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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Elite Influence Uses Democracy To Limit Democracy
- Wealthy foundations and donors use legal democratic tools to achieve anti-democratic outcomes.
- Noliwe Rooks says elites marshal resources to legislate benefits available to some but not others.
Anti-CRT Push Is About Future Votes
- The anti-CRT backlash is politically motivated to blunt organizing by young and multiracial voters.
- Noliwe Rooks argues opponents fear the future electorate shaped by schools and social media.
Weaponizing Controversy To Undermine Schools
- Controversy is weaponized to erode trust in public schools and justify dismantling them.
- Jack Schneider links fear-based politics to alienating people from institutions they once trusted.
