The burden of inequity — and what schools can do about it

Abstract

Black students may have little choice in what social burdens they must bear, but educators have a choice in alleviating them. Schools with a genuine commitment for disrupting inequities find ways to lighten the unenviable burdens black students bear. The author recommends that schools disaggregate data by race, provide ongoing professional development on implicit bias, create a peer observation tool to gain feedback on equitable practices and beliefs, and remind black children frequently about who they can become.