Racism in Our Schools– A Long Way to Go
- WULR Team
- Mar 19
- 3 min read
An analysis of our school system and what improvement should be made
Published March 19th, 2026
Written by Farrah Shawki
Under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, no child may be prevented from a public education without due process. Like the majority of structures in the US, however, the educational system has roots in racism. Early schools functioned as assimilation camps for the Native Americans, and evidence shows that de facto segregation in schools persisted into the 1990s according to Education Weekly. Despite efforts toward inclusion and diversity, the American school system continues to perpetuate racism through biased curricula, the reinforcement of racial stereotypes and disciplinary practices that contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline– all fueling internalization during students’ most formative years.
CBS News notes that almost 39 states include U.S. History as a piece of the core curriculum and a prerequisite to graduation. As a result, most students will have learned about America’s development even as Native-American and African-American history are lost as brief chapters within that narrative. Meanwhile, ethnic studies courses— focused on the histories of marginalized communities— are taught as electives, meaning students must actively seek them out in addition to their required classes, according to the National Education Association. Not having a core ethnic studies class requirement overlooks idea that ethnic histories are significant and unique enough to have their own course dedicated to them as part of the core curriculum. Native-American and African-American history should comprise a substantial part of American History classes, while understanding that .fitting them into the category of “American History” perpetuates the idea that ethnic history is inferior to white history.
Why is “white history” prioritized over inclusive learning? The answer lies in symbolic violence,when dominant racial groups impose their norms, leading to internalized racism people of color accepting their own dominance, according to the Du Bois Center for African and African American Research.
The New York Times says normalizing only American history as a core curriculum reinforces the idea that it is inherently superior to other histories. This causes students of color to see their own histories as less significant simply because they don’t have to learn it to graduate.
Racism in education manifests not only through internalized beliefs but also through institutional systems, most notably the school-to-prison pipeline. Defined by the National Library of Medicine as, “the policies and practices that push our nation’s schoolchildren, especially our most at-risk children, out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems,” is a result of punishment-focused corrective plans and over-reliance on school resource officers. These policies are disproportionately enforced on students of color due to racial stereotypes portraying them as aggressive, unmotivated and defiant, according to the Association for Psychological Science.
Institutional racism– defined as “systemic white domination of people of color, embedded and operating in universities, legal systems, political bodies… and other social collectives–” in “What is racial domination” operates bilaterally. Its initial appearance is in the disproportionate punishments amongst students of color. It re-emerges through law enforcement, as SROs are often students’ first point of contact with the criminal justice system, exaggerating racial disparities and institutional racism in the incarceration system and police training.
The school to prison pipeline is partially caused by economic inequalities. African-American and Latino-American students, two groups more statistically likely to be expelled or referred to the courts, often come from economically disadvantaged homes in comparison to their white counterparts. Because many school advisors and counselors lack training in the effects of poverty, instability and trauma on behavior, they often rely on their own prejudice, leading to overly harsh punishments instead of holistic approaches to address the root of the issue, according to Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development.
Stereotypes are often perpetuated in ways that appear positive, but ultimately support performative racism. The Pew Research Center says a common stereotype is the Modern Minority Stereotype– the assumption of excellence and high-achievement from, mainly, Asian-American students, leading to a disproportionate amount of burn out. When these students do not meet expectations, they are often looked down upon. Thus, this stereotype flattens Asian-American students into a singular narrative, indirectly reprimanding those who do not conform.
In conclusion, the American education system continues to perpetuate racial separations through biased curricula, discriminatory disciplinary practices and harmful stereotypes. The prioritization of white narratives reinforces symbolic violence and internalized racism, shaping young identities. Institutional practices disproportionately punish students of color, fueling the effects of institutional racism and economic disadvantage. When students are denied a diverse and accurate education, they are not only robbed of their own histories but are also more likely to internalize inferiority. The true right to education is the right to inclusive education– a struggle continuing today.
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