ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors define education and education access. The chapter espouses three prominent educational cases (e.g., Brown v. Board, Plessy v. Ferguson, Plyler v. Doe) and the Perkins Act, which continue to be a major influence on the American educational system. It reviews a historical timeline of education in the United States and, additionally, the authors examine the impact of institutional, structural, and systemic racism and oppression on school systems, student achievement, diverse educator populations, and equitable division of resources. Furthermore, the authors draw upon parallels between past and present, in particular a look at a prominent scholar-activist colleague who shares their experience of integrating into a predominantly White school system.
We understand that Black individuals can find ways to flourish and thrive despite obstacles. Within our past and the current sociopolitical context in America, readers are challenged to examine the impact of integration in conjunction with the ongoing need to continually reaffirm that Black Lives Matter (#BLM) and the reality that discrepancies continue to show up in schools. In many ways, we see glimpses of improvement as well as ongoing racism embedded within systems that emerged generations ago and continue with our young children today. Finally, a look at “Diane's Story” will illuminate opportunities to combat disparities that exist currently in schools.
