Personally, I feel that opportunity, implicit bias, inconsistent discipline, and a number of other things contribute to the problem.  I personally believe that all students are capable of being successful in school.  I also feel that family and community are also responsible for the success of students.  I myself am going into teaching as a career after 10 years in the public sector so I can contribute to helping students that look like me succeed.  I see previously that someone mentioned starting a school to support African American students, which is also my plan.