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The Carnegie Center for Art and History as a department of the Floyd County Library is interested in all matters regarding the history and future of public education.  Our Wednesday, October 21st, noon, Lunch and Learn topic will present information about how Black educators fared as desegregation became the law of the land.   If you believed that the landmark ruling Brown vs. Board of Education would lead to a more equitable educational system for all, this month’s speaker has researched that.

Dr. Michele Foster, is a professor at the University of Louisville and is the author of the important book, Black Teachers on Teaching, a seminal collection of Black teacher voices regarding the impact of Brown vs. Board of Education.  Among the questions that arise include: Why are there so many non-Black and non-Brown educators teaching Black and Brown students?  Is the dearth of teachers of color today a question of recruitment or a matter of racism?  Why are there glaring disparities in suspension and expulsion rates?  Why is there a school to prison pipeline?  Why are so many main texts not culturally relevant and representative of all students?

The demand for civil rights continues its grip on this country today.  While the landmark decision of Brown vs.Board of Education desegregated schools, it single-handedly exacerbated inequities regarding who determines what defines a quality education and for whom?  What happens when we approach our past with a critical lens?  What responsibility do we have to reconcile our history in order to move forward with integrity?  How do you model a better society if people don’t see others like you in leadership positions?

This presentation will focus on the implications that Brown vs. Board of Education had on erasing Black teachers from the classroom and how this impacts the teacher of color pipeline today.  Too often, the narrative around this issue rests at the “recruitment” level rather than a deep dive into the social, political, and historical contexts.

Dr. Michele Foster is the Henry Heuser Jr Endowed Chair for Urban Education Partnerships and Professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at the University of Louisville.  She earned her PhD and MA, in Anthropology and Education, Harvard University.  Dr. Foster is the recipient of many national education awards and author of numerous publication on the topic of representative education.

 

Click on the button below to attend the ZOOM Lunch & Learn talk on Wednesday, October 21 at noon:

LUNCH & LEARN ZOOM LINK

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