Racism in Education in the United States Research Paper

Nowadays, racism remains a significant problem in various aspects of social life, which means discrimination against people of color. Although such social movements as Black Lives Matter have recently attracted more parties to enhance equality in the United States, racism in various institutions still exists. This form of discrimination continues to affect education on different levels, including schools and higher education and negatively impacts multiple specializations, such as medical and STEM education.

Racism in school education appears to be a challenging issue because, despite the attempts to address it, recent research suggests that this form of discrimination has rather changed its display but has not disappeared. In particular, it was found that in K-12 schools, there are several emerging types of racism, such as evaded racism, “antiracist” racism, and everyday racism (Kohli et al. 184). The first type means that schools tend to avoid introducing some solutions to racism and may instead suggest, for example, that parents should encourage their children of color to read more (Kohli et al. 186). “Antiracist” racism means that some schools frame discriminatory practices in neoliberal policies, which results in reduced attention to the voices of the affected groups (Kohli et al. 188). Hence, everyday racism refers to routine micro-events that children of color experience in predominantly White schools, which results in “feelings of invisibility and being devalued” (Kohli et al. 192). As a result, racial minorities in schools experience a lack of recognition of their needs. They do not receive proper institutional and social support, which has a negative impact on their well-being and academic achievements.

Unfortunately, racism also affects higher education students, especially those who pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and medical specializations. The perception of racism among students has several discourses, such as naive, bystander, and victim (Wong et al. 365). The naive discourse includes students who do not recognize the severity or importance of racism; the bystander discourse acknowledges the problem of racism but does not react to it; and the victim discourse includes students who have experienced racial discrimination themselves (Wong et al. 365-368). According to McGee, STEM students are predominantly affected by structural racism that implies specific social networks in politics, economics, and ideology, which are used to promote particular racial groups and neglect others (636). Thus, overcoming racism in such circumstances appears to be challenging because political, economic, and social institutions historically developed mainly under the control of the white majority.

Furthermore, medical professions appear to be the most challenging to acquire among students of color. According to Karani et al., “only 7% of full-time faculty at U.S. medical schools” are represented by Black or Latino, while this group generally constitutes more than one-third of the American population (51). Such racial disparities in the educational workforce confirm the problem of structural racism and barrier to implementing diversity in higher medical education. Therefore, racism should be addressed on various levels, including faculty members and educators of medical professions.

Overall, racism in education is a remaining issue in the United States, and it affects both schools and higher education, imposing challenges for the future development of society. Structural racism has a long history and continues to affect the growth of professionals in STEM and medical education. Therefore, it is critical to react to the challenges imposed by structural racism and implement efficient solutions to conquer discrimination in the educational system.

Works Cited

Karani, Reena, et al. “Commentary: Racism and Bias in Health Professions Education: How Educators, Faculty Developers, and Researchers Can Make a Difference.” Academic Medicine, vol. 92, 2017, pp. 51–56.

Kohli, Rita, et al. “The ‘New Racism’ of K–12 Schools: Centering Critical Research on Racism.” Review of Research in Education, vol. 41, no. 1, 2017, pp. 182–202.

McGee, Ebony Omotola. “Interrogating Structural Racism in STEM Higher Education.” Educational Researcher, vol. 49, no. 9, 2020, pp. 633–644.

Wong, Billy, et al. “Is Race Still Relevant? Student Perceptions and Experiences of Racism in Higher Education.” Cambridge Journal of Education, vol. 51, no. 3, 2020, pp. 359–375.