FreshEd FreshEd #380 - Reimagining education in emergencies (Ritesh Shah & Francine Menashy)
Jun 22, 2025
Guests Ritesh Shah, a senior lecturer from the University of Auckland, and Francine Menashy, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, tackle the complexities of education in emergencies. They delve into the impact of systemic racism on global education, revealing the superficiality of current anti-racism initiatives. The discussion critiques how organizations like UNESCO and UNICEF often evade meaningful dialogue on race. They also advocate for urgent structural reforms to address racial capitalism and highlight hopeful initiatives that promote equity in education.
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Superficial BLM Responses in Education
- Global education organizations mostly responded to Black Lives Matter with superficial actions like webinars and talks.
- They failed to address structural racism, focusing on individual awareness rather than systemic change.
Structural Racism in Education Sector
- Structural racism persists in global education through racialized professional roles and power hierarchies.
- Organizations maintain racial divisions by privileging white knowledge and authority in aid and development.
Racism Seen as U.S. Issue Alone
- Many global education actors dismiss racism as a uniquely U.S. problem.
- This limits recognition of white supremacy and structural racism as global issues needing action.
