The Issue of Achievement Gap as an Instrument for Racial Oppression

The fight for racial equality has been a global struggle for centuries. Improvements have been made. However, the world still has a long way to go. I propose this is because people are putting greater emphasis on equality, and not equity. However, racial equity is in a more dire need than racial equality because it gives minorities the skills that they specifically need to succeed, whereas racial equality provides everyone the same tools. However, in reality, minorities are so far behind that we need extra resources to get on a level playing field as our White counterparts. Racial equity, moreover the lack thereof, has personally affected my life by limiting my academic excellence and opportunities to succeed. However, it has also helped me discover my passion, the achievement gap, something that I plan to devote my life to and fight for. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed” . The achievement gap is a tool of oppression that was created due to the lack of racial equity in America. It is an issue that I plan to do my part to fix, so my fellow prisoners can be free.

Environmental Disadvantages and Socioeconomic Factors of Racial Inequity

The achievement gap is a problem that has existed in our society for decades, and it has yet to be solved. The gap refers to the disparity in academic performance between different groups of students based off of race or socioeconomic status. It is especially significant when you compare the academic performances between White students and people of color, particularly Black people. The achievement gap became a nationally recognized problem when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandated the Equality of Educational Opportunity, also known as the Coleman Report. The report sparked a lot of talk about closing the achievement gap. However, there has been minimal improvement. It was written over 50 years ago, and the gap has barely narrowed. Researcher Eric A. Hanushek estimates that if the achievement gap continues to close at such a slow rate, then it will take roughly 250 years for the black-white math gap to close and 150 years for the black-white reading gap to close. Hanushek calls this a 'national embarrassment,' and I agree. However, I plan to help close the achievement gap in college by using my university’s resources and collaborating with my peers to determine an effective solution to close the gap, and make it a “national cheer.”

The Achievement Gap does not exist because White people are genetically more intelligent than people of color, rather it exists because of the lack of racial equity, and this is evident in many different areas. For example, many Black people have environmental disadvantages. Infants who were born preterm or have low birthweight are likely to have impaired development, and thus fail and repeat grades. In 2013, the preterm birth rate for Black infants was 60% higher than White infants and 44% higher than Hispanic infants. Also, the rate of low birthweight for Black infants was twice that of White infants and Hispanic infants. In addition, federal data shows that in nearly all of America’s major cities, people of color are more likely to attend public schools where the majority of their classmates have a low socioeconomic status. Many public schools districts are controlled by local cities and funded by local property taxes. Areas with residents that have low income and low home values collect fewer taxes; therefore, the district does not have as much money to its disposal compared to a community whose residents have high income and collect more taxes. School districts with residents that have a high socioeconomic status typically have the best of the best teachers, up-to-date textbooks, personal computers, and even onsite psychologists. School districts with residents that have low socioeconomic status typically do not have these luxuries. Ironically, based off of the data, they need these luxuries more than the students who have access to it.

I plan to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall, where the school’s motto is “What starts here changes the world.” I plan to begin changing the world by researching and collaborating with my peers to close the achievement gap at a faster rate  than the present. My plan of action is to use the students from the various colleges at UT Austin. For example, students from the College of Natural Sciences could research the cause of the high rate of preterm births among Black woman and create a possible cure or a new form of treatment. The College of Education can examine the classrooms of elementary schools in Austin and see if the teachers, and the school itself, are focused on giving an equitable education over an equal one. Moody and McCombs students can use the information gathered to create a statewide campaign to educate people on racial equity and the  achievement gap, and provide tools that educators and parents can implement in their classroom or household. As a Moody and McCombs applicant, I hope that I will be able to create a campaign like this someday.

Final Thoughts

The lack of racial equity is not just a problem in my community, but the world. This issue creates a huge achievement gap. It is of the utmost importance for the world’s leaders and citizens to value racial equity in order for people of color to increase their academic performances and maximize their opportunities. The first step to bringing racial equity is racial equality. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished that step. Now it is up to the new generation to bring racial equity so that we can finish the job.