Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice

by Jesse Hagopian, Denisha Jones, Opal Tometi (Foreword)

Black Lives Matter at School connects thousands of educators around the country who are fighting racial and economic inequality in schools.

“Black Lives Matter at School is an essential resource for all those seeking to build an antiracist school system."
—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

Black Lives Matter at School succinctly generalizes lessons from successful challenges to institutional racism that have been won through the Black Lives Matter at School movement. This book will inspire many more educators and activists to join the Black Lives Matter at School movement at a moment when this antiracist work in our schools could not be more urgent and critical to education justice.

Contributors include Opal Tometi, who wrote a moving foreword, Bettina Love who shares a powerful chapter on abolitionist teaching, Brian Jones who centers Black Lives Matter at School in the historical context of the ongoing struggle for racial justice in education and prominent teacher union leaders from Chicago to Los Angeles and beyond who discuss the importance of anti-racist struggle in education unions. The book includes essays, interviews, poems, resolutions, and more from educators, students and parents around the country who have been building Black Lives Matter at School on the ground.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Sociology, Audiobook, Social Justice, Race

336 pages, Paperback

Published December 8, 2020

Reviews

[Kyle Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I first expected. It largely is a collection of writings, interviews, and other artifacts from activist educators and students who are working to promote the Black Lives Matter at School agenda. I was inspired by the tireless work each of the contributors to this book displayed. The many different narratives were undoubtedly energizing.

[Karen Kohoutek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not involved in K-12 education, and much of what they do has always seemed very specialized. However, while this book is largely aimed at educators and administrators, it's accessible to a general audience, and has a lot of helpful material that could be used for wider anti-racist work. This includes ways to present information and reinforce it: calendars of potential events and discussion topics, and one of my favorite things, their principles reframed into language younger people can understand, which could actually be useful in presenting these concepts to audiences that aren't familiar with the language of social justice.

The Black Lives Matter at School movement started at the K-12 level, but people in early childhood education and in higher education are also represented here, and that also helps one think about expanding the scope of education.

The interviews with different educators, activists, and especially the student leaders were excellent. This is definitely a good read, especially for anyone concerned about education issues.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this to be a book advocating how Black lives have been disenfranchised in American schools rather than a compilation of essays on the Black Lives Matter at School movement. Consequently, there is more repetition present in this volume than I anticipated. Nonetheless, this book's call to a activism is pertinent for readers interested in restorative justice and anti-racist practices. In my case, this book influenced me to begin the process of creating an African American literature course for the high school I work at.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great in telling what materials educators covered as part of their “program”. I absolutely love that they found ways to make it accessible to young children as well. The book was repetitive, though and not structured in a way I was expecting. I enjoyed reading the interviews from students who were trying to make a difference as well as reading the struggles the adults faced as they worked to make their unions and districts more open minded about what they felt needed to be taught to make a difference in their students’ lives.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

   In this collection of essays from across the country, Jones and Hagopian seek to inform and educate. To inform about what people have seen on the ground regarding racism against Blacks, and to educate about alternative methods we can try to avoid even more police assumptions hurting the Black people they meet. One strange thing is how no matter where in the country the essay refers to, the struggle and methods and resistance program members tell about is consistent...and persistent. We have a long way to go, but this book lays out some of the proposal ideas behind this potential big switch in mindset.
   I'm making a more concerted effort this year to read books I purchased this year, this year, including some of the free books I get, such as this one in audio. It is a collection of essays around the Black Lives Matter at School initiative, and includes essays from around the country, from Seattle where it started to Chicago and California and beyond. Worth noting is that because it is a gathered collection, not a requested one, there is a lot of repetition of ideas, suggestions, and even the same examples used multiple times (one that stands out was the teenager who was pulled from class for a "random" and demeaning search of her belongings, and her hand sanitizer being taken away because she might "use it to get high".).
   It does indeed succeed at its mission to "succinctly [generalize] lessons from successful challenges to institutional racism that have been won through the Black Lives Matter at School movement." As such, it is quite encouraging and uplifting in showing how it is possible to make progress and have wins. However, if you are looking more for a how-to manual, it's not quite what you need. It shows which methods were used and how they worked (or didn't), but doesn't go into too much depth about how the methods were used, what individuals and groups did on the ground to make things happen and get the tenets actioned upon.


Highlights:
Track 8: 2:49
1. End zero-tolerance discipline, and implement restorative justice
2. Hire more Black teachers
3. Mandate Black history/ethnic studies K-12

Track 23: 16:20 - FAQ behind Black Lives Matter

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important read for educators. A collection of essays that makes this valuable text practical to revisit for the frequent work we must do to grow as antiracist educators and abolitionists, as one of the essays advises. I read this for a professional book club organized for alumni my student teaching program which fostered rich and informative conversations.

[Celestine Woo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I've been super excited to read it ever since it came out. I think the main problem is that its target audience is very narrow. If you are progressively minded and totally on board with BLM, as I am, and experienced with teaching in high-need, urban, majority black and brown areas, as I am, then the book is very much preaching to the choir. It has some uplifting stories and ideas, the vast majority of which I already knew. There are other books, like those by Chris Emdin, that I found more practical in terms of curriculum.

If you are BLM-curious, wondering how to make your curriculum and school culture more DEI-friendly, but unsure whether you're on board, I don't think this collection will do much to change your mind, or persuade or educate those readers who are reluctant to examine or change the status quo.

It's a feel-good book for the target audience--an assuring rallying cry that educators in different places and sectors are working on a more just educational system, and it has some nice anecdotes. But it's not transformative.

[Bakari · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Black Lives Matter at School" is a powerful and timely book that sheds light on the importance of education for the Black community and the ongoing struggles faced in gaining access to well-funded schools and decriminalizing K-12 schools. The book serves as a reminder that, in many Black communities, there is a need for Black-led schools run by teachers and staff who embrace the principles of Black Lives Matter and are dedicated to creating transformative spaces for Black children. As we continue to face a conservative backlash against CRT and attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals and cultures, this book offers valuable insights and guidance for those committed to promoting racial justice, equity, and inclusion in our educational systems. In addition to the Kindle edition, I purchased a paperback copy of this book because I will reference it frequently.

[Patricia G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a quick read (listen). I think I would have enjoyed the book better. I got tired of the repetitive abbreviations and acronyms after a while. I am surprised that some people are not aware of the police presence in schools. I am 67 years old and there was a police presence in my junior and high schools in Cleveland Ohio. My daughter taught elementary school for 14 years before leaving to set up a non-profit supplemental educational program to put the fun, creativity, and real knowledge back into teaching

[I Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this book with some union members this summer. We have one more meeting next week to discuss the end of the book. I look forward to thinking of how we can advocate for some of the goals. Very inspirational. I've been looking at the materials on the website and I ordered one of the suggested books.

[Kyrstin Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides information from educators, activists, and students about the Black Lives Matter at School Movement. I learned about so many resources and fellow educators doing this work, which was wholly valuable to both my dissertation study and my future action related to BLM and racial equity in schools.

[Cera-Jann · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The only way to practice the alternative world making that is otherwise possibility is to, indeed, practice otherwise.” This book is a fantastic resource to educators, students, and policy makers of how to practice and live the call for social justice at the core of BLM.

[Breanna James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very important read for educators. I appreciate that the authors included a variety of perspectives, including students. The personal accounts are great examples of why Black lives must matter in schools and the great things that can come about when they do.

[Ari Robin McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/...

[Alivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned so much about how the Black Lives Matter at School movement was started and how it has grown in the last few years, from a variety of perspectives!

[Justin Leroux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary for all educators.

[Marie Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and though provoking; very good read!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short essays and letters for educators to understand the BLM at School program and what changes could be made.

[Kody Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that sparks critical reflection/consciousness for educators who work with Black students. A must read!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Alexis Johnican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring. There is so much for racial Justice that needs to happen, we’ll start in the schools.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very powerful and informational, with lots of great ideas and suggestions, but there were so many typos and errors.

[Sharon N · Rating 2 out of 5]

The message was excellent, but covered in the intro. Much was repeated. It read like a research report. There was one good chapter near the end.

[Abbey]

This is a really impressive collection, and I can’t recommend it enough to those who work in education, particularly in schools. I’m curious if they’ve done any updated publications since 2020!

[Genevieve Campisano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for all teachers. I particularly enjoyed the section about how the themes and principles from the Movement for Black Lives are implemented in Early Childhood Ed classrooms, even though I teach high school students. Thought-provoking and deeply impactful.

[Damon Rainie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a collection of essays, there was space for a range of approaches & philosophies brought to bear on this topic. In particular, this created space for student activists to be heard and hearing directly from them about their motivations, challenges, and sense (or sources) of urgency was compelling. There was more historical recollection of specific actions taken by some of the adults interviewed or writing than I had expected, although this provided insight especially into some of the challenges faced through the years. This also shouwed how implementation can change based on differing contexts and how organizers evaluate the needs and strengths of their communities to decide what to keep from the original models and what to add or leave aside. The strength of the book came in the student voices though, and their interviewers expertly brought these out and gave them the megaphone educators need to hear them. These young leaders prove that they can--with different levels of support--be trusted to lead the work and bring democratic verve to the cause.