We Have an Executive Order, Now What?
The Biden administration's latest Executive Order puts out a big mission statement, but gives little on the implementation part
Christina Laster | Contributor
Many may have felt some sense of pride and hope at the recent announcement of the Executive Order called the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans and proclaimed October 19, 2021. For the most part, few even knew about it. In an era of racial + civil unrest and outright attacks on civil rights (from the assaults on the Reconstruction Amendments to the erasure of complete, unabridged U.S. history - and, particularly, Black history - in the classroom), this order may offer a sense of recognition and accomplishment to some. Yet, others will take long to understand the significance. Wherever you are in your thought process about such orders, there are definitely a number of areas that must to be considered. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but with the long pattern and history of discriminatory practices against Black folks in America, I must ask the question: Are we there yet?
The type of Executive Order that was recently issued is nothing new. A similar Presidential Executive Order was issued in 2012 by President Barack Obama. The 2012 declaration and attempt at progress and change through Executive Order - White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans - was the first governmental outward facing strategy and national acknowledgement of its kind executed by the federal government since Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Among other lofty and noble mission and function notes listed were these …
(1) The Initiative will help to restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education; strengthen the Nation by improving educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages; and help ensure that African Americans receive a complete and competitive education that prepares them for college, a satisfying career, and productive citizenship.
(2) The Initiative will complement and reinforce the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative established by Executive Order 13532 of February 26, 2010, and together, they both will support enhanced educational outcomes for African Americans at every level of the American education system, including early childhood education; elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; career and technical education; and adult education.
Now, fast forward to 2021 and Black people continue wondering: Are we there yet?
Don’t Get So Excited
I realize that some may get excited about Presidential Executive Orders. It’s really more important to get excited about strategic planned growth and the outcomes policies produce. And while we can’t legislate heart changes, neither can we legislate based on mission statements. However, it’s essential that we legislate for justice as an outcome. We remain in pursuit of what is right, just, and fair; albeit I remain concerned about our seduction by highly deodorized, aromatic, repetitive words on paper and impressive sounding groups and speeches that don’t produce real results with a felt impact.
Three quarters of the year under the Biden Administration, we have the acknowledgement, recognition, and plan through this latest presidential edict. It currently supersedes Executive Order 13621 of July 26, 2012; but, I’m still looking for the tangible results from that. Meanwhile, Biden’s new EO seems poised to outdo Obama’s ….
...entrenched disparities continue to plague America’s education system, holding far too many Black students back from achieving their full potential. Because of persistent racial and systemic injustices in our Nation, Black students remain more likely to attend high-poverty and racially segregated schools than White students. Black students are inequitably disciplined and suspended from school at disproportionately higher rates than White students for similar offenses. In addition, Black students too often face limited access to advanced and college-preparatory courses. Systemic racial disparities in education negatively impact learning outcomes for Black students and many face persistent gaps in reading and mathematics achievement.
Also:
...To advance equity in our Nation’s schools and to promote the economic opportunity that follows it, there is established in the Department of Education (Department) the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans (Initiative).
Furthermore:
There is established a Federal Interagency Working Group, which shall be convened by the Executive Director and shall support the efforts of the Initiative. The Interagency Working Group shall collaborate regarding resources and opportunities available across the Federal Government to increase educational and economic opportunities for Black Americans…The Interagency Working Group shall consist of senior officials (designated by the heads of their respective departments, agencies, and offices).
Moreover:
It establishes a Presidential Advisory Commision that will “provide advice to the President through the Secretary on matters pertaining to educational equity and economic opportunity for the Black community
After reading through the Executive Orders my initial question is: how much research and inquiry is needed to solve an age old problem? Black populations have been studied for long enough and we've waited for those studies to provide us with actual results. Seeing little progress on long term changes and recognizing the continuation of our decades long battle to enjoy full, protected, and equal rights and benefits as Black citizens in America, I have a realistic concern and reasonable doubt about the same entities who have perpetuated and allowed discrimination and oppression to permeate systems to suddenly fix their own problems on our behalf. And if they haven't been willing all this while to disrupt their systemic racism for us, I highly doubt the system's motive and drive to intentionally do better for our K-12 school aged children.
When we actually learn from history, then perhaps we won't be bound to continually repeat it. Insanity, as we already know, “is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
The Civil Rights Movement Era (which never ended since we're still in pursuit), ripened the ground for President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society initiatives. This time frame in history manifested some of the most profound policies, legislation, and programs we use to date. Many of you know of these programs as medicaid and medicare, housing, urban renewal, job corps, Head Start and transportation or by the names of the Acts: Economic Opportunity Act, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Immigration and Naturalization Act, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title 1 included). The stated intention of these programs and Acts was to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. But, did we get there?
History has shown us that even while there can be a national recognition of America's issues with its Black citizens, our systemic oppression and exploitation does not end with great political sound bites. This has been the unique Black citizen experience in America. Typically, citizens recognize their freedoms, rights, and privileges. Ours remain in a murky, gray area where sometimes we can perceive parts of them, while waiting for the rest to fully actualize. Therefore, we must stay in pursuit of justice until our experiences with freedom match our legal freedoms. There won’t be any executive orders or superheroes to save us. Still, as a start, we’ll need to demand better from these Executive Orders - first, make sure constituents know they exist. Ensure they actually do what they purport to do and to, second, prevent them from being reversed.