearly Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) training to help staff connect with people from different backgrounds and reduce discrimination and harassment at school

Support Organizations Fighting To End Racial Inequality in Education and Elsewhere
Join forces with organizations involved in enhancing equality in education and work together to make great strides toward positive change.

In Michigan:

• Michigan Education Association (MEA): protects, advocates, and advances the rights of all education professionals to promote quality public education for all students.
• Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC): statewide network committed to advocating for equitable public education policies and funding to create safe and healthy learning environments.
• Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC): identifies barriers in the Black community in education, community safety, health, and business leadership, and acts in an advisory capacity to the governor to develop, review and recommend policies and actions designed to eradicate and prevent discrimination and racial inequity in Michigan.

Nationwide:

• National Education Association (NEA): advocates for education professionals and unites their members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world.
• Center for Racial Justice in Education (CRJE): trains and empowers educators to dismantle patterns of racism and injustice in our schools and communities.
• RE-Center Race & Equity in Education (RE-Center): activates youth and adults to drive transformative change towards racially just schools and communities.

Teach for America. "'Until We Get Equality in Education, We Won't Have an Equal Society.' – Justice Sonia Sotomayor." X, 1 May 2014, twitter.com/TeachForAmerica/status/461898353564209152

Addressing racial inequality in education can address some root causes of racial inequality overall. It’s important to identify biases and barriers that result in racial inequality and work to dismantle them. Through advocacy, we can all take part in making the learning environment equal and equitable for all students.

The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act (EIEA) of 2023, which restores the rights of students and parents to hold schools accountable for discrimination in education, is a step in the right direction. But the bill was introduced and then referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Education, and the Workforce on May 17, 2023, and no further action has been taken.

Read the bill, view its’ progress, and give feedback on this bill at the Library of Congress website

It’s easy to advocate! Find your Representative by zip code at the U.S. House of Representatives website and let them know what you think.

If you’d like to support the EIEA of 2023, make sure to include the bill number H.R.3445 in your communication. Here is a sample letter you can download and edit:

West, Candice. "Overcoming Three Barriers to Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion." Optimus Education, 16 Nov. 2022, blog.optimus-education.com/overcoming-three-barriers-promoting-equality-diversity-and-inclusion

Arnett, Autumn A. "Black Brilliance Is Still Being Overlooked Because White Systems of Education Don't Want to Change." The Grio, thegrio.com/2022/08/31/black-brilliance-is-still-being-overlooked-because-white-systems-of-education-dont-want-to-change/

Desmond, Matthew, and Mustafa Emirbayer. Race in America. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2015

Elias, Marilyn. "The School-to-Prison Pipeline." Teaching Tolerance, no. 43, spring 2013. Learning for Justice, www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2013/the-school-to-prison-pipeline

ERA Coalition. "Bridging the Education Equality Gap: Empowering Students through the Equal Rights Amendment." ERA Coalition, www.eracoalition.org/author/hrezek/

Francis, Dania, and Christian E. Weller. "The Black-White Wealth Gap Will Widen Educational Disparities During the Coronavirus Pandemic." Center for American Progress, 12 Aug. 2020, www.americanprogress.org/article/black-white-wealth-gap-will-widen-educational-disparities-coronavirus-pandemic/

Lopez, German. "Black Kids Are Way More Likely to Be Punished in School than White Kids, Study Finds." Vox, 5 Apr. 2018, www.vox.com/identities/2018/4/5/17199810/school-discipline-race-racism-gao

Mack, Julie. "What the Census Tells Us about Poverty in Michigan." MLive, 18 Sept. 2017, www.mlive.com/news/2017/09/what_the_census_tells_us_about.html

Mrozowski, Jen. "Engine of Inequality: Michigan's Education System." The Education Trust-Midwest, 9 Sept. 2021, midwest.edtrust.org/resource/engine-of-inequality-michigans-education-system/

Najarro, Illeana. "The Origins of Racial Inequality in Education." Education Week, 20 Mar. 2023, www.edweek.org/leadership/the-origins-of-racial-inequality-in-education/2023/03

118th Congress (2023-2024). "H.R.3445 - Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2023." Library of Congress, 17 May 2023, www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3445/text

Peterson, Emily. "Racial Inequality in Public School Discipline for Black Students in the United States." Ballard Brief, Sept. 2021, ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/racial-inequality-in-public-school-discipline-for-black-students-in-the-united-states

Sablich, Liz. "7 Findings That Illustrate Racial Disparities in Education." The Brookings Institution, 6 June 2016, www.brookings.edu/articles/7-findings-that-illustrate-racial-disparities-in-education/

Stateside Staff. "It's Not Just Policing: How Schools Reinforce Racial Inequality." Michigan Public, 19 June 2020, www.michiganpublic.org/education/2020-06-19/its-not-just-policing-how-schools-reinforce-racial-inequality

Teach for America. "'Until We Get Equality in Education, We Won't Have an Equal Society.' – Justice Sonia Sotomayor." X, 1 May 2014, twitter.com/TeachForAmerica/status/461898353564209152

"The ABCs of Racial Inequality in Education." Politico, 24 Sept. 2020, www.politico.com/video/2020/09/24/the-abc-of-racial-inequality-in-education-091860

Weir, Kirsten. "Inequality at School What's Behind the Racial Disparity in Our Education System?" Monitor on Psychology, vol. 47, no. 10, p. 42. American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/cover-inequality-school

West, Candice. "Overcoming Three Barriers to Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion." Optimus Education, 16 Nov. 2022, blog.optimus-education.com/overcoming-three-barriers-promoting-equality-diversity-and-inclusion

Webpage created by Kaitlyn Suppes, Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice