Combating Social Exclusion in America

• In Event: A Call to Re-IMAGINE Mixed-Methods Research in the Black Lives Matter Era

Abstract

Recent political and social unrest in America and across the world has highlighted that creating a fair and equitable society is not easy. The United States is complex, with different values, perspectives, and ideologies that help shape our democracy. This complexity can be a challenge to social change necessary to create equitable opportunities for everyone, especially individuals who have been socially excluded. Unfortunately, promoting social inclusion in America is a challenge as groups with different political ideologies compete for power to avoid being socially excluded. This presentation provides a perspective of the challenges to social integration and considers how change agents can focus their agenda to ensure marginalized communities can prosper and excel.

Recently, there has been scrutiny over teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools. Many proponents against CRT see it as an attack on American values, whereas others have latched on this narrative without truly immersing themselves in understanding CRT. The reality is that our educational system is flawed, and many teachers are ill-equipped to teach about the horrors, success, and current challenges of our American history. Advocating for the teaching of CRT in schools will not solve the problem but masks the real challenges with our educational system. Urban school districts are dealing with ineffective teachers, underperforming, and poorly funded schools that negatively impact social inclusion and promotes economic inequality.

When Americans think about progress, we think of a steady, linear progression. This sometimes gets distorted when in actuality, racial and economic inequality continues to be evident in the data (Kraus et al., 2017). School systems still deny Black and Latino access to advanced-level coursework, which correlates to success in college (Education Trust, 2020) and economic opportunities. This mythology of racial progress "distorts our perceptions of reality; perhaps more significantly, it absolves us of responsibility for changing the reality" (Richeson, 2020 p.3).

Given the dynamics discussed above, it seems change agents need a purposeful approach to improve the future outcomes of marginalized communities. The educational system is key to economic vitality, but the disparities in educational experiences and opportunities in the neediest communities threaten social integration. Effective and caring teachers, high-quality STEM education, financial literacy, and an empowering curriculum are either non-existent or lack the depth and quality needed to empower our youth and families. To bolster human capital, Dr. David Autor, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, states in a CNBC article, "I don't think education by itself is a solution to income inequality; it is the best tool in our toolkit” (Harwood, 2019). We cannot ignore the role the community institutions, family, educational system, and other ways we learn can influence our communities (National Academy of Sciences, 2018). Working together, these institutions can create a powerful voice to impact change locally, regionally, and nationally. Developing frameworks and action that will create systematic change in how we educate youth and families in the neediest communities is essential for social integration. These frameworks include research frameworks that encourage researchers to IMAGINE an anti-racist MMR agenda.

Author

• David Bell, Western Governors University