This past week, a friend of our organization wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal called, “Masks Turn Democrats in Favor of School Choice.” He made a similar argument to our discussion on Florida scholarships, that allowing school choice for those either in favor of masks or opposed to them draws people from every political spectrum to a pro school choice position. But, in truth, although many Republicans are more visibly in favor of education choice, many Democrats are not new to approving of choice, particularly Black Democrats.
Take, for example, the opinion of Marcus Brandon, a Democrat who served in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In the past year, he shared his take on school choice and argued it both is and should be a bigger discussion within the Democratic party. Here’s a piece he wrote this year:
From Marcus Brandon:
For those who want to be allies against systemic racism, begin by allowing the voices of Black families to be heard in spaces where they have had little to no voice or power. One of those spaces is conversations on education equity and opportunity.
Poll after poll shows that Black families in America want more control over their children’s futures, but somehow this position is frequently ignored. In fact, recently Ben DeGlow described how often this divide in the Democratic party is downplayed. DeGlow used the example of Andrew Gillum, the Black Democrat running for governor in Florida who campaigned against a program that gives 100,000 low-income students access to private schools of their choice. Black women were twice as likely to vote for the white Republican candidate for governor than for the Republican senate candidate. Clearly, Black women feared their children would lose vital access to their chosen schools.
So, why do Black families want choices in education?
First, many Black Americans feel trapped in their school district. Take for example, this history of redlining I recently retweeted. Tim DeRouche explains that 78% of public school children attend the public school assigned to their address, making school assignments the reason schools are divided along economic and racial lines:
Our public schools are segregated because of the lines that are drawn, showing who gets into good public schools and who gets kept out. These lines often exclude many middle-class and lower-income families, especially immigrants and minorities.
In other words, families in certain communities are denied quality education through attendance lines.
DeRouche also explains that school district lines often mirror the geography of historical redlining. Families that lived in certain neighborhoods were not eligible for better financial opportunities. In a similar way, by drawing lines that require children to attend schools based on their address, families are systematically assigned to failing schools. It’s no wonder that Black Democrat families want choices. If families cannot afford to leave those neighborhoods, they have no voice in the type of place their child spends most of his or her time.
Not Just Redlining:
But this historical denial of quality services by “neighborhood” is not the only systemic problem that keeps Black Americans fighting for more quality education options. There are also racial discrepancies inside the classroom as well. In Guilford County, where I was a representative, I see Black students trailing academic grades behind white students. White students are also more likely to be allowed to enroll in AP classes than Black students, and Black students more likely to be suspended than white students.
In fact, the stat for the US is that Black students are three times more likely to be suspended than white students for the same infractions. Think about that! The police union protects bad cops at all cost the same way the teachers union protects bad teachers at all cost. Arresting and suspending my kids at disproportionate rates has the same outcome. Both organizations’ protectionism has been devastating to black & brown communities. And while we’re on the topic of making arrests, did you know that in America, Black students are much more likely to be arrested at school than white students?
Unfortunately, I rarely hear from affluent white parents calling for more school choice. In fact, most affluent white Democrats seem to oppose school choice. But Black families are begging for better education and better opportunities for their children. So if you want to know what you can do to individually support racial reconciliation, this is it - support Black families’ aspirations where school choice is concerned. Vote for candidates to support school choice. Let your candidates know, as this brave woman did, that they need to support school choice.
If my reasons haven’t made it clear enough, Black families in America overwhelmingly want opportunities for educational equity and choice. By releasing families from historically problematic school assignments, maybe more Black students will have a better chance of a quality education. Listen and support the Black voices calling for more educational options no matter your party. By acknowledging what’s happening in our education system and doing something about it, we can change the future for generations of Black students.