Have You Heard #118 Democracy and Public Education: A Future in Peril
Aug 12, 2021
Derek Black, a legal scholar and author of *Schoolhouse Burning*, and Noliwe Rooks, Chair of Africana Studies and author of *Cutting School*, discuss the critical links between democracy and public education. They explore how attacks on schools are often driven by fears of multiracial democracy gaining traction. The conversation delves into the historical cycles of educational and voting rights, the impact of wealth and philanthropy on policy, and how today’s culture wars undermine trust in public education. Both guests emphasize education's role in fostering a shared societal experience.
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Education And Voting Are Linked Targets
- Attacks on voting and public education work together to splinter democratic foundations.
- Derek Black says privatization shifts power from collective common good to market and wealth interests.
Privatization Rises Where Democracy Expands
- Efforts to restrict voting and privatize schools intensify where voters of color gain influence.
- Derek Black ties race, gerrymandering, and education cuts as a coordinated response to expanding democracy.
History Shows Coordinated Backlash
- Historically, expansions in voting and education went together and were resisted together.
- Derek Black emphasizes that attacking schools has long been a tactic to undermine democracy.
