The Sound of Opportunity

By Martha Sanders, Tax Media Assistant, United for a Fair Economy
February 13, 2007

Opportunity is knocking… Can you hear it? There are always superstars of all races for whom doors seem to open with the sound of their voices. There will be PBS specials this month celebrating the powerful black leaders who faced unparalleled challenges to become successful inventors, business people, advocates, and civil rights heroes. Their stories have been sources of great inspiration for people of all races for generations.

It’s easy look at the successes of people from Frederick Douglass to Oprah Winfrey to Barack Obama and feel like we have succeeded in eliminating the inequality which has abounded in the United States since before its inception. But these heroes are the exception, not the rule. There is a mass of people trying to make it to the door, and many more who aren’t even close enough to hear opportunity knocking.

We have been celebrating Brown v. Board of Education for over 50 years, and yet we still live in a world of segregated opportunities.

Yes, the chance to succeed is there for everyone. From free public schools for K-12 to public grants and loans for higher education, access is available for any hard-working American who chooses to open the door.

But if it is true that we all have the same chance to succeed, we should all be seeing the same outcomes from education. This is clearly not happening.

The most utilized path to success comes through education, but education still benefits white children more than it does children of color. In 2004, out of the population between 16 and 24 who were not in school, only 7% of the white population lacked a high school diploma. Compare that with 12% of the black population and 24% of the Hispanic population. That means 93% of white students graduate high school, but only 88% of black and 76% of Hispanic students do.

As if these statistics aren’t bad enough. What can explain why 28.6% of the white population over the age of 25 has a bachelor’s degree while only 17.3% of the African American population has a bachelor’s degree? These disparities are a clear sign that it takes more than being a hard-working, intelligent individual to succeed in America’s education system. It takes the privilege that comes with good schools and middle-income families that tend to be white.

What’s worse is that after college, not even the buying power of education is equal among the races. According to a new report by United for a Fair Economy, a bachelor’s degree earns $500,000 more over a lifetime for white students than it does for black students.

Something is separating people of color from the opportunity that is knocking at the front door. We need to break down the obstacles.

One obstacle worth looking at is the way we fund primary and secondary education in America. When schools are funded through local property taxes, wealthier areas get higher quality education, from newer books to lower teacher turnover to more honors and AP classes that help snag more scholarships for college. We clearly need to reform the funding system to demonstrate that all children are worthy of quality education, not only those whose parents can afford a nice piece of property.

We have come a long way towards equality in the US, but we are not done. We cannot point to the few heroes who are passing through the door and say, “See? She did it! Everything’s okay. Anything is possible for anyone.” We can’t rest until race no longer determines who is truly free to open the door to opportunity.