Educational inequality as a consequence and cause of race

Abstract

This review starts from the premise that racial inequality has become a normalized backdrop within U.S. education, in many ways following the prevailing racial hierarchy in society. While enduring racial stratification produces numerous educational disparities, I argue that these disparities, in turn, contribute to reinforcing the symbolic meanings associated with racial categories. Put simply, racial inequality in education is both a consequence and a cause of race itself. I review these “predictable” patterns of racial inequality in education, distilling some of the nuances that are most frequently misunderstood and summarizing trends through recent data. Next, I examine explanations for racial inequality in education, debunking some persistent misconceptions. Then I synthesize the patterns and explanations with literature highlighting how racial inequality in education re‐constructs durable notions of racial categories and racialization. All three of these areas have produced significant scholarship, but they are seldom fully in conversation with one another. Finally, I discuss the role of race and racism in the latest politicization of schools to argue that it can be understood as a new wave in the colorblind era, with significant implications for the social construction of whiteness and the potential to stall progress toward reducing racial inequality in education.