The Center for Urban Education Addresses the Question of "Why Race?" in a New Report

"Why Race?" is designed as a resource for higher education practitioners who are interested in starting conversations about race on their campus, or who must address questions of why color-blind approaches do not lead to equity. It features a vignette that highlights a conversation between a college president and faculty member on the topic of race and equity. The report draws on key essays and empirical studies, as well as CUE's ten year experience partnering with institutions on initiatives to advance equity in outcomes.

The report argues that achieving equitable outcomes for all college students demands the explicit consideration of race, and outlines the historical and social factors that continue to make race a critical factor in discussions and efforts to improve educational equity. It further suggests that factors such as income- or socioeconomic status are not effective proxies for race. 

Points discussed in the report include:

• Racial and ethnic underrepresented groups have been legally prohibited from attending colleges and universities-low income students have not.
• Financial aid policies exist to remove barriers to admission for low-income students; no similar policy specifically targets students of color.
• Class- or socioeconomic-status based affirmative action favors low-income white students.
• Race impacts the development of social capital crucial for educational opportunity.
• Not focusing on race makes it more difficult to fully understand the impact of race on educational opportunity.

The report is available on the CUE website. [link]