By Gene A. Budig and Alan Heaps

When we look back at 2015, we can hope it was the year when Americans once again seriously re-engaged with issues of race. For too long, many have swept this important but sensitive issue under the rug.   

There is some good news on this front: Americans are changing their opinions on whether the nation offers equal opportunities to blacks and whites. A growing number acknowledge that paths to success are not color blind. In 2015, the Pew Research Center reported that 59 percent of Americans said that our “nation needs to continue making changes to give blacks equal rights.” In 2014 it was 46 percent.  

A Gallup poll confirms the shift. This year, when asked “do you think racism against blacks is or is not widespread in the U.S.,” 60 percent answered affirmatively. In 2009, it was 51 percent.  

Given the events of the last year, these opinion shifts are not surprising. What is surprising is the number of Americans who still fail to acknowledge the different opportunities offered to whites and blacks.  

The data provide overwhelming evidence of racial disparities.  

• The poverty rate for whites is 10 percent. For blacks it is 27 percent.

• The unemployment rate for whites is 5 percent. For blacks it is 10 percent.

• The high school graduation rate for whites is 85 percent. For blacks it is 68 percent.

• The median white net household worth is $142,000. For blacks it is $11,000.

• The incarceration rate for whites is 380 per 100,000. For blacks it is 2,207. 

• Life expectancy for whites is 79 years. For blacks it is 75 years. 

The persistence of racial inequality does not mean that the problem has been ignored. There have been public and private efforts to eradicate the gaps but these have met with only partial success. Now, with attention focused on the issue, we have an opportunity to make the progress that has eluded us in the past.  

So how do we solve the problem? While the solutions are complex, we know of several conditions required for success.   

One, acknowledge that we do not live in a color blind society. Race plays a role in how all of us respond to individual and group needs.   

Two, acknowledge that racism comes in many forms and many degrees. What seems harmless to one person may be offensive or threatening to another.    

Three, acknowledge that issues of race do not stand alone. In the search for equity, there are other factors in play such as economic status, gender and country of origin.

Four, acknowledge that the problems were years in the making and are now deeply ingrained in our culture. We must make a long-term commitment to this endeavor.  

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said that, “We may have all come in different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” He was right. While there is room for debate on many of the specifics that have been raised in the recent conversations about race, we must not lose sight of the fact that the debates themselves, while painful, are necessary for our national well-being. So let’s do the right thing and the smart thing and do it now: Let’s all meet our responsibility to keep the conversation alive. 

— Gene A. Budig is past president of three major state universities, including Kansas University, and of Major League Baseball’s American League. Alan Heaps is a former Vice President of the College Board.