Episode 103: What Would Frederick Douglass Say?

This episode discusses Frederick Douglass' 1852 speech criticizing American hypocrisy on Independence Day while slavery still existed. Dr. Berry reinterprets Douglass' words to draw parallels to modern educational inequities such as lack of resources during remote learning and achievement gaps faced by students of color. It calls for systemic policy changes and community involvement to ensure equitable, high-quality education for all children.

Transcript

Episode 103 | 4th of July

Fri, Jul 05, 2024 12:50AM • 14:36

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

children, schools, douglas, students, black, teachers, hypocrisy, words, equity, color, systemic racism, learners, nation, serve, educational equity, episode, brown, july, fourth, access

SPEAKERS

Dr Almitra Berry

00:03

If you're a parent, teacher or school leader and you're sick and tired of the frustration, anger and unfair treatment of children at high risk in our public schools, then perhaps it's time for all of us to do something about it. In this podcast, Dr amitra Berry brings you tips, tools, strategies and tactics to build successful solutions while touching, moving and inspiring all of us to transform our schools so that every child thrives. Here's your host. Dr Berry,

Dr Almitra Berry  00:42

welcome back, equity warriors. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode of the 3e podcast. Now, before we get started, smash that subscribe button if you didn't do it before, do it now. It's free, it's easy, and it will make you feel good. Couple episodes back, I talked about Juneteenth. Today is the fourth of July. So I'm going to talk about that other Freedom Day, the Fourth of July. So before you dive into that barbecue and potato salad or as you recover from a case of itis, check out this special message that bridges the past and the present. Today, we examine the enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass and the relevance of his legacy, his words to the state of public education and social justice for children of color here in the United States today, and I imagine in other places as well. Frederick Douglass, he was an emancipated slave, a brilliant, eloquent and determined leader of the anti slavery movement. Frederick escaped from slavery in 1838 and became a powerful voice for abolition. In 1852 he was asked to speak in celebration of the Fourth of July, of a day of freedom, at a time where his brothers of and sisters of African descent were still held in bondage. So his speech, what to the slave is the fourth of July was delivered on July 5, actually 1852 and to this day, it is one of the most poignant critiques of American hypocrisy regarding freedom and justice. Several years back, I reinterpreted Douglas's words to reflect on the current state of public education and of social justice for children of color, for our marginalized learners. So I want to start this episode by revisiting his words. We're going to start with his opening lines, and I'm going to give you sort of a modern reinterpretation and some additional stuff in between, but his words, I will reimagine for our black and brown and marginalized children today. Here are his words. First, what to the American slave is your fourth of July? I answer a day that reveals to him more than all other days in the year the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim to him, your celebration as a sham, your boasted liberty and unholy license, your national greatness, swelling vanity. Your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless. Your denunciations of tyrants brass fronted impudence, your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery, your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings with all your religious parade and solemnity are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety and hypocrisy, a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. Douglas's words, they resonate deeply when we think about the educational experiences of black and brown children today. Think back to when the covid 19 pandemic hit, it exacerbated the existing inequalities in education, and while remote learning was necessary as a response, yes, it simply served to highlight the multiple divides. There were so many students of color who lacked access to. Adequate technology to Wi Fi to support widened the achievement gap, and even when tech and materials and Wi Fi were provided, there were still children who did not have electricity to plug in and charge those devices. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, black and Latino learners experienced sharper declines in test scores compared to their white peer peers during the pandemic, and sure, there has been some recovery, but that gap, that achievement gap, that's fueled by the provision gap because of the way we choose to educate children. It's still there, and it's still significant. Back to Douglas, his speech also addressed the broader social injustices that were faced by black Americans. He spoke of the gross injustice and cruelty that the Fourth of July revealed to the enslaved today, our children of color witness modern day lynchings at the hands of police officers and emboldened gun enthusiasts standing their ground. Our children witnessed systemic racism, all these things broadcast into their homes through social media and news outlets they saw the death of George Floyd, ahmaud, arbery and rayshard Brooks stark reminders of an ongoing struggle for justice. I imagine Douglas might say it this way. How can we celebrate when our children have seen the images of modern day lynchings the lives of George Floyd, ahmaud, arbery and rayshard Brooks pumped into their living room TVs and their social media feeds. How do we celebrate the benefits of freedom for learners of color in the wake of years where black and brown children feared an unseen pandemic lynchings at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect them, and a mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas where 19 beautiful brown children lost their lives. Here's what I know, the disparities in educational outcomes aren't just about access. They are deeply rooted in systemic issues. We have schools serving predominantly black and brown students that are underfunded and lacking resources compared to the schools that serve their white peers. The students in these schools are more likely to attend classrooms with inexperienced teachers with limited advanced coursework and inadequate facilities. The data is clear. Don't take my word for it. According to the Learning Policy Institute, black students are more than twice as likely to attend a high poverty school compared to their white peers. These schools often struggle with high teacher turnover, dilapidated buildings and insufficient funding. Douglas's speech also touched on the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while denying it to others. This hypocrisy is mirrored in our education system today. You see, despite the rhetoric of Equity and Inclusion, the reality for many of our students, is starkly different. I imagine, if he were here, he might say it this way, our learners of color have little to celebrate on this anniversary, textbooks still present a warped, sanitized and whitewashed version of his story, not our story. Social justice and equity are given lip service, but the scars of implicit bias show prominently in test scores and disciplinary data. The blessings of independence are not enjoyed by black and brown children, and he'd be right. You see, disciplinary disparities are another critical issue. Black students are disproportionately subjected to suspensions, expulsions and referrals to law enforcement. According to the Office for Civil Rights, black boys make up 8% of enrollment, but account for 18% of out of school suspensions and expulsions, 8% of enrollment, 18% 18% of out of school suspensions and expulsions. This contributes to the school to prison pipeline, where students of color are funneled out of educational institutions and into the criminal justice system. The impact of disparities like these extend far beyond our classrooms. You see students who are suspended or expelled are more likely to drop out of school. When they drop out of school, they're more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. This cycle of disadvantage perpetuates the. Inequities that Douglass decreed over a century, a century and a half ago. So what do we do? What can be done? How do we move from rhetoric to action? The answer to systemic racism lies in systemic change. We need policies that address the root causes of educational inequity. This includes equitable funding for schools. It includes access to high quality early childhood education, including Universal Preschool. It includes support for teachers in high needs areas, recruiting teachers who want to serve in those high need areas. But there's more. We have to not only look at data, we have to let it drive the approaches that we take when we leverage data analytics, educators and policy makers, you school board members who are listening, you can use the analytics to identify and address critical indicators of equity. Here's an example, the Center for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia University, is using data to uncover biases and improve educational outcomes for students of color. But there's more. You know that African proverb it takes a village to raise a child. Community involvement is essential schools. You cannot just lock parents out after they drop their kids off. You have to engage with parents. You have to engage with students, and you have to engage with members of the community at large. If you're going to create a collaborative approach to education, it's not just what happens in the building between eight and three, it's everything in that child's lived experience outside of those six or seven hours that they're there. This means leaders that you have to listen to the voices of those that are most affected by educational inequities, and you have to work together to find solutions. Every year, I reflect on Douglas's words, and I ask that as you do so, as we do so, that we remember that the fight for educational equity is nowhere near over, and it requires a collective effort all of us working to ensure that all children, that every child, no matter the color of their skin or the gender they identify with, regardless of their socioeconomic status, regardless of where they come from, every child should have access to a high quality education. As I wrap up, I leave you with his Douglas's very powerful call to action. Here's what he wrote for it is not light that is needed but fire. It is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, the earthquake, the feeling of the nation must be quickened. The conscience of the nation must be roused. The propriety of the nation must be startled. The hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed, and the crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced. So join me again next episode. If you've got a question, a topic you'd like covered, or a special request, remember, you can text me. Look down in the notes for the link. I want to hear your stories. By the way, send me a piece of that sweet potato pie, and remember, don't worry about the things you cannot change. Change the things you can no longer accept. And that's a wrap for today's episode of the 3e podcast. Now here's how you can make a real difference. First, smash that subscribe button. It's free, it's easy, just do it. Second, share the show with anyone you know who cares about education. And third, consider becoming a supporter of the show together. We're not just talking about change, we're making it happen. Make a donation today to be part of that mission and change, and I'll catch you next time you.