"The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant." French Revolutionary and abolitionist Maximilien de Robespierre hit the nail on the head. Supremacists want an uneducated populace, and they're starting with predominantly Black schools.
While the Brown v. The Board of Education case may have ended school segregation, the legacy of other laws that encourage white supremacy still lingers in the education system.
It all starts with affluence and money.
Housing discrimination has pushed many Black people into poor inner cities. Students there often face additional hurdles to learning like learning disabilities and hunger. To combat those deficits, these schools need additional funding.
So why aren't they getting the money they need?
Across the board, non-white school districts see $23 million less in educational funding than predominately white districts. Many states have racially distinct taxes that underfund minority schools. Other states gave the rights of funding districts down to local levels where there are no laws mandating financial equality in education.
This country thrives on the separate but unequal concept. Banning together to combat injustice in the education system will allow us all to rise up as a community.