Racial Injustice in Schools: Underscoring Social Work’s Obligation to Promote Antiracist Practice

Children of color (COC) continue to have a range of disparate educational experiences that implicate structural and institutional racism as powerful, detrimental forces in P-12 schools. As members of a profession dedicated to empowerment and the dismantling of oppression, social workers are called to respond. Social workers work in and with schools in diverse roles (for example, as practitioners, community partners, organizational leaders, and contracted providers) and are ethically obligated to challenge injustice. This article-anchored in a framework focused on how race operates in schools and in the field of social work-considers the state of affairs for COC in schools, social work's professional and ethical obligations, and extant opportunities for social workers to learn to address structural racism. The authors identify a gap between COC experiences and social work candidates' preparation to respond, and therefore advocate for social work's more explicit commitment to antiracist practice, research, and pedagogy. The authors share examples from within and beyond the field of social work that can guide next steps, anticipate challenges that would arise, and assert the importance of pursuing antiracism as a route toward meeting our profession's ethical obligations. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for social work education, research, and practice.