Oppression and Privilege

As we come to the close of black history month, I thought it fitting to write about the subject we are all so comfortable talking about: institutionalized racism and the disparities in educational achievement it, too often, breeds.

Institutionalized racism is so prevalent and entrenched — even invisible in many ways — in this country that it seems normal to many. Practices in the educational system are merely a microcosm of it in action.

A number of incidents in high schools in different parts of the country may be signaling that we need to address race, racism, and race relations at the high school level. While we become outraged by the incidents that hit the local and national news, what about those that occur that we never hear about? Just how big is the problem of race in America’s high schools?