The existence of racism in modern education and healthcare systems undermines efforts to eliminate it in other areas. According to Basset and Graves, Black people in the United States are still sicker and still die younger than their White counterparts do (457). The issue should be examined thoroughly and addressed immediately, as income inequality and the current healthcare system make numerous medical services unaffordable to minorities.
Scholarships are of major importance for low-income communities concerning future education and career. Arday and Mirza claim that the greatest barrier to addressing race equality in higher education is academia’s refusal to regard race as a legitimate object of scrutiny, either in scholarship or policy (5). Feeling safe and respected is crucial for any university student. Brown argues that despite the fact that millennials appear more racially open and tolerant than previous generations, scholars have acknowledged that students of color often encounter racially hostile environments in predominantly white university spaces (108). Moreover, in most cases, students are away from home for so long for the first time in their lives and face numerous other challenges. Having to handle racism under such circumstances can easily undermine academic performance.
Despite all the anti-racist measures and policies, some forms of racism can still be found in education and healthcare. Although such forms are less vivid now than a few decades ago and people working there tend to claim that they are colorblind, there are still numerous issues leading to unequal treatment and different approaches in general. It leads to future imbalances in the number of graduates, people who have proper health insurance, and other social indicators. Moreover, there are other, less significant issues influencing the overall picture as well. For instance, numerous unhealthy food commercials, the absence of healthy food choices in grocery stores, and lack of funding in schools in minority communities lead to future disproportions. The state and society, in general, should pay attention to such factors as well.
Works Cited
Arday, Jason, and Heidi Safia Mirza. Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy. Springer, 2018.
Bassett, Mary T., and Jasmine D. Graves. “Uprooting institutionalized racism as public health practice.” American journal of public health, vol. 108, no, 4, 2018, pp. 457–458.
Brown, Keffrelyn D. “Race as a durable and shifting idea: How Black millennial preservice teachers understand race, racism, and teaching.” Peabody Journal of Education, vol. 93, no. 1, 2018, pp. 106–120.