Institutional Racism

people of color. Advocates of Affirmative Action programs denied that these were 'racial
quotas' as that was seen as divisive and under color of law, but affirmative action goals
fell to this onslaught and subsequent reverse discrimination lawsuits ended the practice.
Connerly, for his part, stated "I think that in some quarters, many parts of the country, a
white male is really disadvantaged ... Because we have developed this notion of women
and minorities being so disadvantaged and we have to help them, that we have, in
many cases, twisted the thing so that it's no longer a case of equal opportunity. It's a
case of putting a fist on the scale." His multi-racial background caused conservatives to
back his cause as he was perceived to be both black and anti-affirmative action.
In Education
Standardized testing has also been considered a form of institutional racism, because it
is believed to be biased in favor of people from particular socio-cultural backgrounds.
Some minorities have consistently tested worse than whites on virtually all standardized
tests, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, while others have tested
consistently better. The achievement gap between white and black students mirrors the
gap between the two groups in a variety of IQ tests, many of which are designed to be
culturally neutral. The cause of the achievement gaps between black, Hispanic, white
and Asian students has yet to be fully elucidated.
In Higher Education
In the 1960s, students of color started attending colleges and universities in record
numbers after the passage of the Civil Rights and Higher Education Acts. However, the
obstacles of integration in predominantly white institutions of higher education led to
unforeseen obstacles for faculty and students of color working and studying in such
environments. According to a review of educational research, tension and violence
followed, one reason being the lack of preparedness of many colleges and universities
to teach a diversity of students. Initially, it was also difficult for many black students to
attend college due to the poor quality of education in segregated schools.
The 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision was the beginning of the process of
desegregation and the elimination of de jure discrimination. However, it was hard to
determine the challenges that the process would present and the obstacles that would
continue to exist.While the concept of "separate but equal" had been overturned by the
U.S. Supreme Court, it was clear that the racial divide had not yet been gapped. As the
years since Brown v. Board of Education passed, both verbal and physical abuse
continued. After Brown v. Board of Education, the desegregated environment proved to
be strenuous and was going to require some work. The increase of racial tension and
racial incidents in institutes of higher education is said to be due to the "lack of
knowledge, experience, and contact with diverse peers; peer-group influence; increased
competition and stress; the influence of off-campus groups and the media; alcohol use;
changing values; fear of diversity; and the perception of unfair treatment". Although
Brown v. Board of Education was ruled in 1954, actual integration did not completely
occur until many years later; the U.S. Supreme Court held multiple hearings on the
Page 39 of 250