Written by: Theodore Abara
Visual by: Basia Leśniewska
Despite the gap between racial groups narrowing over the past few years, the disparity between the educational attainment of blacks and whites remains ever present in American society. For instance, for those 25 and older, only 23% of blacks hold a bachelor’s degree, while 36% of whites do, according to analyses of the Current Population Survey. Additionally, there is a significant income gap between blacks and whites with the same level of educational attainment. The median adjusted household income among black households with at least a bachelor’s degree was $82,300 in 2014, while the income of college-educated white householders was $106,600.
The primary reason for this is the difference between average incomes of black and white families. The unemployment rates for blacks and whites were 10.3% and 4.5%, respectively, in 2015. On average, households headed by a black person earn slightly more than half of what a white household earns. Remarkably, white households have about 13 times the net worth of black households. Directly correlated to the income disparity is the widening gap between SAT scores of the wealthiest and poorest. In the 1980s, the average difference between the scores of the wealthiest 10% and the poorest 10% was 90, while in the 2010s, it was 125. The reason for this is that the wealthier have more money to invest in education, giving their children access to more resources than others, even before kindergarten. Evidently, financial capability can limit or increase the quality of their education.
Two-thirds of minority students still attend schools that are predominantly minority, which have far less funds than neighboring suburban districts. These schools have more limited curriculum offerings and lack qualified teachers. They are often in states that struggle to finance public education, especially in the South. On the other hand, in large industrial states, many minorities and those living in poverty are located in rural districts which suffer from fiscal inequality or property-poor urban districts which have limited educational budgets.
Despite racial discrimination having decreased greatly, the US still remains divided as blacks and whites. Disparity in unemployment rates, income and quality of opportunities all contribute to the educational inequity among racial groups. In order to solve this issue, the government must bridge the opportunity and wage gap between races, address issues with the education system by ensuring the quality of the curriculum and the qualifications of the teachers, and hold high standards for every school.
Works Cited:
“Demographic Trends and Economic Well-Being.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, 20 Aug. 2020, www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/06/27/1-demographic-trends-and-economic-well-being/.
Darling-Hammond, Linda. “Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education.” Brookings, Brookings, 28 July 2016, www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/.
“Income Inequality Affects Our Children's Educational Opportunities.” Equitable Growth, 14 May 2019, equitablegrowth.org/income-inequality-affects-our-childrens-educational-opportunities/.
Excerpt: This article illustrates how race greatly influences the quality and level of education that an individual can receive in the US. Writer: Theodore A.; visuals: Basia L.
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