/ Black Enterprise
By Robin White Goode
Despite decades of affirmative action policies, Black and Hispanic students are less represented on top college campuses now than they were 35 years ago, according to a recent New York Times article.
College Begins in Kindergarten
But, as I’ve written before, college begins in kindergarten. I recently spoke with David Allyn, Ph.D. and CEO of Oliver Scholars, a New York-based nonprofit focused on preparing Black and Latino students for success. He said the problem starts much earlier than college.
“The New York Times article acknowledged the real problem,” he told me. “The whole issue starts so much younger. High-achieving Black and Latino youngsters just don’t have the same opportunity as their white peers in terms of the caliber and quality of the schools they’re going to.”
This isn’t just Allyn’s opinion. A report by the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, linked to in the article, stated that, “Elementary and secondary schools with large numbers of Black and Hispanic students are less likely to have experienced teachers, advanced courses, high-quality instructional materials, and adequate facilities,” the Times wrote.