新冠疫情凸顯了美國種族與社會階層化問題，少數族裔長期被剝奪權力與機會，原本的壓抑透過種族平權運動發酵，迫使社會正視深植於教育、醫療、工作、經濟等各方面結構性的不平等。美國在過去數十年來，貧富差距和階層藩籬不斷擴大，教育本應促進社會階級流動，然而，階級卻被不斷地複製。關於教育資源分配不均與家庭資源造成的高等教育機會不公平，多年來也持續地被討論，而大學採用標準化測驗篩選學生，測驗本身的預測效力與其所反映的種族與階級歧視也飽受質疑。多年來的爭議不休，因為一場全球流行病促成大學大規模地暫時性免除學生需提交標準化測驗成績的規定，大學也依據自身校務資料重新檢視招生選才機制。是否就此消弭不平等以達社會正義，仍有待時間觀察。

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the systemic racism problems in the United States. Minorities, with rights and opportunities taken away from them, face inequities in education, medical care, work, economy and many more aspects. Income disparity and social class barriers have continued to widen in the past decades. Education is supposed to drive social mobility, yet class reproduction continues to be the reality. Issues of inequitable distribution of education resources and unequal higher education opportunity caused by family resources have been discussed over and over. College admissions have long used standardized test scores to screen students, yet these tests have been criticized of their predictive validity and their manifestation of race and class discrimination. The global pandemic led to a largescale adoption of test-optional policy, allowing college applicants to choose whether they want to submit standardized test scores, while colleges and universities analyze institutional data for a more extensive examination of their admissions policy. It remains to be seen whether inequities can be eased and social justice can be achieved.