Educational inequality as a consequence and cause of race

This review starts from the premise that racial inequality has become a normalized backdrop within U.S. education, in many ways following the prevailing racial hierarchy in society. While enduring racial stratification produces numerous educational disparities, I argue that these disparities, in turn, contribute to reinforcing the symbolic meanings associated with racial categories. Put simply, racial inequality in education is both a consequence and a cause of race itself. I review these "predictable" patterns of racial inequality in education, distilling some of the nuances that are most frequently misunderstood and summarizing trends through recent data. Next, I examine explanations for racial inequality in education, debunking some persistent misconceptions. Then I synthesize the patterns and explanations with literature highlighting how racial inequality in education re-constructs durable notions of racial categories and racialization. All three of these areas have produced significant scholarship, but they are seldom fully in conversation with one another. Finally, I discuss the role of race and racism in the latest politicization of schools to argue that it can be understood as a new wave in the colorblind era, with significant implications for the social construction of whiteness and the potential to stall progress toward reducing racial inequality in education.