Schooling as a White Good

Abstract

• Schooling in the U.S. has never been a public good; its primary goal has been to promote white advantage.

• Key mechanisms include:

  • Relationship of schooling to place.

  • Knowledge imparted by schools.

  • Hobbling of brown and Black children.

• The move towards schooling being a public good comes from counter-majoritarian, racial activism led by non-white individuals.

Historical Context

• 1957 Little Rock Crisis: White mob protests against integration of Black students in schools.

• Importance of racial activism in challenging the status quo.

Dominant Views on Schooling

1. Progressive View:

   • Public good as core goal of public schooling; issues are exceptional.

   • Belief that schooling promotes democracy and is improving.

2. Economic View:

   • Schools allocate goods and develop human capital but ignore racism.

   • Assumes schooling promotes individual social mobility and economic equality.

3. Critical Race Framework:

   • Focuses on how schools serve white interests and perpetuate racial inequality.

   • Argues that Little Rock is part of a larger pattern of racial exclusion.

Concept of "White Good"

• Definition of schooling as a "white good":

  • Designed to provide advantages to white individuals.

  • While potentially beneficial to others, primarily serves white interests.

Mechanisms of White Advantage

1. Land Use and School Placement:

   • Historical use of land grants from Indigenous homelands to establish schools.

   • Racial segregation influenced placement and funding of schools.

2. Curriculum Design:

   • Emphasizes white history and perspectives, often excluding non-white narratives.

3. Control of Opportunity:

   • Schooling systems historically regulated access to quality education based on race.

Violence and Resistance

• White violence has historically been used to maintain school segregation and white dominance.

• Schools today are linked to mass incarceration, particularly through punitive disciplinary policies.

Conclusion

• Understanding and redefining schooling from a white good to a public good requires acknowledging historical inequalities and advocating for racial justice in education.

• Historians play a crucial role in revealing and addressing the intersecting legacies of race and schooling.

Abstract

Schooling in the U.S. has historically not been viewed as a public good; rather, its primary goal has been to promote white advantage. This involves several key mechanisms, including the relationship between schooling and place, the type of knowledge imparted by schools, and the hindrance faced by brown and Black children. The movement towards recognizing schooling as a public good has largely stemmed from counter-majoritarian racial activism driven by non-white individuals.

Historical Context

A significant event in this discourse is the 1957 Little Rock Crisis, where a white mob protested against the integration of Black students in schools. This illustrates the importance of racial activism in challenging the entrenched status quo.

Dominant Views on Schooling

The dominant views on schooling can be categorized into three perspectives. The Progressive View asserts that the public good is the core goal of public schooling, suggesting that issues within schools are exceptional rather than systemic. This view holds that schooling promotes democracy and reflects an overall improvement. In contrast, the Economic View focuses on schools as mechanisms for allocating goods and developing human capital while neglecting the influence of racism. It operates under the assumption that schooling encourages individual social mobility and economic equality.

The Critical Race Framework, on the other hand, emphasizes how schools often serve white interests perpetuating racial inequality. It argues that events such as the Little Rock Crisis are manifestations of a more extensive pattern of racial exclusion.

Concept of "White Good"

The term "white good" refers to the notion that schooling is primarily designed to confer advantages to white individuals. Although it may offer some benefits to others, it fundamentally serves white interests.

Mechanisms of White Advantage

Several mechanisms contribute to this white advantage, particularly concerning land use and school placement. Historically, land grants from Indigenous homelands were used to establish schools, with racial segregation influencing both school placement and funding. The curriculum design often emphasizes white history and perspectives while excluding narratives from non-white communities. Furthermore, the control of opportunity in education has been such that access to quality schooling has historically been regulated based on race.

Violence and Resistance

Throughout history, white violence has been deployed to sustain school segregation and maintain white dominance. In contemporary society, schools are also linked to mass incarceration, especially through punitive disciplinary policies.

Conclusion

To understand and redefine schooling as a public good rather than a white good, it is imperative to acknowledge historical inequalities and advocate for racial justice in education. Historians play a crucial role in revealing and addressing the intersecting legacies of race and schooling.

Summary 1

In America, schools have mostly helped white people more than others. This means that the way schools are set up and what is taught often supports white people's interests. There have been many people, especially from different races, who have worked hard to make schools better for everyone. A big event called the Little Rock Crisis in 1957 showed how some people tried to stop Black students from going to school with white students.

There are different ideas about why schools exist. Some think schools are meant to help everyone and make things fair, while others believe that schools help white people get ahead, which is not fair to other races. Schools often teach only white histories and ignore important stories from other groups of people. Racial segregation has also played a big role in deciding where schools are built and who gets good education. Unfortunately, throughout history, violence has sometimes been used to keep schools segregated.

To make schools truly fair for everyone, we need to recognize these problems and work together for justice in education. Historians can help us understand these issues better.

Summary 2

In America, schools have mostly helped white people more than others. This means that the way schools are set up and what is taught often supports white people's interests. There have been many people, especially from different races, who have worked hard to make schools better for everyone.

A big event called the Little Rock Crisis happened in 1957. This was when some white people did not want Black students to go to school with white students. A group of nine Black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, were brave enough to try to attend a previously all-white school. Even though they had the right to go to that school, many white people protested and created a lot of trouble. They yelled at the students and tried to stop them from entering the school. The President had to send soldiers to help protect these students and make sure they could go to school safely.

This event showed how unfair some people were in trying to stop others from getting a good education just because of their skin color. It helped people see how important it is to work for equality and fairness in schools.

There are different ideas about why schools exist. Some think schools are meant to help everyone and make things fair, while others believe that schools help white people get ahead, which is not fair to other races. Schools often teach only white histories and ignore important stories from other groups of people. Racial segregation has also played a big role in deciding where schools are built and who gets good education. Unfortunately, throughout history, violence has sometimes been used to keep schools segregated.

To make schools truly fair for everyone, we need to recognize these problems and work together for justice in education. Historians can help us understand these issues better.