Racial Inequality in K-12 Schools and Implications for Educational Leadership

Abstract

The American education system has been marked by racial inequality, segregation, and systemic racism. These realities are symbolic of a past built on the enslavement of Blacks and the marginalization of people of color. These themes are therefore central to education as they have invariably created a framework for its development and the practice of educational leadership. This chapter utilizes a Foucauldian approach by including his three enunciative fields: the field of memory, presence, and concomitance. In the field of memory, this chapter demonstrates how the legal and political institutions were the genesis of inequality for people of color, while in the field of presence, education and educational leadership have evolved as theories around race and social justice have emerged to address issues of oppression. Finally, in the field of concomitance, the chapter interrogates how fields such as scientific management, legal studies, and science influence the current practice of educational leadership. Importantly, through this approach, this chapter provides insight into what is required for the future practice of educational leadership to tackle the inequality that remains a feature of the US K-12 education system.KeywordsDesegregationCritical consciousnessCulturally relevant leadershipEducational leadershipK-12 educationOppressionRacial inequalitySegregationSystemic racismSocial justice