Wisconsin Found To Have Highest Disparities For African American Children

Of any state in the union, African-American children are the least likely to succeed educationally and financially in Wisconsin, according to a new study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Race for Results report examines reading proficiency, high school graduation rates, and poverty among various racial groups.

The study found that African-American children in Wisconsin faced the largest disparities in the country. It says institutional discrimination has played a role in preventing some children from thriving.

Antoiwana Williams is the director of UW-La Crosse’s Multicultural Student Services. “It is really sad,” she said of the report. “What is going on in our education system?”

Williams says getting college and high school students to succeed starts at a young age.

“It’s very important that we continue to invest in our pre-college education. That’s usually the first thing that’s on the chopping block when it comes to federal and state dollars. If we don’t have a country that invests in the education of young people, we’re going to start to see that these numbers are going to continue to go down across the board.”

The study also found that Latinos, Native Americans, and some Asian children have to overcome more barriers compared to their white counterparts.