ABSTRACT
Racial inequities are an enduring characteristic of the United States. These inequities are profound, systemic, segregated, and cumulative. Public administrators and public agencies are at least partially responsible for the development and maintenance of these inequities. The historical and present-day impact of racial inequities is indirectly affected by actions of the public sector. Education is a very important factor in understanding social inequities. There is a consistently positive association between education and economic well-being. As Frederickson notes, American public education has always been about educational achievement on the one hand, and educational opportunity, on the other. Educational achievement has to do with student and teacher merit, quality, grades, advancement, capability, performance, and work. Educational opportunity has to do with justice, fairness, and an equal chance for students and their families. In many ways, higher educational achievement is viewed as the promising investment to counter racial discrimination. Much has been written about racial inequities, segregation, and resegregation in the United States.
