Claims that young people—particularly students of color—do not need higher education ignore persistent inequalities in the American school system and ultimately reinforce economic and social disparities rather than alleviate them.
The current state of education in America demonstrates a decline in intellectualism which has an adverse effect on minority students. Education inequality does not improve with calls for students to forgo college education. According to a paper written by Linda Darling Hammond titled, “Inequality in Teaching and Schooling: How Opportunity is Rationed to Students of Color”, she states that “the American education system is one of the most unequal in the industrialized world, and the students routinely receive dramatically different learning opportunities based on their social status.”
The detriment of ignoring the glaring inequality in education has a demonstratively negative impact for students of color and has an influence on their long-term economic outcome and access to opportunity. Hammond writes that, “more than ever before in our nation’s history, education is not only the ticket to economic success, but also to basic survival.” Although the statistics presented in this paper, published in the National Library of Medicine, are over twenty years old they still hold relevance for the education inequalities and disparities among K-12 students today.
In contrast to this paper, an article published by “The Root” magazine in October 2025 which quotes the former Boule chairman Loren R. Douglass who argues that “staying in school doesn’t help very much if there are no jobs for them, if there are no services for them, if there are no neighborhoods for them.” This furthers the narrative that undermines the counterargument which supports intellectualism, and the closing of gaps in educational inequalities. It is not only controversial but also harmful to minority students. The article highlights Douglass’ successful career spanning Wall Street, Fortune 500 companies, and global advisory; with degrees from Johns Hopkins and Wharton Business School. This raises an important question: would his success look different had he not gone to college? And is the rhetoric of telling students to forgo “staying in school” irresponsible?
The article goes on to reference the historic debate between W.E.B Dubois and Booker T. Washington while leaving out the most important aspect of Dubois’ position. Education is important but must be paired with politics to secure access to opportunities. Government and its function are extremely important and are being devalued and stripped of its ability to allow students the opportunity to access a better life for themselves and their children. This will have a direct impact on the opportunities for minority communities. Income inequality does not improve with a lack of education.
Rhetoric like this is destructive and unnecessarily cruel given the already widening gaps in educational access and attainment for students of color, primarily Black American students. The article offers Artificial Intelligence as an answer to the question of how Black and Latino students will be able to obtain success. Even if that were true, which this exposition is not arguing, there will still be a need for further education for the students ability to access this success.
The most important takeaway is that access matters and increases a student’s proximity to opportunity and the probability for improved outcomes. Dismissing higher education as unnecessary does not address inequality—it entrenches it. For students of color, access to education remains one of the most reliable pathways to opportunity, economic stability, and political agency.
https://cdn.uncf.org/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/CRDC-College-and-Career-Readiness-Snapshot-2.pdf
https://uncf.org/pages/k-12-disparity-facts-and-stats
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223640/
https://www.theroot.com/financial-expert-explains-why-every-black-kid-doesnt-ne-2000069873
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