This is the final installment of the three-part series on racial justice. Certainly, there are many things that are worthy to be talked about. There is the “Opportunity Zones” program, which (as a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) put in $1.6 billion into distressed communities. And there are fiscally conservative policies which helped produce the lowest African American unemployment rate in American history. However, there is something that trumps the discussions of both: education.
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) said of education, “It’s as close to magic as you can get in America.” A 2014 study by UK Research and Innovation found that education is not only the strongest indicator of income level but also found it was associated with “…better health and wellbeing, higher social trust, greater political interest, lower political cynicism.” Unfortunately, American educational outcomes have been abysmal, especially for minorities. 2019 data from the College Board found that the mean SAT scores for Caucasians were higher in the English and Math sections (562, 553) than those of African American (476, 457) and Hispanic (495, 483) students, with only Asian Americans achieving higher scores (586, 637). To say that minorities cannot succeed in American would be an overgeneralization, as many conservative thinkers are minorities, like economist Thomas Sowell, law professor Carol Swain, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. However, this does not excuse the need to create an alternative to the predominantly public school system that has failed many children in America and hindered them from achieving success.
The conservative alternative is school choice, which, according to the Educational Choice campaign, allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs, typically through vouchers. When implemented, school choice policies have actually allowed minority students to outperform their Caucasian counterparts. One notable example is the New York City charter school system, Success Academy, which boasts a majority enrollment of African American and Hispanic American students. In 2018, Success Academy reported (and the New York Times verified) that 98% and 91% of its students passed the Math and ELA state exams, respectively, thus outperforming more affluent neighborhoods like Jericho and Chappaqua. And with the Supreme Court striking down another law barring state aid to religious schools, it seems that the path towards school choice is getting easier. However, one must realize that teachers are not the only ones educating their students. Parents teach their children too.
A big problem facing younger generations of minorities is the prevalence of single-family homes. According to 2018 data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Center, 65% of African American children and 41% of Hispanic children live in single-family households, compared to 24% and 15% of their Caucasian and Asian counterparts, respectively. The lack of a second parent could hurt educational outcomes. A 2005 study found that children with an engaged and stable family were more likely to succeed in education compared to those without one. A 2015 paper from Purdue University found that children in single-family households also had, on average, less economic resources, parental support, and community resources, while having more stress, instability, and parental conflict. Given that the traditional family, albeit not perfect, provides more resources for younger minorities, it is baffling why an organization like Black Lives Matter seeks to dismantle it in its manifesto. In fact, conservatives should encourage more people to form family structures to best support childhood development. In the meantime, conservatives should encourage community and faith-based programs to provide guidance and mentorship, like Long Island Youth Mentoring.
Ultimately, education is the best avenue for younger minorities to seize the American Dream. Fighting for school choice will greatly benefit students, as they can receive six hours of teaching that best works for them. However, securing the traditional family and providing mentors will preserve the dedication of our youth, so that they can achieve greater goals than their parents before them.
This concludes the three-part conservative plan for racial justice. While leftists constantly hanker for more equal standards, conservatives believe that all Americans can aspire to and achieve their wildest dreams. The promise of America is not that archaic regulations and policies will shield one from harm. Rather, it is the opportunity to choose one’s path, take risks, and ultimately achieve success in one lifetime.
