Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced on August 31, 2026, that they won their lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education for withholding millions in federal funds due to the City’s Black Student Success Plan. This initiative aims to cut out-of-school suspensions, improve graduation rates, and increase the hiring and retention of Black teachers. Now that funding has been secured, one hopes CPS will release a timeline, budget, and strategy to enact this transformative plan to reduce the racial disparity in Chicago’s schools.
Make no mistake – the U.S. education system has always been unequal.
People agree that factors like location, wealth, teacher training, and quality of the curriculum influences a student’s success. However, there’s a large swath of folks that ignore additional factors like race, ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, religion, special needs, immigration, access to food & health, housing status, and safety. Studies have shown these dynamics are more consequential to a student’s achievements.
So, what’s a parent to do? Move into a *good school district* is not a possibility for everyone. In fact, as you’ll hear from Tania Richard in Black Girl From a White Suburb, a *good school district* does not equate with acceptable care and instruction for all students.
The crux of U.S. education policies has always revolved around the disparity between opportunities and realities. Here’s a snapshot of our history –
- Between 1740-1834: Anti-literacy laws prohibited enslaved, and sometimes free, Black Americans from learning to read or write.
- 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court declared “separate is not equal” to end race-segregated public schools. However, it did not address racial inequality in education.
- 1964: The U.S. Supreme Court passed Title VI of Civil Rights Act which ruled schools wouldn’t receive federal funding if the school discriminated on the basis of race.
- Since 2021: Legislators in 44 states have introduced bills banning equity, diversity, and inclusion teachings in classrooms; 18 states have adopted these laws.
- Since 2025: decades of precedents have been overturned or misapplied.
Recently, I reread Martin Luther King Jr.’s opinion of the Brown v Board of Education decision. Reverend King said:
“I favor integration on buses and in all areas of public accommodation and travel…I am for equality. However, I think integration in our public schools is different. In that setting, you are dealing with one of the most important assets of an individual – the mind. A large percentage of [white people] have a very low opinion of our race. People with such a low view of the black race cannot be given free rein and put in charge of the intellectual care and development of our boys and girls.”
Reverend King understood and predicted generational damage to Black children if the basis of the white-centered education system did not change. It’s been over 70 years since the landmark decision, and it’s clear we have so much more work to do.
American Blues Theater proudly presents artistic affiliate Tania Richard’s solo show discussing her experiences in Chicago’s collar-counties, showing this issue affects everyone within and outside the city of Big Shoulders.
– Gwendolyn Whiteside