Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

In spite of proclaiming racial equality and equity in classrooms, the United States has failed to provide equal access to all children. This is 2019. Children from different racial backgrounds fill our classrooms today, yet major differences exist in most school districts in every state, in every county in the United States. Depending on the financial conditions of the community surrounding the school district, the majority and minority ratio of students vary. The racial gap is starkly evident in poverty levels, testing scores, exclusion, discipline levels, differences in resources and the over-arching achievement gap. There are schools within the same district that have different academic standings and resources from one another in terms of quality education, access to computers and good teachers, programs in arts and the humanities, and the list goes on. It is impossible for students to receive a proper education if they do not have the necessary resources to support their academics. The question arises as to why minority children should study in inferior schools when every child deserves an equal opportunity. One of the factors is that these minorities generally cannot afford to live in an ‘upscale’ neighborhood, but this stems from the greater issue of segregation and inequality established by boundary lines long ago. The injuries from the past still exist today and they have yet to reconcile. This paper investigates the reasons why racial disparities still exist in education today as well as the negative effects they have on society and minority children.