The Coronavirus pandemic that forced schools to shut down across the country has exacerbated a pernicious academic epidemic in the Black community.

A recent New York Times column outlined the pressing concern of millions of parents around the country:

How is it possible to return to in-person schooling in the midst of a deadly pandemic, which could threaten the safety of students, teachers, and families?

In the event of distance learning, how can parents juggling work and parenting also take on the role of educator?

While the affluent has the money to ensure a quality education, the working class and poor do not.

Many African American youth are already behind academically and cannot afford to lose more ground. There is an urgency to act now: to react, to recover, and reinvent. This is the problem before us.

“Learning loss,” will probably be greatest among low-income, black, and Hispanic students. Lower-income students are less likely to have access to high-quality remote learning or to a conducive learning environment.

  • A quiet space with minimal distractions,
  • Devices they do not need to share
  • High-speed internet,
  • and Parental academic supervision.

“Students of Color could lose 18 months of learning.”