Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen
The Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls
All too often, schools function as a pipeline to prison for troubled kids. Kicking out troublemakers, punishing for bad attitudes leaves kids feeling they are disposable. Authoritarian models too often make schools feel like locations for punishment, when they can become places for healing individuals and the community. In her new book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues: Education for the Liuberation of Black qand Brown Girls author Monique W. Morris follows her earlier book Pushout, The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools with workable, practical solutions that do work. More police do not mean safer schools, on the contrary. Adults co-constructing with students the skills needed to navigate other kids does enhance safety. Instead of kicking out badly behaved kids, teach them how to be in the community. Education can be a tool for real liberation. It is do-able.