The education system in the United States is not just inequitable, but racist in design, which has resulted in vastly different learning experiences for students of color. As a result of a system tied to local tax bases, schools in communities of color continue to be overcrowded, under-funded, and less-resourced with a lower percentage of teachers who have advanced degrees. In addition, communities of color experience less access to high quality pre-school and prohibitive costs to college and universities. Furthermore, Black students are subject to discriminatory disciplining practices that feed the school to prison pipeline.

The shelter-in-place policies that have been in effect, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, has exaggerated inequities for many students of color who are unable to receive meals, lan [...]