Original Sins
The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of AmericanRacism
1 of 1 copy available
“This book will transform the way you see this country.”—Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow
If all children could just get an education, the logic goes, they would have the same opportunities later in life. But this historical tour de force makes it clear that the opposite is true: The U.S. school system has played an instrumental role in creating and upholding racial hierarchies, preparing children to expect unequal treatment throughout their lives.
In Original Sins, Ewing demonstrates that our schools were designed to propagate the idea of white intellectual superiority, to “civilize” Native students and to prepare Black students for menial labor. Education was not an afterthought for the Founding Fathers; it was envisioned by Thomas Jefferson as an institution that would fortify the country’s racial hierarchy. Ewing argues that these dynamics persist in a curriculum that continues to minimize the horrors of American history. The most insidious aspects of this system fall below the radar in the forms of standardized testing, academic tracking, disciplinary policies, and uneven access to resources.
By demonstrating that it’s in the DNA of American schools to serve as an effective and underacknowledged mechanism maintaining inequality in this country today, Ewing makes the case that we need a profound reevaluation of what schools are supposed to do, and for whom. This book will change the way people understand the place we send our children for eight hours a day.
*Includes a downloadable PDF containing a bibliography, notes, and images described in the book.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 11, 2025 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593908259
- File size: 352819 KB
- Duration: 12:15:01
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Kudos to the author, publisher, and narrator of this audiobook. Author Ewing delivers her introduction, which sets up the arguments. She then turns the body of the text over to Golden Voice narrator Robin Miles. Miles is a gifted performer whose tone, tempo, and cadence enhance the dark truths of this provocative work on the failure of our educational system. Ewing, who is a scholar and poet, indicts American schools as historically rigged against Black and Native American students. She defines in well-supported detail the pillars of racism that have tainted attitudes towards both groups: the belief that they are intellectually inferior and lack discipline, along with economic subjugation. Packed with telltale episodes, this work provides sociological context. A must-listen for parents and politicians. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
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