A lot of these readings tie back to the same theme: the richer people are, the more time, energy, resources, and attention they can dedicate to advocating for themselves.

We saw this countless number of times. Where are homeless shelters primarily located? Poor areas. Why? People richer neighborhoods can fight harder against them. Who generally benefits from rent regulated apartments? Whites. Why? There is a strong correlation between being white and being wealthy, and you need to dedicate time and energy to be savvy and play the system. Why did expensive condo construction go up in Brooklyn by the Fulton mall? Oh boy did a lot of lobby money go in there.

Now we see the same thing occurring in today’s reading. Why do whites “hoard” the resources? Because they can, and because most people would do the same for their children. They can because they have the interest, time, and resources to advocate for their neighborhoods, schools, and children. It certainly unfairly disadvantages other students but I don’t believe that, at its core, it’s due to racism. Is there racism in the NYC schooling system? Absolutely. I agree with the Nikole Hannah-Jones when she states that there is a minority quota that white people like, and above that they feel uncomfortable. Whether that quota is 10-15%, I’m not sure (And listening to the recording of the interview, I suspect she’s that she might be too). Nevertheless, the segregation issue within the NYC schooling system is both a racist one, tied together with an economic one.