and others not dedicated their lives to fight against racial and socioeconomic injustice to pave the political road for future generations of Black and Brown people, Barack Obama, for example, would not have been able to emerge on the political scene the way he has. Countering this argument, however, one might state that Obama's political victory was inevitable due to his charisma and racial hybridity. Depending on one's level of understanding and awareness about the plight of Black and Brown people, one might argue that they are better off today than they were 50 years ago or so, especially when one remembers the Jim Crow era during which Black and Brown people were ruthlessly brutalized, particularly by White supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan. However, if one critically analyzed the achievement gap between students of color and their White counterparts, the decline in incomes, and other forms of socioeconomic inequality that Black and Brown people, including students, have been experiencing for the last several decades or so, one would realize that substantially nothing has changed for them. In light of this view, this article explores the socioeconomic, educational, and political conditions of Black and Brown people. Specifically, it examines the degree to which and the manner in which institutional racism and the legacy of slavery continue to limit their life chances, pushing millions to racial, educational, socioeconomic, and political margins. It is worth pointing at the outset that a deep analysis of the conditions of Brown people such as Asians and Native Americans is beyond the scope of this inquiry.As has been historically documented, during colonization and slavery, Black and Brown people experienced brutal forms of racial, socioeconomic exploitation and cultural oppression; however, history has taught us that Black and Brown people were not the only people who were forced into slavery (Firmin, 2000). Firmin (2000) eloquently states,
AbstractDepending on one's level of understanding and awareness about the plight of Black and Brown people, one might argue that they are better off today than they were 50 years ago or so, especially when one remembers the Jim Crow era during which Black and Brown people were ruthlessly brutalized, particularly by White supremacist groups such as the Klu Klux Kan. However, if one critically analyzed the achievement gap between students of color and their White counterparts, the decline in incomes, and other forms of educational and socioeconomic inequality that Black and Brown people, particularly poor students of color, have been experiencing for the last several decades or so, one would realize that substantially nothing has changed for them. In light of this view, this article explores the educational and socioeconomic conditions of People of Color, including those of linguistically and culturally diverse students. Specifically, it examines the ways and the degree to which lack of resources combined with institutional racism and the legacy of slavery continu...