1A Who Gets To Decide What School Means For Students?
Jun 19, 2025
Writer and professor Eve L. Ewing discusses her research on race and education, focusing on how schools can shape the experiences of marginalized children. She questions the historical and current structures that perpetuate inequity, particularly in Black and Native communities. Ewing highlights the punitive practices in education and the need for empathy and inclusivity. She also sheds light on the traumatic legacy of government boarding schools aimed at erasing Indigenous cultures, urging for a more diverse representation in modern educational narratives.
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Schools Reflect Power Politics
- Schools have reflected the political aims of the powerful throughout U.S. history.
- Despite this, schools can still be places where students see themselves as worthy of love and leadership.
Fear Shapes School Inclusion
- Fear and intimidation shape school experiences, making marginalized students feel unwelcome.
- This impacts immigrant, trans, queer, and Muslim students beyond the presence of federal agencies.
Early Education Justified Oppression
- Early U.S. education aimed to justify the dispossession of Native lands and Black enslavement.
- Schools helped propagate ideas that Black and Native children were less deserving of care and humanity.
