VOICES FROM INSIDE THE SYSTEM
‘We Know That All Schools and Pathways Are Not Created Equal in Our Country’
DeAngela Burns-Wallace wanted to revolutionize the college admissions process.
Voices From Inside the System is a GEN series where we interview people who have had firsthand experience with industries that have a history of systemic racism and inequity. We asked them to think deeply about the role they played and the work they did. We asked them why they stayed or why they left, how they might be complicit, or if they thought they — or anyone — could fundamentally change the system.
Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace is the secretary of administration and the chief information technology officer for the state of Kansas. Prior to her appointment, she spent 15 years in higher education at Stanford University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Kansas, dealing with issues in undergraduate admissions and undergraduate education. A 2018 report from Georgetown University found that only 7% of Black freshmen enrolled at selective public colleges, despite being 15% of the college-aged population. White freshmen made up 64% of the enrollment, despite being only 54% of the college-aged population. Burns-Wallace spoke with journalist Justine van der Leun about her…
