Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000
By Lewis Loflin
An Associated Press article in the *Kingsport Times-News* (April 1, 2008) described urban public schools’ low graduation rates as a “catastrophe,” citing rates like Detroit (24.9%), Indianapolis (30.5%), and Cleveland (34.1%), far below suburban rates (75%). Yet, it avoided discussing race, a key factor, due to political correctness. This omission perpetuates the false narrative that racism drives low Black and Hispanic graduation rates, advancing a leftist agenda of “racial Marxism” (How Marxism Became Racism). Thomas Sowell (2013) argues that cultural and behavioral issues, not systemic bias, explain these disparities.
The America’s Promise report noted 17 of the 50 largest U.S. cities had graduation rates below 50%, with urban districts averaging 58% compared to 75% in suburbs. Baltimore’s city schools graduated 34.6%, while suburbs reached 81.5%. By sidestepping race, the media obscures the reality: predominantly Black and Hispanic urban schools lag due to cultural factors, not racism, as Asian and White students’ success in the same systems demonstrates.
Urban schools, often majority Black and Hispanic, are frequently led by Democrat-run, non-White administrations, yet graduation rates remain dismal. Chicago (36.8% Black, 26% Hispanic, 53% graduation), Philadelphia (62% Black, 49.6%), and Los Angeles (46.5% Hispanic, 45.3%) illustrate this. In Atlanta, two-thirds of Black male students read below basic levels in grade 8, while Whites excel (*The Schott Foundation*, 2008). Asian students (79% graduation nationally) and Whites (72%) outperform in these schools, per the Manhattan Institute (2008), debunking racism as the cause.
Family breakdown, with 70% of Black households led by single parents (Census, 2020), alongside behaviors like unwed motherhood and academic disengagement, drives failure, as Sowell (2004) explains. Urban schools, under liberal and National Education Association control, prioritize ideology over addressing these cultural barriers. Claims of racism in cities like Detroit, nearly all non-White, are baseless when Asian and White students succeed under the same conditions.
Cultural issues, not racism, explain urban school struggles.
The Left’s “racial Marxism” frames disparities as racism to justify affirmative action and DEI, which rig ~300,000–400,000 college admissions, ~100,000–150,000 jobs, and ~$70 billion in contracts (SBA, 2023), displacing qualified candidates (Espenshade & Chung, 2005). Media outlets like the AP, by omitting race, protect this narrative. A 2006 *New York Times* study found 77% of Black and 71% of Hispanic urban students failed basic science, while 72% of Whites passed—in the same classrooms. Asians’ high graduation rates (79%) expose the falsehood of systemic racism.
Liberal-run schools in Detroit (24.9% graduation), Oakland (45.6%), and New York City (45.2%, 85% non-White) fail due to cultural issues, not White bias. The Manhattan Institute (2008) reports 51% Black and 52% Hispanic graduation rates nationally, vs. 72% White and 79% Asian, citing poor K-12 preparation, not racism. Fraudulent dropout reporting, as highlighted in a 2008 *New York Times* article, inflates urban rates, masking the crisis. The Left’s focus on racism over behavior perpetuates failure, as Sowell (2013) warns.
Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta. She is a Black Democrat.
Some studies note IQ gaps (Black ~85, Hispanic ~90, White ~100, Asian ~103), but Sowell (2004) emphasizes culture as the primary driver. A 2007 *New York Times* article raised concerns that genetic IQ findings could fuel prejudice, yet the Left suppresses discussion to preserve their “egalitarian theory.” Family breakdown (70% Black single-parent homes) and behaviors like dropping out or prioritizing vice over academics correlate with low graduation rates, per the Manhattan Institute (2008), which links poor Black and Hispanic college readiness to K-12 failures, not racism or affirmative action.
Urban schools’ Democrat and union leadership fails by prioritizing ideology over accountability. Claims of White racism in majority non-White cities like Detroit or Atlanta are illogical when Asians and Whites outperform. The evidence points to cultural issues, not a conspiracy of racism. Students and families must take responsibility for behaviors undermining education, rather than blaming mythical systemic barriers.
Urban schools must reject “racial Marxism” and focus on teaching math, science, and English, not ideology. Affirmative action and DEI, which undermine merit, should end. Reducing immigration’s hold on low-skill jobs (20%, BLS, 2020) can expand economic opportunities. Community mentorship can foster discipline among students from unstable homes, as Sowell (2013) advocates. Media must report race honestly, avoiding the AP’s omissions. Uniform dropout reporting, pushed in 2008 (*New York Times*), ensures transparency. Trade programs and merit-based education empower students, unlike quotas. Schools are for education, not equalization—merit drives progress.
Acknowledgment: This article was drafted with assistance from Grok, an AI by xAI. The final edits and perspective are the author’s own. Data from Sowell (2004, 2013), Census (2020), BLS (2023), Pew (2023), SBA (2023), McKinsey (2023), Espenshade & Chung (2005), *New York Times* (2006, 2007, 2008), *Kingsport Times-News* (2008), Manhattan Institute (2008), America’s Promise (2008).
