A Post COVID Look at African American Students in Higher Education: The Challenges to Academic Completion and Economic Stability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33423/jbd.v24i2.7278Keywords:
business, diversity, African American students, economic inequality, higher educationAbstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of students from a historically black college, on the correlation between race and economic inequality for African Americans due to a lack of access to a quality education experience. Throughout history, minorities have faced systemic disadvantages and discrimination, which have had lasting effects on their economic opportunities. A lack of access to quality resources, such as education, can further perpetuate these disparities, making it harder for individuals to break the cycle of poverty. Limited education can hinder career advancement, and wage growth for minorities, widening the income gap. This lack of education can perpetuate economic hardship across generations.
References
Bhutta, N., Chang, A.C., Dettling, L.J., & Hsu, J.W. (n.d.). Disparities in wealth by race and ethnicity in the 2019 survey of Consumer Finances. Retrieved from https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/disparities-in-wealth-by-race-and-ethnicity-in-the-2019-survey-of-consumer-finances-20200928.html
Caplow, T., & McGee, R. (2001). The academic marketplace (2nd Ed.). Garden City, NY: Routledge.
Darity, W., & Wilson, V. (2023, March 5). Understanding black-white disparities in labor market outcomes requires models that account for persistent discrimination and unequal bargaining power. Economic Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/unequalpower/publications/understanding-black-white-disparities-in-labor-market-outcomes/#:~:text=Anotherpercent20definingpercent20featurepercent20ofpercent20racial,percent2Cpercent20whenpercent20itpercent20waspercent2016.4percent25
Education Northwest. (2021, February). Strategies to support Black students, teachers, and communities in schools. Retrieved from https://educationnorthwest.org/insights/strategies-support-black-students-teachers-and-communities-schools#:~:text=Increasepercent20Blackpercent20Voicespercent20andpercent20Representationpercent20inpercent20Curriculum&text=Additionallypercent2Cpercent20thepercent20curriculumpercent20shouldpercent20feature,thepercent20contributionspercent20ofpercent20diversepercent20groups
Farkas, G. (2003). Racial disparities and discrimination in education: What do we know, how do we know it, and what do we need to know? Teachers College Record, 105(6), 1119–1146. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9620.00279
Gallup & Lumina Foundation. (2023, February 9). Balancing act: The tradeoffs and challenges facing Black students in higher education. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/analytics/468986/state-of-higher-education.aspx
Leonhardt, D. (2023, June 19). The racial wage gap is shrinking. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/briefing/juneteenth-racial-wage-gap.html#:~:text=Inpercent20thepercent20earlypercent202000spercent2Cpercent20the,thoughpercent20stillpercent20enormouspercent2Cpercent20haspercent20shrunk
Losavio, J. (2020, September 2). The economic cost of racism. IMF F&D. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/09/the-economic-cost-of-racism-losavio
Lumina Foundation. (2021). A stronger nation. Retrieved from https://www.luminafoundation.org/stronger-nation
Lusane, C. (1999). Persisting disparities: Globalization and the economic status of African Americans. Howard Law Journal, 42(3), 431–450. Retrieved from https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/howlj42&id=439&collection=journals&index=#
Naeh, S. (2021, February 26). Homelessness and Black history: Poverty and income. National Alliance to End Homelessness. Retrieved from https://endhomelessness.org/blog/homelessness-and-black-history-poverty-and-income/
National School Boards Association. (2021). Equity and excellence: A practical guide for boards. Retrieved from https://www.nsba.org/equity-and-excellence-guide-boards
Noel, N., Pinder, D., Stewart, S., & Wright, J. (2019a, August 13). The economic impact of closing the racial wealth gap. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/the-economic-impact-of-closing-the-racial-wealth-gap#
Olneck, M. (2005). Economic consequences of the academic achievement gap for African Americans. Marquette Law Review, 89(1), 95–104. Retrieved from https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/marqlr89&div=14&g_sent=1&casa_token=Yjpvib9hK8AAAAAA:HKN2x-rA_oY3HK5niUtYIlO6O9HRel6iPhFPzk530x6lpj28KPHXAaojQ8gXPsWFlahUx-XIZ1Q&collection=journals
Rothstein, R. (2014). The urban poor shall inherit poverty. The American Prospect, 25(4).
Rothstein, R. (2014, December). The racial achievement gap, segregated schools, and segregated neighborhoods – A constitutional insult. Race and Social Problems, 6(4). Retrieved from https://www.epi.org/publication/the-racial-achievement-gap-segregated-schools-and-segregated-neighborhoods-a-constitutional-insult/
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. (2021, October 19). Summits on educational excellence for African Americans: Joseph R. Biden Jr. The White House. Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/whblackinitiative/files/2014/01/WHIEEAA-broch.pdf
Webster, L. (2019). Enablers and barriers influencing African American administrators’ career advancement at predominantly White institutions of higher learning.
Weller, C.E. (2018, February 21). Systematic inequality. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/systematic-inequality/
Weller, C.E., & Hanks, A. (2018, April). The widening racial wealth gap in the United States after the Great Recession. In Forum for Social Economics (Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 237–252). Routledge.
Wolfe, B.L., & Dilworth, P.P. (2015). Transitioning normalcy: Organizational culture, African American administrators, and diversity leadership in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 85(4), 667–697. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654314565667
Wolff, E.N. (2021). Household wealth trends in the United States, 1962 to 2019: Median wealth rebounds…but not enough (No. w28383). National Bureau of Economic Research.