In my recent jobs I had the opportunity to learn more about work on education equity to address the acheivement gap among K-12 schools and their communities. I was just having a conversation with a co-worker about the economic impact that Universities have on their local community. There are many benefits to Universities that tie directly to a local economy. Large Universities create 100's to 1,000's of jobs. They bring a wide range of residents from students to families and in many cases retirees. They forge the way for economic growth by providing incentives for businesses to open up, which rely heavily on students and residents with direct ties to the University as a major source of customers and income. The research and development that happens at a University also creates avenues for major industries to locate their headquarters build up their resources and productivity and engage in private-public partnerships.

However, we can't ignore the economic divide. Almost every major University gentrifies it's community through this economic growth and development. Standards for acheivement and industry development go up, property values go up and ultimately low income populations who may have also had a long history in this community are pushed to the outskirts; often forced to go elsewhere for work and in many cases children who grow up in these neighborhoods are not able to get into their hometown's University. This creates a huge gap and has a direct tie to our political system.

A majority of our nation's leaders, including our own President have attended presitigious Universities, including Ivy league schools and leading public institutions. These institutions get millions of dollars in public money for research and development that contribute to their viability even in terms of the local economy. Thus, jobs, industry, educational standards and access to a stable home economy are limited to those within that system. In turn public schools in these University communities have more money (especially if they are funded by property taxes) and the kids from low income neighborhoods are often bused in to these schools. 

                                              

This is where our divide exists and why the health and wealth of our nation is declining. Many Americans are now not able to afford higher education, are swimming in debt and in turn this is affecting our local economies. Businesses are suffering, yet those who have already been barred from access to many of the resources that Americans feel are essential to survival, are again pushed to the wayside. Conservatives may say that the government already provides too much support to low income populations. However these are the same individuals who support and come from institutions that oppress these communities. Regardless of whether the government provides extensive funding for social services, there is not enough capacity to make these services effective and our system is essentially sustaining the institutional divide. Our society is telling those who don't have access to the essential resources that this is where they belong.

Yet, through the exploits and foreign investments of our national government, we have marketed this country as the land of opportunity. We have misguided the millions of immigrants who have come here and realized that the dream is merely a dream. Yes we may have freedom and many more rights and priveleges than a large part of the world. However, our nations leaders are blind to the fact that this system is inequitable, unfair and unjust. We have come very far, yet we started out with the hypocrisy of our founding fathers, those who came from a colonialist mentality and a history of infiltrating native peoples for the sake of gaining from their losses. Everyone has roots to this history, thus we cannot forget, we must remember and acknowledge that we are all a part of this divide. Once we do that and until we do, the spirit of America, our pledge of allegiance can and will be lived out.