Identity, Education and Power in the Aftermath
When I started this publication at the beginning of 2016 I looked forward to inviting a wonderful mix of voices and perspectives into this forum. I was excited about creating a space dedicated to exploration, wondering, reflection and criticism. I recruited some of my author heroes to put this X on the map and here we are.
It’s mid November 2016. Identity, Education and Power is still here and proud to count 25 posts from 16 different authors. Lovely!
Below are some thoughts about the future of this publication in light of recent events.
‘You are here’ depends on who you are.
In the days since the conclusion of the US Presidential election I have been struck by how the three themes featured here capture the crux of both the tragedy and the hope to be found in this particular turn of events. Think about it: Identity, Education and Power.
Identity, rather than issues, had virtually everything to do with how people voted. How individuals identified themselves and their related interests turned out to be central to the Republican candidate securing the necessary electoral votes (but not the popular vote)to win the election. ‘Identity politics’ was served up by many as explanation for the the Democrats’ loss. Post election analyses poured in seeking to capture the ‘real story’ revealed in the voting data. But in the end, the astonishment and utter shock that the brash and unsavory candidate managed to win the day, let us all know that most of our readings were false. The predictions we believed were wrong. And while we either cast a vote or we didn’t, once the result was in, you knew which side you were on.
In Power, About Power; With Power, Without.
Of necessity, all elections, all political contests revolve around the concentration and exercise of power. Power in the electorate means the capacity of voters to task representatives with the license to set policy, devise and enact legislation, to pursue particular courses of diplomacy or military aggression. The power of the United States Presidency has steadily expanded over the last 2 decades, most notably following the attacks of September 11, 2001. So in the face of the new regime, questions of how power will be exercised, on whose behalf and against whom it will be weaponized, are deeply pressing for large segments of the world’s population, not only for US citizens.
Beyond the reach of formal policy, what many are experiencing daily in very acute fashion is the power of message through words and acts by the president elect and his legion of supporters. What does it mean that the president elect’s top advisor is an avowed white supremacist and a dedicated leader of the alt-right movement? In how many more ways must we hear the incoming president demean women, mock the disabled, and malign immigrants before a public line is drawn? The degree to which many feel threatened and dismissed, as well as the number of directly experienced attacks in post-election America are beyond alarming and present cause for immediate response. These particular exercises of power signal as much danger to individuals, groups and the notion of democracy as formal acts of governance, in my opinion.
So power is very much at the center of what we are witnessing.
What is education? What should it do? And for whom?
Education shows up in these intersections in multiple ways. But education policy at the federal or state level does not occupy the limelight. Rather, questions around what education actually is and does and for whom, under which circumstances are the ones which require our deeper investigation. White males with a high school education or less are credited with putting the primary boost behind the Republican’s victory. But they were joined by millions of well educated whites, both male and female. So level of education is not quite the fool-proof indicator of political leaning and actual voting behavior as many pollsters encouraged us to believe.
Which aspects of our collective education supported this particular resurgence of overt white supremacist sentiment? Where have we neglected to review the lessons of history, economics, political science, literature, life and physical sciences sufficiently to recognize the invitation to our own undoing through the results of this election? What kinds of education are taking place in families, churches, civic organizations, sports groups and online forums? How are these connected to people’s understanding of their own identities and that of others? At a time when “critical thinking” is touted as the trademark of a successful education, why is fake news flourishing in the marketplace?
It would be far too easy to lay such perceived failings at the doorstep of public education which has been under siege for decades now, but that is not where we have fallen down as a civil society. On the contrary, this shift in public sensibilities now welcoming demagoguery as an avenue to change has unfolded in homes and neighborhoods, in our religious communities and on the airwaves of social and traditional media. It is precisely these pathways of education which require much closer and critical study.
Identity, education and power are fully entwined in the questions facing us now and in the immediate future. As a publication, this space will continue to welcome voices from multiple fields, backgrounds and spheres of interest. And it will be a space of resistance.
Identity, Education and Power as a collection is committed to headlining, supporting and spreading perspectives of resistance to demagoguery, resistance to a toxic political climate, resistance to anti-democratic leadership and all of the associated damages which will ensue as a result.
We need to bear witness to what we have lost: our safety, our sense of belonging, our vision of our country. We need to mourn all these injuries fully, so that they do not drag us into despair, so repair will be possible.
- Junot Diaz, Radical Hope
Let us resist and organize. Let us create solidarity and entertain the idea of eventual repair.
Here’s how to submit your work to Identity, Education and Power.
