Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Funding Perpetuates Racism in the US
A history of systemic violence towards BIPOC and what you can do to help
Sex education is racist. While at times I’m sure it is overtly racist, I’m specifically talking about systemic racism: prejudice and abuse based on race that is deeply entrenched in our society. These factors compound together to engrain policies of discrimination on an organizational level, effectively hurting people of color.
A particularly nasty combination of housing discrimination, public school funding practices, and abstinence-only education grants is a direct cause of systemic racism in sex education. It’s the reason why Black and Hispanic teens get pregnant or contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at a far higher rate than white teens.
It may be a bold claim, but there’s mountains of evidence to back it up. Let’s start by looking at how schools are financed.
Most Public Schools Are Funded Through Taxes
Public schools in the United States are funded through a combination of taxes from the federal, state, and local governments. According to the US Department of Education, 45% of funding comes from local taxes, particularly income tax and property tax. Unfortunately, this creates…
