I know the author means well and that he is well-liked and all that, but really, I don't think he has a clue how absolutely tone-deaf this commentary is. He talks a lot about privilege, and he has made himself exhibit A with this one.

We are asked to accept that skin color and sex determine possibilities for success in this society, so why would one who is not a member of one of the "favored" demographics play in a game rigged against them? I would like to see some research that indicates the degree of resignation in students who have been convinced they can only lose before they've even started.