There’s a need to address racial prejudice in today’s educational institutions. Especially now that the gap between black and white students has widened because of the police killings of Breonna Tylor and George Floyd.

It’s no secret, education inequality because of race is baked into educational systems in big and small ways. Children of color face extreme challenges in education compared to their white counterparts.

In classes, teachers might mistake the chattiness of a black student as a sign of bad behavior rather than her talent to tell stories. And if you Google systemic racism in education, the sheer amount of evidence of inequality between black and white students will surprise you.

On that note, let’s dive in and define racial prejudice and see how we can tackle racial inequality in education.

What is Racial Prejudice?

Racial prejudice is where one group of people keeps another group in a subordinate position, like a lower class. According to conflict theorists, racial hostility is a way of dominating a group to maintain its power and status.

What’s even sad, racial prejudice extends beyond education. It’s common for even the less-wealthy White working class to use prejudice to reduce competition from blacks and other minorities.

Funny enough, the exploitation of the lower class is the building block of capitalism. By using racism, a dominant group makes minorities feel inferior so that they can exploit them.

Some teachers still use racial prejudice to make black students feel less inferior in schools. As a result, some of them never achieve educational success or drop out. But don’t just take our word! Check out racial profiling essay examples, and you will see how students from minorities are being discriminated against. Black college students are often separated because of their skin color.

We live in a world where everybody preaches equality, but no one really practices it or wants it. That should not be the case! Educators should encourage students to read essays and research paper samples on racism topics. The examples will provide scholars with the best knowledge base and understanding of racism and how it affects their present and future.

Why Does Racial Profiling Still Exist in Today’s Schools?

For many years, people have been advocating for the end of racism. Although it’s true we’ve made progress, there are still a few things we need to address to eliminate racism, especially in schools. Here are a few reasons racism still exists in today’s educational institutes.

1.   School teachers’ expectations still vary by student’s race

Based on research, there’s a connection between a teacher’s expectation and a scholar’s education outcomes, such as academic success and completion of tertiary education.

Nonetheless, teachers’ expectations often vary based on the student’s race and economic position. That explains why black students experience racism and low expectation in the school.

2.   School Discipline

Racial biases of teachers and school leaders influence how they engage with learners. Their negative beliefs about people of color dictate how they engage with different racial groups.

For black students, this spells doom. These beliefs impact how an educator perceives their ability to learn and engage in school activities. Also, it influences how a teacher perceives a student’s behavior choices.

3.   Racial Discrimination is Common Among Students

Racism is not only practiced by teachers but by students too. In fact, a study of students of different races (Aboriginals, Africans, Pacific Islanders, Angle-Celtic) in Australian schools showed that one in three students are victims of racial profiling and discrimination by their peers.

How to Tackle Racism in Education

Stand Up for Yourself

Never fear standing up for yourself, your friend, and even a stranger when you encounter racial discrimination. If you don’t stand up and defend yourself the discrimination will continue. So, it’s wise to stop the cycle by speaking out.

Don’t be mean, show the bully you won’t let his negative racial comments go on. Standing up against a bully might help him stand up for himself one day too.

Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness and self-reflection are perhaps the best way to tackle racism in schools. Teachers need to understand how the connection of race, religion, ethnicity, and gender impact students.

Also, students must understand that belonging to a certain group doesn’t necessarily spell doom. It can provide them with privilege in certain areas. They need to listen and spend time with minority groups who experience life in different ways because of their social circle.

We can only become better versions of ourselves when we acknowledge our personal biases and learn to understand individuals with different experiences.

Educators Need to Provide Accurate, Historical Context

The truth is most students -whites and even blacks- don’t know the dark history of slavery in their countries. That’s because the government and education institutions have whitewashed or omitted records detailing historical oppression of indigenous, black, and people of color. So, it’s quite hard to explain to these learners how racism affects them.

School teachers should organize trips to museums and memorials so students can learn the history of their nations. Furthermore, they should encourage them to reflect on the stories of people celebrated by the public.

Conclusion

Although racism violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it’s still practiced by most whites in schools and even in government organizations. The only way we can end it is to teach the younger generation how to treat everyone equally.

We need to unlearn inaccurate history, negative stereotypes, and deeply question our thoughts and habits. Also, it’s wise to listen to and work with people of different backgrounds, irrespective of their gender, race, or religion.