> Long story short is that in the Maryland-DC area they have what are called magnet schools, and if you can pass a test sort of like the SAT, they will let you leave your current school zone and bus to a better one. Whether or not you think that’s a good or bad idea, or fair or unfair, it is what I had and it was a way out.

Standardized testing gets a lot of flak for being too rigid or biased, but I think its rigidity serves an important purpose. You may be living in an unjust society, but if you can score X on this test, you will get Y. There's plenty of information on the test as well as resources anyone can use to score well enough (online, public library or school library). It's an easier sell to many disadvantaged groups and present a clear way out, whether it be a magnet school or university.