NEW BOOK "KNOW YOUR PRICE" AND
DAN
DANIELLE GOLDSTEIN.
YOU SAY PART OF THE PROBLEM IS
BLACK COMMUNITIES ARE SIMPLY
UNDERVALUED.
GIVE US AN EXAMPLE.
>> YES, HI, STEPHANIE, THANKS
FOR HAVING ME.
SCHOOLS THAT HAVE PREDOMINANTLY
PEOPLE OF COLOR IN IT RECEIVE
$23 BILLION LESS THAN SCHOOLS
THAT HAVE MAJORITY WHITE PEOPLE
IN THEM, STUDENTS IN THEM.
AND THIS IS A REFLECTION OF HOW
WE FUND EDUCATION.
LARGELY BASED ON PROPERTY TAXES.
YES, STATES TRY TO NORMALIZE
THESE RATES SO THAT THERE IS
SOME EQUALIZATION AND
STABILIZATION OF FUNDS THROUGH
THE FUNDING FORMULAS.
BUT STILL, THE STRUCTURES THAT
FUND EDUCATION CREATE THESE
LARGE DISPARITIES AND THE
PROBLEM WITH THAT, IF YOU IGNORE
THOSE STRUCTURES, YOU LEAVE
LITTLE ROOM BUT TO BLAME BLACK
PEOPLE, BLACK TEACHERS, BLACK
CURRICULUM, AND THINGS OF THAT
NATURE.
SO I ALWAYS SAY THAT THERE IS
NOTHING WRONG WITH BLACK PEOPLE
THAT ENDING RACISM CAN’T SOLVE.
SO INSTEAD OF CONSTANTLY
TINKERING WITH TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS, WE NEED TO ADDRESS
THESE STRUCTURAL INEQUALITIES.
>> DANA, WE HAVE SEEN PROTESTS
IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND
MANY PROTESTERS ARE ABLE TO
STAND UP AND THEY’RE ABLE TO
DEMAND POLICE REFORM.
BUT WOULD THOSE SAME THOUSANDS
AND THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS
STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR SCHOOL
INTEGRATION OR LOW INCOME
HOUSING TO BE BUILT IN MORE
HIGHER END NEIGHBORHOODS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I’VE BEEN
REPORTING ON THESE ISSUES FOR
MANY YEARS.
AND I COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS THAT
SOME OF THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS
WHERE WE’RE SEEING WHITE PEOPLE
COME OUT IN FORCE TO DEMAND
CHANGE ON POLICING ARE THE SAME
ONES THAT OFTEN RESIST
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING BUILT
IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR THEY
RESIST SCHOOL INTEGRATION
EFFORTS.
SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
SAY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE
OVERPOLICED IS BECAUSE THEY ARE
SEGREGATED.
WHERE THERE ARE MORE WHITE
PEOPLE WE TEND TO CHOOSE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRATEGIES TO
DEAL WITH SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SUCH
AS DRUGS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT IS -- I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO SORT OF EXTEND THIS
CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW IN THE
WAY THAT ANDRO ISE IS SUGGESTING
WELL.
>> ANDRE, HOW DO WE GET THAT
DONE REALISTICALLY.
HOW DO YOU CAPITALIZE ON THIS
MOMENT, WITHOUT GOING TOO FAR
THAT YOU’LL LOSE MOMENTUM?
WE GOT TO GET MORE THAN POLICE
REFORM.
>> FIRST, WE GOT TO RECOGNIZE
THAT SCHOOLS THEMSELVES ARE
OVERPOLICED.
BLACK INSTITUTIONS ARE TREATED
LIKE BLACK PEOPLE.
IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT OVER
THE LAST 25 YEARS, YOU’VE SEEN
BLACK SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHUT
DOWN, TAKEN OVER, YOU’VE SEEN
STUDENTS EXPEL AND SUSPENDED AT
MUCH HIGH -- BLACK STUDENTS
EXPELLED AT HIGHER RATES.
WE HAVE TO REMOVE THIS ATTITUDE
THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE THE
PROBLEM.
AND THEN -- BUT THEN WE NEED TO
FOCUS ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF
HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED.
IT IS HAPPENING IN PLACES LIKE
MARYLAND, PLACES LIKE
MASSACHUSETTS, THERE ARE EFFORTS
TO RESTRUCTURE THE WAY WE FUND
EDUCATION.
BUT THAT WON’T HAPPEN IF WE KEEP
TRUMPETING THIS NARRATIVE THAT
THE CONDITION OF BLACK SCHOOLS,
BLACK CITIES, BLACK
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE A DIRECT
RESULT OF THE PEOPLE IN THEM.
THERE ARE STRUCTURES THAT LIMIT
THE POTENTIAL AND WE HAVE GOT TO
DEAL WITH THOSE STRUCTURES.
>> DANA, YOU REPORT ON SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
DO YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF
SUCCESSFUL NARROWING OF THIS
EDUCATION GAP?
>> YEAH, THERE IS A LOT THAT
SCHOOLS CAN DO TO BRING KIDS
TOGETHER, SO THAT BLACK AND
BROWN STUDENTS AND LOW INCOME
STUDENTS OF ALL RACES HAVE
ACCESS TO THE BEST OF WHAT OUR
EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS TO OFFER.
WE CAN LOOK WITHIN DISTRICT AT
HOW THE LINES ARE DRAWN THAT
ZONE CHILDREN FOR ONE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL OR ANOTHER.
YOU OFTEN SEE THOSE LINES ARE
DRAWN IN A GERRYMANDERED
FASHION, JUST THE WAY WE MIGHT
GERRYMANDER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OF
COLOR INTO A CERTAIN
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WE OFTEN
DO THAT WITH SCHOOLS.
WE CAN CREATE PROGRAMS THAT DRAW
STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT
BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER, WHETHER IT
IS THE ARTS OR SCIENCES, YOU
KNOW, KIND OF PROVIDE PARENTS
WITH AN INCENTIVE TO SEND THEIR
KIDS TO MORE INTEGRATED SCHOOLS,
SO THERE IS A LOT THAT CAN BE
DONE, AND WE KNOW THAT IT IS
GOOD FOR ALL KIDS, NOT JUST LOW
INCOME KIDS, NOT JUST BLACK AND
BROWN KIDS, BUT ALSO WHITE
STUDENTS.
THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO
ATTENDING AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL.
WE HAVE TO SORT OF TURN THIS
ASSUMPTION THAT A WHITER SCHOOL
IS A BETTER SCHOOL ON ITS HEAD,
THAT IS NOT TRUE IN MANY CASES.
WE DO NEED TO WORK ON FUNDING
EQUITY, BUT IT IS MORE THAN JUST
THAT, IT IS ABOUT SORT OF
QUESTIONING THE ASSUMPTION THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE’RE ALL OUT TO
SQUIER
SECURE ONLY FOR OUR OWN CHILDREN
WHAT IS BEST.
I THINK EACH OF US, I’M A PARENT
TOO, EACH OF US MAKES CHOICES
THAT AFFECT NOT JUST US, BUT