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On Educational Justice, Now & Forever
Activism ages us a few ticks quicker.
Recently, I’ve been asked to discuss some of my activism work with a wide array of audiences, some more hostile than others. It only dawned on me recently that I’ve been an education activist for more than 20 students, from helping to organize students at Syracuse University to my current work in New York City and beyond. The times have shifted, but the principles remain the same: we can do so much better than what we’re offered. The compromised solution is no solution at all. While some activism has granted a small set of people large sums of money and fame, the majority of activists don’t, can’t, and/or won’t.
My biggest hope is that we’ll get there. My deepest fear is that we’re further away than we’ve ever been.
For one speech, I brought up the words “critical race theory” in front of a large, mostly white audience. The majority of the audience seemed appreciative, but a few whispered to the leadership of the organization. Kudos to the leaders who proceeded to ask the whisperers with a teaspoon of sarcasm whether they needed tissues. In the same space, I also had several people pull me aside to thank me for bringing up what was — for them — a difficult conservation. For too many people, even mentioning anything identity-based (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) would garner…
