Creating Opportunities for Black Youth: A Collaborative Mission for Change" by Mistoria Brown highlights the urgent need to provide Black students with access to technology and resources for future success. Brown reflects on her experiences as an educator, advocating for community involvement and support from Black churches and officials to empower youth through essential skills and innovation.

Public education in the U.S. has long been framed as a tool for democracy and social mobility. Yet, beneath this ideal lies a deeper truth—education has historically served as a mechanism to maintain elite control, privileging white males in leadership and economic positions. From its early foundations in 1619, when schooling was designed to train white men for public and religious roles, to modern standardized testing, systemic inequities continue to shape who gets access to power and opportunity. Is the promise of educational equity still an impossible dream?

Ruha Benjamin’s Race After Technology (2019) examines how modern technology perpetuates racial discrimination, coining the term New Jim Code to describe how digital systems reinforce existing social inequalities. She illustrates how algorithmic bias, particularly in policing, healthcare, and employment, is systemic rather than accidental. Divided into five sections, the book highlights cases of AI-driven discrimination and argues for equity audits to hold tech developers accountable. Benjamin’s work is essential for those exploring critical race theory, digital ethics, and social justice, offering a roadmap for more equitable and inclusive technological innovation.