However, in reality, there are still setbacks preventing African Americans from equal educational opportunities. Since the beginning, U.S. society has been designed and redesigned to be embedded with racist practices which continues to exclude African Americans from equal opportunities. Slavery led to racial oppression, institutional racism, discrimination, and the exclusion in education. Education was once believed to be dangerous for African Americans to obtain because once they it they will then destroy the discriminatory institutions and move up in society.
Race and socioeconomic status are the primary factors that determine the quality of education one receives. The purpose of education is to prepare students to become critical thinkers, to teach students long life values, and to help make something of themselves and to succeed in life. Unfortunately, there continues to be limited opportunities for African American students to learn such values simply due to the color of their skin. Schools across the U.S. are still practicing and enforcing segregation in their