Discussions about race have taken center stage in our national conversations. From the protests in Ferguson to Colin Kaepernick, high profile events and individuals have helped enlighten the public to the ways in which systematic racial inequities continue to impact our society today.

The role race plays in determining educational outcomes, however, hasn’t gotten enough attention. And the truth is that if we want to create a truly equitable society in California, education is where we must start.

Eight years ago, I co-founded Students Making a Change, a student-led grassroots community organizing and policy advocacy group at City College of San Francisco. My peers and I were met with tremendous resistance. At the time, college leaders contended that racial achievement gaps did not exist and that our experiences, specifically our challenges getting through required classes and across the finish line, were simply a matter of personal deficiencies.

In reality, stark racial equity gaps do exist between white students and underrepresented students of color and must be urgently addressed. While California graduates 95 percent of white high school students, the states only graduates 88 percent of black and 86 percent of Latino high school students. The state also provides limited college access to black and Latino students, enrolling only 42 percent of black and 41 percent of Latino students in college. And with respect to college completion, 68 percent or more of black, Latino, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults do not have a college degree.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget shows that he cares about higher education. But, without a clear vision, the money he has devoted to it won’t be used as effectively as it could be. It is essential that he address California’s deep-rooted educational inequities with a strategic plan and clearly outlined goals before these inequities lead to even deeper repercussions for our state’s evolving workforce and economy.

We need to begin with large-scale statewide efforts that highlight what we consider one of the greatest structural barriers preventing students from college success: the challenge of completing remedial education. Nearly 80 percent of community college students – especially students of color – are placed below college level in math and English courses.

Despite well-established research showing that high school GPAs are more predictive of student success in college courses, many community colleges still insist on using placement tests to direct students into long remedial pathways that cost time and money, create higher dropout rates, and do not count towards degree attainment and transfer.

Over the past decade, we have collected stories of how students have been negatively impacted by remedial education and, most recently, we have championed a campaign at the City College of San Francisco to dismantle longstanding, gatekeeping courses that harm students by preventing them from reaching their goals of transfer to a university and completion of an associate degree.

Right now, fewer than half of adults in California have a college credential, yet by 2030, 60 percent will need a college education to meet workforce demands. Racial-equity gaps will need to be eliminated. We need a clear and bold vision for higher education that aims to meet the 60 percent goal for the state and for each ethnic group in the state. To accomplish this, the governor must confront racial-equity gaps head on.

Newsom’s proposed budget shows early signs that he could be a champion in shaping and supporting our state’s higher education policies. We hope he builds on these initial investments by establishing a vision for greater racial and economic equity in our state’s higher education system.

Lena Carew is executive director of Students Making a Change.