Something To Think About?

Back in 1953, a nine-year old black girl named Linda Brown was prevented from enrolling in an all-white elementary school in Topeka, Kansas. The Brown family sued the Topeka Board of Education, and over 60 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court handed out its decision in the historic Brown v. Board of Education case. Chief Justice Earl Warren penned these famous words; "In the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place." The eight justices did not set a timeline for desegregation, but neither did they envision that over the years it would still be the norm in many school across America.

Information released from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights revealed that one-fourth of the schools with majority Black and Latino enrollments do not offer Algebra II, and one-third of those schools don't offer chemistry. Black and Latino students make up some 40 percent of the population at schools that offer gifted programs, students from these backgrounds are only approximately 26 percent of the gifted enrollment.

These statistics are only the tip of the iceberg regarding racial inequality in the schools. There should be serious consideration as to why the country has turned away from the goal of Brown v. Board of Education and embraced deepening polarization and inequality in the schools.