Systemic Racism in Schools

By Amira, Class of 2021

Within the last couple of years Critical Race Theory, a theory that calls for the awareness of systemic racism and pushes for racial equity, has sparked conversations in private schools. 

In the wake of the public lynching of George Floyd, New York City private schools began adjusting their curricula to fit “woke” and “progressive” narratives and setting days or periods of time dedicated towards fighting racism. 

More schools are hosting diversity conferences. In these conferences, students are led in workshops with teachers to reflect upon racial matters within their schools in hopes of making private schools become safer spaces for Black students. 

On the flip side, these schools are extremely expensive with annual tuition costing tens of thousands of dollars with historically minimal financial aid to have a meaningful number of Black students per class, instead of one Black girl and boy.  That doesn’t achieve racial equity in schools. It’s the racial economic gap in the United States of America that prevents Black families from affording the tuition.

Black women in the United States have more education than any demographic in the United States, but earn the least. My family and all their friends have attended graduate school.  Independent schools attempt to make their environments safer for  POC, however, their admissions practices generally lack a true commitment to racial equity and upholds de facto segregation in education. 

I wish they would stop using adjectives like “inclusive” and “belonging”. There are too many days that too many Black students don’t feel included or they belong.  

We need to see far more Black leadership in our schools!