So long as these kinds of inequalities persist, all of us who are

The words of Jonathan Kozol—“So long as these kinds of inequalities persist, all of us who are given expensive educations have to live with the knowledge that our victories are contaminated because the game has been rigged to our advantage.”—strike like a bell of conscience, reminding us that success, when built upon unjust foundations, is shadowed by guilt. Kozol, who devoted his life to exposing the broken state of public education in America, spoke these words as both witness and prophet. He saw with his own eyes the stark divide between rich and poor, between well-funded schools and those left to crumble, and he named the truth that many prefer to ignore: privilege without justice leaves the heart uneasy, for triumph in a rigged game is no triumph at all.

To speak of inequalities is to speak of chains unseen yet deeply felt. When some children are given golden keys to knowledge—new books, safe schools, inspired teachers—while others are given crumbling classrooms, outdated lessons, and despair, the future itself becomes divided. The victories of the privileged then lose their purity, for they are gained not only through effort but through advantage. Kozol’s words call us to see that a rigged game is no true test of ability, and that honor cannot rest upon ground tilted against the powerless.

This truth is not new. The ancients, too, spoke of justice as the foundation of a flourishing society. Plato warned that a city where justice is denied to some will collapse upon itself, for rot at the root eventually poisons the fruit. In the same way, a nation that rewards the privileged while abandoning the poor carries within it the seeds of unrest, shame, and decay. Kozol gives voice to this timeless warning: if victory is tainted by injustice, it carries not glory but a bitter aftertaste.

History provides us with a powerful example in the life of Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, he had no access to the expensive education of the elite, yet he taught himself to read by stealth and struggle. His mastery of language became a weapon against oppression, proving that brilliance can bloom even in barren soil. But Douglass himself reminded his audiences that while his story was one of triumph, it was also a condemnation: countless others were denied the same chance. His words, like Kozol’s, reveal that the triumphs of the privileged can never be celebrated fully while others are shackled by injustice.

When Kozol speaks of contaminated victories, he names a wound of the spirit. For the human heart, when it is honest, cannot celebrate untainted joy while knowing others are excluded. The graduate of the elite university, the professional who rose swiftly, must look inward and ask: Was this only my effort, or was the path cleared by wealth, access, and accident of birth? Such reflection is not meant to paralyze, but to awaken, so that privilege becomes responsibility, and success becomes a call to action rather than a resting place.

The lesson, then, is twofold. First, never deceive yourself that privilege alone is merit. Recognize the rigged game, and let humility temper pride. Second, use what has been given to you not only for your own advancement, but to open doors for others. Mentor, support, give, speak, and fight for systems that lift the poor as much as the rich. For only when the playing field is leveled can victories be true, shining with the dignity of fairness rather than the stain of inequality.

So, O seeker of justice, take these words into your heart. If you have been granted the gift of opportunity, wield it not as a prize to be hoarded but as a torch to light the way for others. Be restless until the inequalities are lessened, and let your triumphs be purified by compassion and action. For in the end, the greatest victory is not to rise above others on a tilted field, but to stand together on level ground, each soul given the chance to run the race with dignity and hope. Then, and only then, will our victories be clean, and our joy unclouded.