Rep. Burgess Owens Warns Against ‘Equity’ in Schools: ‘It’s Always Lower Expectation for Black People’

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) cautioned educators against infusing the concept of “equity” into teaching while he spoke during an education-related roundtable hosted by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Wednesday.

Owens, the lead Republican on the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, said equity, which is often contrasted with equality, is “as racist as you can get” as it ultimately requires treating students who are racial minorities differently than white students.

“This whole thing with equity. I want you guys to just keep in mind, it’s always lower expectation for black people. It’s as racist as you can get. It’s what I grew up in when I was in the ’60s,” said Owens, who attended school in Florida during the civil rights era before going on to play college and professional football.

Owens described the idea of equity in the classroom as “insidious” because it results in lowering academic standards on the basis of race.