How Trump-Era Policy Changes and Misinformation Fuel Racial Disparities in U.S. Education

Despite the hope for equal opportunity established by the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, a recent WalletHub study indicates that the U.S. educational system remains significantly unequal, particularly for Black students. Experts suggest that disparities have intensified in recent years, exacerbated by former President Donald Trump’s reduction of federal education funding and attacks on honest historical education. WalletHub's assessment ranked states according to racial equality in education, measuring disparities in graduation rates, college attainment, and standardized test performance between Black and White students. Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Virginia are leaders in equity, while Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin perform poorly. Alarmingly, predominantly White school districts receive $23 billion more annually than those serving majority non-White populations. Experts like Chip Lupo from WalletHub affirm that rectifying funding disparities is essential for fostering economic equity. Instead, resources have been drained from schools as anti-Critical Race Theory sentiments prompt book bans and curriculum censorship. Issues of race and class remain entrenched, as Rodney Coates highlights the inequities present in funding for poorer, predominantly minority areas.