[IMC-Boston-Editorial] op-ed submission-blacks, opportunity, education

[Christina Kasica]

The Sound of Opportunity
By Martha Sanders, Tax Media Assistant, United for a Fair Economy
February 13, 2007

(596 words)

Opportunity is knockingŠ Can you hear it?  There are always superstars of
all races for whom doors seem to open with sound of their voices.  There
will be PBS specials this month celebrating the powerful black leaders who
faced unparalleled challenges to become successful inventors, business
people, advocates, and civil rights heroes.   Their stories have been
sources of great inspiration for people of all races for generations.

It¹s easy look at the successes of people from Frederick Douglass to Oprah
Winfrey to Barack Obama and feel like we have succeeded in eliminating the
inequality which has abounded in the United States since before its
inception.  But these heroes are the exception, not the rule.  There is a
mass of people trying to make it to the door, and many more who aren¹t even
close enough to hear opportunity knocking.

We have been celebrating Brown v. Board of Education for over 50 years, and
yet we still live in a world of segregated opportunities.

Yes, the chance to succeed is there for everyone.  From free public schools
for K-12 to public grants and loans for higher education, access is
available for any hard-working American who chooses to open the door.

But if it is true that we all have the same chance to succeed, we should all
be seeing the same outcomes from education.  This is clearly not happening.

The most utilized path to success comes through education, but education
still benefits white children more than it does children of color.  In 2004,
out of the population between 16 and 24 who were not in school, only 7% of
the white population lacked a high school diploma.  Compare that with 12% of
the black population and 24% of the Hispanic population.   That means 93% of
white students graduate high school, but only 88% of black and 76% of
Hispanic students do.

As if these statistics aren¹t bad enough.   What can explain why 28.6% of
the white population over the age of 25 has a bachelor¹s degree while only
17.3% of the African American population has a bachelor¹s degree?  These
disparities are a clear sign that it takes more than being a hard-working,
intelligent individual to succeed in America¹s education system.  It takes
the privilege that comes with good schools and middle-income families that
tend to be white.

What¹s worse is that after college, not even the buying power of education
is equal among the races.   According to a new report by United for a Fair
Economy, a bachelor¹s degree earns $500,000 more over a lifetime for white
students than it does for black students.

Something is separating people of color from the opportunity that is
knocking at the front door.  We need to break down the obstacles.

One obstacle worth looking at is the way we fund primary and secondary
education in America.  When schools are funded through local property taxes,
wealthier areas get higher quality education, from newer books to lower
teacher turnover to more honors and AP classes that help snag more
scholarships for college.  We clearly need to reform the funding system to
demonstrate that all children are worthy of quality education, not only
those whose parents can afford a nice piece of property.

We have come a long way towards equality in the US, but we are not done.  We
cannot point to the few heroes who are passing through the door and say,
³See?  She did it! Everything¹s okay.  Anything is possible for anyone.²  We
can¹t rest until race no longer determines who is truly free to open the
door to opportunity.

Martha Sanders is Tax Media Assistant at United for a Fair Economy, a
non-profit, non-partisan organization that spotlights the growing wealth
divide in the U.S.  She can be reached at msanders at faireconomy.org; tel
617-423-2148.