alykat264's review against another edition
4.0
I think this book is great if you read it as a personal narrative with suggestions on how public education should actively address racism from an abolitionist teaching standpoint. I feel frustrated knowing how low of a priority it is for our country and that teachers on an individual level don’t have control over what we’re allowed to teach. If school boards and curriculum designers could read this and act on it, public education would benefit greatly.
efruitsnack's review against another edition
5.0
Must read for every white teacher/admin/parent/person.
jdizzle's review
4.0
Certainly a great book for someone new to the topic, very strongly written. I just personally found it lackluster. I read this for a teacher education class, and I'm sure it was very eye opening for many people new to the field and context, I just didn't get much from this. Giving it 4 stars because I think it is great for beginners
deservingporcupine's review against another edition
4.0
I would love to read this with other educators so we could discuss it. It’s a challenge to us all to dismantle education as it stands in the U.S. There is mostly theory here and not exactly action steps. Which is great for planting the seeds of radical change but leaves me with questions of what is next. I love that Dr. Love does not shy away from tearing apart so many celebrated aspects of education policy (character education, grit, charter schools) and how they are rooted in white supremacy.
brianna_moye's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Police brutality, Colonisation, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Classism
dashtaisen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I definitely recommend this book, mostly as a starting point for further reading. I picked up this book because I was looking for ideas about how to honor learners’ understanding of themselves and their situations, while also using my skills as an educator to help them achieve their goals. This book helped me do that. It didn’t have much in the way of suggestions, but it gave me a lot to think about, and plenty of other material to follow up on.
As other reviewers have pointed out, there’s not much in the book about specific things that communities can do to make abolitionist teaching happen. For example, one of the chapters is “Theory Over Gimmicks: Finding Your North Star.” Although many of the scholars and activists mentioned in the book have various approaches to theory and practice, the chapter itself covers theory and its application only superficially. In any case, the book has plenty of references to people and organizations who are doing that work. And in any case, this is the kind of work that needs to happen in community. So maybe this is best “left as an exercise to the reader.”
As other reviewers have pointed out, there’s not much in the book about specific things that communities can do to make abolitionist teaching happen. For example, one of the chapters is “Theory Over Gimmicks: Finding Your North Star.” Although many of the scholars and activists mentioned in the book have various approaches to theory and practice, the chapter itself covers theory and its application only superficially. In any case, the book has plenty of references to people and organizations who are doing that work. And in any case, this is the kind of work that needs to happen in community. So maybe this is best “left as an exercise to the reader.”
smpokorney's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
chyreads29's review against another edition
4.0
If you serve, teach, raise, make policy for, are related to, live next to, go to school with, or know Black and Brown children in any capacity, you need to read this book. Required reading for all.