“By allowing race to trump class, the real cost, as I see it, is the missed opportunity to build a coalition between African Americans and poor Whites, both of whom were receiving an inferior education.”
— Gloria-Ladson Billing, “Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown”
Too often, even in trying to solve the racism that is still prevalent in our country, we miss out on opportunities to bring different groups together. In Dane Country, there are undeniable racial disparities that are far too prominent between graduation, arrest and incarceration rates for African Americans. While county legislators are making efforts to decrease these disparities and are making progress, I believe there is one important message legislators are missing. It is not just African Americans who are being targeted, it is low-socioeconomic status people.
Closing gaps: Dane County makes progress since 2013 racial disparity report
Instead of creating more racial tension, I believe it is important to underscore that lower income families are just as victimized as African Americans. Instead of “[making] sure that white people are invested in closing the gap,” as the author of a previous article published by The Badger Herald argues, we need to make sure white people understand they too are included at the lower end of the gap. Therefore, these people need to unite with African Americans to close the gaps for the betterment of low-socioeconomic-status white families and African Americans.
Closing gaps: Dane County makes progress since 2013 racial disparity report
Currently in Dane County, 12.3 percent of the population is living in poverty. In 2011, 75 percent of African American children in Dane County were living in poverty compared to the 6 percent of white children. While these numbers are vastly different, the circumstances those children were facing were not different.
Low-income students often do not receive a quality education, often lack parental supervision and have higher rates of being arrested or incarcerated. By allowing the white working class, poor students and African Americans to be grouped together, instead of focusing on these groups as separate entities, school integration would mean integrating low SES and high SES families, regardless of race. This would lead to African American inclusivity into the school system.
Soglin’s ‘report’ undermines accomplishments of Race to Equity
Overall, this idea of focusing on class and not race is not meant to undermine the fact racial inequality exists. Instead, it is a strategic and more inclusive tactic. Racial inequalities extend further into class and socioeconomic status. According to political scientist Robert Putnam, “Parents from different social classes are doing very different things to and for their kids, with massively consequential results.”
The education achievement gap between high- and low-income families has continued to increase, while the gaps between racial groups have continued to narrow. Rather than focusing on race and creating more segregation, I believe we shouldn’t miss the opportunity to unite low-income families and African Americans so they can advocate closing these detrimental gaps together.
Andie Bieber ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in community and nonprofit leadership.
