Our Separate & Unequal Public Colleges: How Public Colleges Reinforce White Racial Privilege and Marginalize Black and Latino Students

Abstract

Leaders of selective public colleges often espouse the importance of diversity. But those colleges mostly exclude students who fail to score in the top quartile on college-entry exams. To promote the postsecondary success of Blacks and Latinos, these colleges should promote equity. Ultimately, they must do that by placing less emphasis on test scores and developing measurements that are more inclusive. The problem is clear when we realize that there are many qualified Black and Latino students who do not get into selective colleges.