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Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls
A groundbreaking and visionary call to action on educating and supporting girls of color, from the highly acclaimed author of Pushout
"Monique Morris is a personal shero of mine and a respected expert in this space."
—Ayanna Pressley, U.S. congresswoman and the first woman of color elected to Boston's city council
Wise Black women have known for centuries that the blues have been a platform for truth-telling, an underground musical railroad to survival, and an essential form of resistance, healing, and learning. In her highly anticipated follow-up to the widely acclaimed Pushout on the criminalization of black girls in schools, Monique W. Morris invokes the spirit of the blues to articulate a radically healing and empowering pedagogy for Black and Brown girls.
A passionate manifesto that builds naturally on her previous book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues reimagines what education might look like if schools placed the flourishing of Black and Brown girls at their center. Grounding each chapter in interviews, case studies, and testimonies of educators who work successfully with girls of color, Morris blends research with real life to offer a radiant manifesto on moving away from punishment, trauma, and discrimination toward safety, justice, and genuine community in our schools.
In the tradition of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and Other People’s Children, Morris’s new book is a clarion call—for educators, parents, students, and anyone who has a stake in a better tomorrow—to transform schools into places where learning and collective healing can flourish.
"Monique Morris is a personal shero of mine and a respected expert in this space."
—Ayanna Pressley, U.S. congresswoman and the first woman of color elected to Boston's city council
Wise Black women have known for centuries that the blues have been a platform for truth-telling, an underground musical railroad to survival, and an essential form of resistance, healing, and learning. In her highly anticipated follow-up to the widely acclaimed Pushout on the criminalization of black girls in schools, Monique W. Morris invokes the spirit of the blues to articulate a radically healing and empowering pedagogy for Black and Brown girls.
A passionate manifesto that builds naturally on her previous book, Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues reimagines what education might look like if schools placed the flourishing of Black and Brown girls at their center. Grounding each chapter in interviews, case studies, and testimonies of educators who work successfully with girls of color, Morris blends research with real life to offer a radiant manifesto on moving away from punishment, trauma, and discrimination toward safety, justice, and genuine community in our schools.
In the tradition of For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood and Other People’s Children, Morris’s new book is a clarion call—for educators, parents, students, and anyone who has a stake in a better tomorrow—to transform schools into places where learning and collective healing can flourish.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2019
55 people are currently reading
3428 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 12, 2019
How can we better protect and help liberate black and brown girls, we need to know and understand them and stop overlooking them. Monica Morris has once again open my eyes to better understanding and protecting black and brown girls.. Liking their rhythm is not enough we must empathize and understand their blues.. A must read . This is a book that I will definitely recommend that our Justice Team read..
August 11, 2019
If you are a part of any black or brown girl's life, please read this book. We really have to examine how we raise these children and let's take notes from an expert. This book describes what we are currently doing and what we should be doing instead in terms of cultivating spaces for black and brown girls. The author focuses on the k-12 experience but this can be translated to home and community life. This is not a parenting book. It is more geared towards school and community officials. However, a parent of a teen who may be experiencing behavioral issues, should read this book in order to better advocate for their child. This book is a guide for implementing more love into policy and less punishment. Caring about the whole circumstance and the whole individual instead of just the incident.
August 31, 2024
It is my hope that if you have a black or brown girl in your life you will read this. It is also my hope that you will read this even if you don’t have a black or brown girl in your life. Because we as society have a responsibility to protect our children. For too long black and brown girls have not been treated as children. As babies.
Utilizing zero tolerance, corporal punishments and other similar forms of disciplined are putting bandaids over the real issues instead of getting to the root cause of a child’s behavior.
Utilizing zero tolerance, corporal punishments and other similar forms of disciplined are putting bandaids over the real issues instead of getting to the root cause of a child’s behavior.
October 4, 2020
Monique Morris’ book lays out a strong case for focusing our educational work on black and brown girls. The facts speak for themselves. She interweaves poetry from black and brown blues singers as a way to foster the connection between community and culture as a way to restore justice for our black and brown youth. The book is truly beautiful in the way that it is laid out.
Where she lost me a bit was in her strategies for reaching that justice for the girls. She quickly glosses over examples and strategies that really could have been flushed out more. I left with a notebook full of organizations and curriculum that I need to sift through now to see what I could implement in my classroom for my students. I wish more of that information was contained within the book.
As a teacher focused on social justice, I had a lot of background on the rationale of this work being important when I picked up the book. That’s why was drawn to it in the first place. I needed some more depth and concrete solutions that I could take and implement beyond just being an empathetic person who cares about her students.
Thank you for writing about our black and brown youth! Overall this was an excellent read that reinforced my mission and supported my rationale for teaching the way I do. Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Where she lost me a bit was in her strategies for reaching that justice for the girls. She quickly glosses over examples and strategies that really could have been flushed out more. I left with a notebook full of organizations and curriculum that I need to sift through now to see what I could implement in my classroom for my students. I wish more of that information was contained within the book.
As a teacher focused on social justice, I had a lot of background on the rationale of this work being important when I picked up the book. That’s why was drawn to it in the first place. I needed some more depth and concrete solutions that I could take and implement beyond just being an empathetic person who cares about her students.
Thank you for writing about our black and brown youth! Overall this was an excellent read that reinforced my mission and supported my rationale for teaching the way I do. Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2021
I wish there was the option for extra stars. This book transcended my expectations and I recommend it above pretty much any other book in terms of a resource for teachers and youth workers.
December 8, 2019
I'm not American and even that did not hamper me from relating to this book because I'm black and some of the challenges faced by girls that the author discusses were not new to me.
I love how this book is written because it welcomes the reader into the struggles of young girls of color and though I found no concrete recommendations or actionable points from this book, just by talking about what's happening, I believe the author is well on her way to seeing to change in the education system.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
PS: Sorry it took a long time for me to finish reading this book.
I love how this book is written because it welcomes the reader into the struggles of young girls of color and though I found no concrete recommendations or actionable points from this book, just by talking about what's happening, I believe the author is well on her way to seeing to change in the education system.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
PS: Sorry it took a long time for me to finish reading this book.
June 21, 2020
Everything Morris writes is critically important. I'm grateful for her work and hope more educators of BIPOC students use her work as the framework for their teaching.
July 24, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this book - an insightful examination into our current education system and the school to prison pipeline for young girls. There are so many helpful methods and techniques to be adopted by schools, teachers, and education policy makers outlined in this book. A recommended read for educators, activists, and community leaders - all while weaving in the truth-telling spirit and origin of the blues.
August 3, 2021
Enjoyed and learned from start to finish. Recommend the audio version.
July 27, 2019
Net Galley provided me with an ARC of this book, and I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to read it. I think I can best review this book (and demonstrate its importance) by sharing what resonated with me.
First, in between the chapters are interludes. These are short songs, poems, and individual experiences which emphasize sources of strength and positivity for these Black and Brown girls.
It's important to understand her discussion of "erasure". She describes these primarily Black and Brown girls as feeling as though they don't exist. They go to school and are taught about other people's history and experiences. They want a curriculum that includes their "histories, interpretations, and contributions to American narratives." It makes me think: How can I do a better job as a teacher to ensure that my students of color value their existence and importance in our American narratives?
She writes about the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) that so many of these Black and Brown girls have experienced, and how it affects their ability to learn. Of course it also affects their behavior in school. How do we address these behaviors? How do we get past them to help these students succeed? It's not acceptable to just "push them out of school". Instead how do we as educators help them redirect that energy? How can we help them find their own voice? She addresses these questions, and she continuously makes me want to think about how I can do better.
She doesn't just ask the questions though. She provides educators with many ideas and tools about how to reach these students. She writes about restorative justice methods, volunteerism, and most importantly the crucial need to build relationships.
These relationships are what are KEY in her writing. Educators must build relationships with their students. Students must know that we care and that we want them to succeed. It's a difficult path sometimes. Some students are hard to love. They have faced things that I can't even imagine, and as a result, they act out and create thick shells around themselves. We can't just push these students away and give up on them, because they are the ones that need us the most. The importance of building relationships with each student cannot be over emphasized, and this is the essence of her important book.
#SingArhythmDanceAblues #NetGalley
First, in between the chapters are interludes. These are short songs, poems, and individual experiences which emphasize sources of strength and positivity for these Black and Brown girls.
It's important to understand her discussion of "erasure". She describes these primarily Black and Brown girls as feeling as though they don't exist. They go to school and are taught about other people's history and experiences. They want a curriculum that includes their "histories, interpretations, and contributions to American narratives." It makes me think: How can I do a better job as a teacher to ensure that my students of color value their existence and importance in our American narratives?
She writes about the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) that so many of these Black and Brown girls have experienced, and how it affects their ability to learn. Of course it also affects their behavior in school. How do we address these behaviors? How do we get past them to help these students succeed? It's not acceptable to just "push them out of school". Instead how do we as educators help them redirect that energy? How can we help them find their own voice? She addresses these questions, and she continuously makes me want to think about how I can do better.
She doesn't just ask the questions though. She provides educators with many ideas and tools about how to reach these students. She writes about restorative justice methods, volunteerism, and most importantly the crucial need to build relationships.
These relationships are what are KEY in her writing. Educators must build relationships with their students. Students must know that we care and that we want them to succeed. It's a difficult path sometimes. Some students are hard to love. They have faced things that I can't even imagine, and as a result, they act out and create thick shells around themselves. We can't just push these students away and give up on them, because they are the ones that need us the most. The importance of building relationships with each student cannot be over emphasized, and this is the essence of her important book.
#SingArhythmDanceAblues #NetGalley
October 30, 2024
incredibly thought provoking and powerful!
November 4, 2019
I wanted to love this book. At the end, I respected it--I know it's an important step in the publishing world to have a subtitle that explicitly mentions the liberation of black and brown girls--but I didn't love it.
Morris says she will not detail the failures of the past but the successes of programs in the present, but I'm not sure she makes good on that promise. Whenever she does cite specific programs, the mentions are brief and don't provide enough detail or context to be helpful to readers. I'm certain Morris did copious amounts of research for this book, but I worry the meat of that didn't make it into the book. Instead, it felt like a string of educational buzzwords--SEL, trauma-sensitive care, ACES, restorative practices--without much meaningful exploration of how these uniquely support black and brown girls or what that unique support would look like.
I also wanted connections to the blues to be more frequent and more explicit. Other than in the underdeveloped introduction, the music form was rarely mentioned. I'd like a clearer articulation of blues elements and what their liberatory educational equivalents are.
Despite my hefty critique, I did appreciate the first half of this book in particular because it confirmed what I already believe to be true about education but need frequent reminders and validation about, especially in a time when those who suggest that elements of liberatory pedagogy, like advocating for the elimination of exclusionary discipline, can be dismissed as soft and overly sensitive. I underlined several phrases that resonated with me and refocused my teaching. However, those few gems weren't enough to carry the book.
I hope this book will serve the role of paving the way for more books like it, books that can go into greater depth and lead to more specific action to truly liberate black and brown girls.
Morris says she will not detail the failures of the past but the successes of programs in the present, but I'm not sure she makes good on that promise. Whenever she does cite specific programs, the mentions are brief and don't provide enough detail or context to be helpful to readers. I'm certain Morris did copious amounts of research for this book, but I worry the meat of that didn't make it into the book. Instead, it felt like a string of educational buzzwords--SEL, trauma-sensitive care, ACES, restorative practices--without much meaningful exploration of how these uniquely support black and brown girls or what that unique support would look like.
I also wanted connections to the blues to be more frequent and more explicit. Other than in the underdeveloped introduction, the music form was rarely mentioned. I'd like a clearer articulation of blues elements and what their liberatory educational equivalents are.
Despite my hefty critique, I did appreciate the first half of this book in particular because it confirmed what I already believe to be true about education but need frequent reminders and validation about, especially in a time when those who suggest that elements of liberatory pedagogy, like advocating for the elimination of exclusionary discipline, can be dismissed as soft and overly sensitive. I underlined several phrases that resonated with me and refocused my teaching. However, those few gems weren't enough to carry the book.
I hope this book will serve the role of paving the way for more books like it, books that can go into greater depth and lead to more specific action to truly liberate black and brown girls.
May 24, 2021
The sequel to Pushout, this book takes a deep dive into culturally sustaining, abolitionist educational practices for Black and Brown girls. A must read for educators and those who work in schools and community based organizations.
February 11, 2020
Took my time with this book. Wanted to process as I read each chapter.
Morris offers practical advice along with the research for reaching and empowering this segment of our education community.
Morris offers practical advice along with the research for reaching and empowering this segment of our education community.
December 14, 2019
Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues is Dr. Monique Morris's bracing follow-up to her 2015 study, Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. Black and Brown girls experience a shockingly disproportionate rate of disciplinary action in U.S. schools, often leading to incarceration. Moreover, Morris notes, "[b]lack girls with disabilities are two to three times as likely as their white counterparts to be suspended or arrested" (112). Morris calls for awareness, advocacy, and accountability on the part of all those who work with, care for, and share the world with girls of color.
Morris grabbed my attention at the outset, stating that "[i]n school districts throughout the country, disproportionately high levels of Black, Latina, and Indigenous girls are struggling to realize their true identities as scholars. Too often they are pushed out of schools and into participation in underground economies, in which they're vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and other harms. FOR THESE GIRLS, DEFIANCE, AS AN EXPRESSION OF DISSENT, IS CRIMINALIZED; IT IS TREATED AS AN OFFENSE, RATHER THAN UNDERSTOOD AS A FORM OF CRITICAL THINKING" (8, emphasis mine).
To understand defiance as an expression of dissent and thus a form of critical thinking is to turn upside-down the paradigm of student vs. teacher, child vs. authority, criminal vs. state, and to uphold a potent and restorative tradition of healing, liberation, and justice. Weaving through her argument the voices and stories of creative educators, mentors, girls, school districts and non-profits, Morris makes a compelling case that rebuilding relationships and empowering those who have experienced trauma is at the heart of education. "The issues facing our vulnerable girls are urgent. Instead of shying away from their challenges, engage them. Seek to understand who they are and whom they can become. The tempo of this pedagogy is liberation, and its groove is love. Let it light the path to learning for all of us" (177).
Morris grabbed my attention at the outset, stating that "[i]n school districts throughout the country, disproportionately high levels of Black, Latina, and Indigenous girls are struggling to realize their true identities as scholars. Too often they are pushed out of schools and into participation in underground economies, in which they're vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and other harms. FOR THESE GIRLS, DEFIANCE, AS AN EXPRESSION OF DISSENT, IS CRIMINALIZED; IT IS TREATED AS AN OFFENSE, RATHER THAN UNDERSTOOD AS A FORM OF CRITICAL THINKING" (8, emphasis mine).
To understand defiance as an expression of dissent and thus a form of critical thinking is to turn upside-down the paradigm of student vs. teacher, child vs. authority, criminal vs. state, and to uphold a potent and restorative tradition of healing, liberation, and justice. Weaving through her argument the voices and stories of creative educators, mentors, girls, school districts and non-profits, Morris makes a compelling case that rebuilding relationships and empowering those who have experienced trauma is at the heart of education. "The issues facing our vulnerable girls are urgent. Instead of shying away from their challenges, engage them. Seek to understand who they are and whom they can become. The tempo of this pedagogy is liberation, and its groove is love. Let it light the path to learning for all of us" (177).
September 7, 2019
“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to beat him temporarily at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” Audre Lorde
Education is freedom work, and if we continue to uphold the educational institution without acknowledging that it has been a tool used to oppress, push out, and exclude, we will never truly be free. In Monique Morris’ follow up to Pushout, she continues to delve into the practice of criminalizing Black and Brown girls. She exposes the continued use of the school to confinement pathway and the harm it does for girls in the present and society in the future. She continues the conversation by scholars like Chris Emdin and Bettina Love that urges not educational reform, but a complete overhaul and paradigm shift. She implores parents, educators, advocates, and the community to pick up the tools of educational and restorative justice to transform the way we educate. In this manifesto Morris suggests that pedagogy that is communal, healing, and empowering will reach those who have been systematically excluded from education and teach them how to be and live freely.
Education is freedom work, and if we continue to uphold the educational institution without acknowledging that it has been a tool used to oppress, push out, and exclude, we will never truly be free. In Monique Morris’ follow up to Pushout, she continues to delve into the practice of criminalizing Black and Brown girls. She exposes the continued use of the school to confinement pathway and the harm it does for girls in the present and society in the future. She continues the conversation by scholars like Chris Emdin and Bettina Love that urges not educational reform, but a complete overhaul and paradigm shift. She implores parents, educators, advocates, and the community to pick up the tools of educational and restorative justice to transform the way we educate. In this manifesto Morris suggests that pedagogy that is communal, healing, and empowering will reach those who have been systematically excluded from education and teach them how to be and live freely.
October 17, 2022
#Goodreadsgiveaways
Yes, I did receive this book for free since I entered the contest. I am a retired teacher and thought this title sounded interesting.
I now wish upon reading it, that I had read it while I was teaching, but of course it had not been written yet. This author has shared some amazing and scary statistics about the education of black and brown girls. The ideas she suggests to help them in their education are wonderful.
One thing I did think about while reading this book was that many times I had huge classes, in 4th grade one year I had 45 students! It would be a bit difficult to make use of all the ideas in this book with that many students. I noticed that the examples the author wrote about when she visited school programs was that they were often girl only schools or minority only schools. I am sure these teaching/counseling tips would be much more helpful in these situations.
I do urge all current educators to read this book and see for yourself what you might be able to implement in your classroom.
Yes, I did receive this book for free since I entered the contest. I am a retired teacher and thought this title sounded interesting.
I now wish upon reading it, that I had read it while I was teaching, but of course it had not been written yet. This author has shared some amazing and scary statistics about the education of black and brown girls. The ideas she suggests to help them in their education are wonderful.
One thing I did think about while reading this book was that many times I had huge classes, in 4th grade one year I had 45 students! It would be a bit difficult to make use of all the ideas in this book with that many students. I noticed that the examples the author wrote about when she visited school programs was that they were often girl only schools or minority only schools. I am sure these teaching/counseling tips would be much more helpful in these situations.
I do urge all current educators to read this book and see for yourself what you might be able to implement in your classroom.
January 24, 2021
Absolutely a necessary read for educators this is a follow up to her first that I took a lot from as well. I've had this on order and have been waiting to get it and read it.
The form and function of Morris' message works alongside the organization that allows educators to digest each word, each quote by a girl, each school that works to find a better way to educate our girls of color: one that focuses on restorative practices, recognizes our biases and combats them by changing the policies that have built the structural and systemic racism that disadvantaged them.
Take notes, change practices, invite the change that's needed. But it starts with awareness so for some this is just the beginning of their journey of antiracism, for others who might be farther along, there's still more to learn and change and do.
The form and function of Morris' message works alongside the organization that allows educators to digest each word, each quote by a girl, each school that works to find a better way to educate our girls of color: one that focuses on restorative practices, recognizes our biases and combats them by changing the policies that have built the structural and systemic racism that disadvantaged them.
Take notes, change practices, invite the change that's needed. But it starts with awareness so for some this is just the beginning of their journey of antiracism, for others who might be farther along, there's still more to learn and change and do.
February 25, 2020
"Millions of people consume the blues as entertainment without acknowledging its most important contributions to the freedom struggle: a platform for truth telling, a form of resistance, and thus a pathway to healing and learning." -Monique W. Morris
I believe this book is required reading for anyone who loves, cares for, or educates brown girls. Not only does the author point out flaws in our education system, she adds ways in which it can be improved upon. Though I have formed a unique perspective of public education because of my own experiences, I am glad that I was able to read Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues and be able to better understand other's perspectives as well. Oftentimes we believe that more discipline will cause our children to "shape up" and be better students, but the real answer here is all about love and I'm so elated that I was able to see this message translated and shared in this book!
I especially love the format of the book, starting with interludes then going into "songs" which further illustrate how our current education system is failing our young black girls. Not only do I feel this book is a necessary read for educators, I feel like this book is necessary for all brown girls and advocates, as there is so much information here that can help + heal us all. Can't wait to purchase a hardcover copy and share with others.
Major thanks to The New Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues in exchange for an honest review.
I believe this book is required reading for anyone who loves, cares for, or educates brown girls. Not only does the author point out flaws in our education system, she adds ways in which it can be improved upon. Though I have formed a unique perspective of public education because of my own experiences, I am glad that I was able to read Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues and be able to better understand other's perspectives as well. Oftentimes we believe that more discipline will cause our children to "shape up" and be better students, but the real answer here is all about love and I'm so elated that I was able to see this message translated and shared in this book!
I especially love the format of the book, starting with interludes then going into "songs" which further illustrate how our current education system is failing our young black girls. Not only do I feel this book is a necessary read for educators, I feel like this book is necessary for all brown girls and advocates, as there is so much information here that can help + heal us all. Can't wait to purchase a hardcover copy and share with others.
Major thanks to The New Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2020
Many will not want to believe the information in this work but it is real. One reason people will want to disregard this information is that it shows a less than admirable face of American society. Another reason some will rant against this work is that is shows the way young people are marginalized and this is a hard pill to swallow for a country that proclaims it is about "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for all its citizens."
I think this work needs to not only be read but actions should be taken to correct the issues shown in this book. Ms. Morris has another work titled "Pushout" and it also exposes the harsh realities that many young girls of color endure on a daily basis. And the title itself is a message...
I think this work needs to not only be read but actions should be taken to correct the issues shown in this book. Ms. Morris has another work titled "Pushout" and it also exposes the harsh realities that many young girls of color endure on a daily basis. And the title itself is a message...
May 1, 2022
I think I pulled more from this second book written by Monique Morris. Even saying that, I must say that I have learned a tremendous amount from both books which I hope to apply to my own teaching and interactions with my students.
In this book Morris focuses more on all of the black and brown girls mentioned in the subtitle as compared to those girls most vulnerable to Pushout which she highlights in her first book. She also has her first book as a strong reference that she can connect to throughout this book.
One of the main drawbacks I have from the book is the fact that it is so short. I wanted more. However, the length will make it easier to return to and pull from everything that I annotated throughout my read.
In this book Morris focuses more on all of the black and brown girls mentioned in the subtitle as compared to those girls most vulnerable to Pushout which she highlights in her first book. She also has her first book as a strong reference that she can connect to throughout this book.
One of the main drawbacks I have from the book is the fact that it is so short. I wanted more. However, the length will make it easier to return to and pull from everything that I annotated throughout my read.
December 12, 2019
Not only is this the perfect follow up to Pushout, Morris lists many practical solutions for schools who want to shift to recovery and reconciliation for Black girls in public schools. I wrote a list of every model and method she has used and seen in other schools, and I’m giving it straight to my administration. I also love that she, like Bettina Love, puts wellness and love at the center of everything. These are the values that will take our education system forward, as well as our world: adopting a holistic approach to solving problems, and treating each other as human beings. Just in awe of her as a scholar and grateful for her generosity.
January 29, 2020
"Black and Brown girls who don't see themselves in the curriculum, and narratives that aren't as diverse as their communities are in real life, detach from the material and come to view education as a game rather than as a tool for their freedom." --- Monique W. Morris --- "Sing A Rhythm, Dance A Blues," by Monique Morris, is a very intense book that discusses the institutionalized racism within the education field that impacts Black & Brown girls. This is a great book about the school-to-prison pipeline and what can be done within learning organizations to help marginalized children succeed.
June 15, 2020
This beautiful masterpiece examines and tells how we can be of light, inspiration, and guidance to the black and brown girls in our lives. In a school and community point of view, this book explains the appropriate ways in which we should address and assist our black and brown girls in the classroom. We are provided with strategies, resources and tools on how to reach our girls. "The issues facing our vulnerable girls are urgent. Instead of shying away from their challenges, engage them. Seek to understand who they are and to envision whom they can become. The tempo of this pedagogy is liberation, and its groove is love. Let it light the path to learning for all of us."
Read
August 24, 2020First Morris’s enlightening previous book, Pushout, outlined the problem: Black and brown girls are disproportionately on the receiving end of exclusionary discipline and the school-to-confinement pathway. Sing a Rhythm Dance a Blues follows up with a vision to address the problem: basically, creating schools (and out of school programs, in my case) that care about kids, support their healing and development, and help them achieve their own liberation. I will be referring back to this in my work at the library.
March 26, 2023
I picked this up because it seemed like it would use music as a way to help Black girls feel and be more successful and connected in schools, but it was about alternative ways of “discipline” rather than expulsion or suspension and the “blues” was a metaphor that I feel was shoehorned. It had great argument for helping girls to change the way they saw themselves rather than punish them in a way that our public school system has systematically created to be worse for minorities. But this book seemed to talk in circles and vaguely rather than giving step by step or explicit ideas.
January 24, 2021
this is a necessary read for all educators. especially those in administration. we have to implement these systemic changes in schools and stop overlooking and drowning out students because we refuse to truly see them and to adapt our approach. Monique Morris portrays both why and how the trauma of Black and Brown girls impacts educational needs and how schools need to change to become a space where no further harm is inflicted, and education and liberation can truly take place.
August 30, 2022
While I loved the layout of this book, (research, interludes of poetry/song, examples of what is working) I wish some of the strategies mentioned were expanded on. I'm grateful that the schools I work with are definitely on the right path (with plenty of room to grow) and it was awesome to hear that a few of the things we are doing are recommended in this book. I think my favorite new idea is having campus grandmas to help create a safe and loving community instead of SRO's!!
March 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I own Pushout but have yet to read it and this felt like a great introduction. This was a great read for any educator, but especially white educators. We need to check our biases and focus on equitable teaching and reaction to behaviors. It's important we dig into the root cause of behavior and and work on restorative practice rather than focusing on punishing students. There's so much more I could say and may come back to type but I highly recommend this book!
August 23, 2020
This book is a must-read for all educators. Thinking about how to make school and education better so ALL students can flourish is a difficult, yet rewarding, task. Monique Morris has given examples and recommendations of how to allow black and brown girls to empower themselves. I learned so much and can't wait to put it into action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews