Race

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how race and racism affect schools and how they are taught about in schools

Webinars

Image of silhouette cutouts in a variety of colors and genders.
Webinars on Equity & Diversity
Browse and register for free professional development on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, and religious beliefs and schools.
Learn More
Seen is the drawing made by Viejo Elementary School first-grader B.B. that was entered into evidence. B.B. gave the drawing to her classmate, M.C., who is African American. M.C. thanked B.B.
Pictured is a drawing by a 1st grader in California and given to a Black classmate that is at the center of a First Amendment legal challenge over the student's alleged punishment.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Law & Courts Appeals Court Revives Lawsuit Over 1st Grader’s Black Lives Matter Drawing
A court revived a 1st grader 's claim she was punished for giving a drawing to a Black classmate.
Mark Walsh, March 11, 2026
•
4 min read
- Coretta Scott King holds hands while singing with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Christine Farris, the sister of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as they parade on Peachtree Street in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 19, 1987 to honor King's birthday. At left in Mrs. Alveda king Beall and at right is Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara.
Coretta Scott King, left, walks with Jesse Jackson and Christine Farris, the sister of Martin Luther King, Jr., during a 1987 parade in Atlanta to honor King's birthday. Jackson's work for poor and marginalized communities also included a focus on educational opportunities.
Charles Kelly/AP
Equity & Diversity Obituary Jesse Jackson, Advocate for Equitable K-12 Funding and Curbing Youth Violence, Has Died at 84
The reverend and long-time civil rights advocate was a two-time presidential candidate.
The Associated Press & Sean Cavanagh, February 17, 2026
•
5 min read
Black History teacher class with hands raised in front of Philadelphia skyline Jawn orange
Erin K. Robinson for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion My Secret for Engaging Students in a Black History ‘Jawn’
Here’s the class discussion you should be having before introducing a new history lesson.
Abigail Henry, February 2, 2026
•
3 min read
School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
Brad Kemp/The Advocate
Law & Courts After 60 Years, a Louisiana District Fights to Exit Federal Desegregation Order
St. Mary Parish is on the frontlines of a legal battle to end ongoing school desegregation cases dating back to the civil rights era.
Patrick Wall, The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La., January 12, 2026
•
6 min read
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
Equity & Diversity Trump Admin. Accuses Minneapolis Schools of Racism in Protecting Minority Teachers
The Justice Department has filed its latest suit alleging racism for efforts to boost teacher diversity.
Anthony Lonetree, Star Tribune, December 11, 2025
•
2 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion Scrubbing Critical Conversations About Racism Isn't Helping Your Students
Five ways to create "brave spaces" for your classroom while also embracing humanity.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 1, 2025
•
4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion Schools Cannot Afford to Ignore Race and Identity
People often don't notice discrimination if it doesn't affect them directly.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 13, 2025
•
13 min read
A teacher helps two engineering students build a butterfly house.
The Trump administration has sued the Rhode Island Department of Education and the public school district in Providence, saying a program that provides loan forgiveness to teachers of color discriminates against white teachers.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Equity & Diversity Loan Forgiveness for Teachers of Color Is Discriminatory, Trump Admin. Says
The U.S. Department of Justice says the program meant to boost the ranks of minority teachers discriminates against white educators.
Alyson Klein, September 16, 2025
•
3 min read
Vector illustration of two hands pulling apart money and it tears in unequal parts.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding How Efforts to Fund Schools More Equitably Actually Worsened Racial Inequality
Researchers examined three decades of school finance reforms in 40 states.
Evie Blad, September 11, 2025
•
2 min read
Vector illustration of a large hand holding a contract and a smaller man with a large pen signing the contract while a woman in the background is clutching a gold coin and watching as he signs.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Law & Courts Trump Can't Require Schools to Certify They Won't Use DEI, Judge Says
A federal judge appointed by Trump struck down several efforts made by the U.S. Department of Education to curb educators’ use of DEI.
Brooke Schultz, August 15, 2025
•
4 min read
Image of silhouette cutouts in a variety of colors and genders.
FotografiaBasica/iStock/Getty
Equity & Diversity Professional Learning Guide Your Guide to Race & School Culture
This professional learning guide is packed with resources to support K-12 equity and diversity.
August 14, 2025
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland.
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland, Texas. The district's board voted to restore a Confederate general's name to two of its schools.
Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune
Equity & Diversity Another District Restores a Confederate Name to Its Schools
The district dropped Robert E. Lee's name from two buildings in 2020. The Lee name will be back for the 2026-27 year.
Brooke Schultz, August 13, 2025
•
5 min read
In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, a student at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., waits for a ride after school. Portland Public Schools relaxed its dress code in 2016 after student complaints that the rules unfairly targeted female students and sexualized their fashion choices.
In this Sept. 7, 2018 photo, a student at Grant High School in Portland, Ore., waits for a ride after school. Portland Public Schools relaxed its dress code in 2016 after student complaints that the rules unfairly targeted female students and sexualized their fashion choices. A new brief has nine recommendations to make dress codes more inclusive in schools.
Gillian Flaccus/AP
Equity & Diversity Q&A Student Dress Codes Can Send the Wrong Message. How to Get Them Right
Recommendations include a climate survey for students and reevaluating subjective language in dress code policies.
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 1, 2025
•
6 min read
A dilapidated modular home sits in the foreground across from Union Central Elementary School in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025. The home and its location was a point of contention for parents opposed to the restructuring of the schools.
A dilapidated modular home sits in the foreground across from Union Central Elementary School in Columbia, La., on April 10, 2025. The home and its location was a point of contention for parents opposed to the restructuring of the schools.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management How One District Reimagined Elementary School
Caldwell Parish, La., merged three elementary schools in part to bolster racial and socioeconomic diversity.
Alyson Klein, July 25, 2025
•
27 min read
Load More ▼