How Racial Inequality in Education Persists 60 Years After Brown Vs. Board of Education

Libby Nelson: Vox’s editorial director for politics and policy
- Experience in policy journalism for over a decade
- Previous roles at Inside Higher Ed and Politico
- Joined Vox in 2014.
Context: Commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling that ended legal segregation in American schools.

Brown v. Board of Education marked a significant milestone in American educational history.
Initial Response to the Ruling:
- Slow progress post-1954 decision.
- Southern whites attempted to maintain segregation through various means, such as the establishment of low-tuition private “academies.”
- Outside the South, protests erupted against busing and policies aimed at achieving racial balance in education.
- Substantial desegregation was noted in southern schools post-Brown, but integration faced significant backlash.
Peak Integration Statistics:
- In 1988, nearly 50% of black students attended majority-white schools (peak of school integration).
- Subsequent Supreme Court rulings and reduced federal enforcement led to a dramatic shift:
- By 2011, only 23% of black students attended majority-white schools, reflecting a regression to levels akin to 1968.

Shift in Segregation Patterns:
- The Northeast has overtaken the South as the most segregated region for schools.
Residential Segregation's Role:
- Historically fuels educational segregation through varying property tax revenues between districts.
- “White flight” led to separate and unequal districts rather than schools.
  - Now white students are closer to becoming a minority within public schools.
- Schools in resegregated environments continued to reflect housing patterns.

Historical Context of Student Demographics:
- 1965 data shows 80% of public-school students were white.
- Current trends indicate that white students are on the verge of becoming a minority in public schools.
Current Statistics on Enrollment:
- As of recent data, 55% of 5-to-17-year-old Americans are white, versus 51% of public school students.

Performance Disparities by Ethnicity:
- White and Asian students generally attend schools that perform around the 60th percentile on state tests.
- Black students average around the 35th percentile, while Hispanic students are at roughly the 40th percentile.
Dropout Factories:
- High schools where less than 60% of freshmen graduate termed “dropout factories”.
- Disproportionate distribution of students of color in these institutions:
- 23% of black students and 15% of Hispanic students attend dropout factories in contrast to 5% of white students.
Historical Comparison:
- A decade ago, nearly 50% of black students and 40% of Hispanic students were in dropout factories, compared to 11% of white students.

Current Graduation Rates by Demographic:
- 69% of black students graduate from high school, versus 86% of white students.
- 73% of Hispanic students and 67% of American Indian students graduate (the smallest proportion to graduate).
Implications for Higher Education:
- Inequities noticed in K-12 education directly impact success in higher education.

College Enrollment Comparisons:
- Enrollment rates of black and white high school graduates are now roughly equal.
- Notable increase in Hispanic college enrollment rates (doubled between 1995-2009-bigger increase compared to African Americans).
- Enrollment rates of black students grew by 73% during the same period.
Distinctions in Enrollment Patterns:
- White college enrollment growth largely occurs in the 468 most selective four-year colleges.
- Black and Hispanic students tend to enroll in less selective institutions, often with no admissions criteria.
Resource Disparities by Institution:
- The most selective colleges spend over twice as much on education per student compared to nonselective colleges.
- Graduation rates favor students at selective colleges despite equal academic backgrounds.
- Notably, students with lower test scores from selective colleges tend to graduate at higher rates than higher-scoring peers from nonselective institutions.

Outcomes at Age 30:
- White individuals are nearly twice as likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree compared to African-Americans and three times as likely compared to Hispanics (the enrollment rate has increased for Hispanics, but they still drop out more).
- The education level of parents is a strong predictor of educational attainment for future generations.
Conclusion on Education Inequality:
- The persistent “separate and unequal” educational system is linked to the ongoing reproduction of white racial privilege across generations.