Podcast Summary: Ep. 358 The Purpose of Schools with Eve L. Ewing

Introduction

In Episode 358 of The Stacks, host Traci Thomas welcomes acclaimed writer, scholar, and educator Eve L. Ewing to discuss her impactful book, Original Sins: The Miseducation of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism. The conversation delves deep into the historical and contemporary purposes of the American education system, its role in perpetuating racial inequalities, and pathways toward transformative change.

Book Overview: Original Sins

Eve L. Ewing’s Original Sins critically examines the American education system's foundational intent to sustain racial hierarchies. Ewing articulates how schools were historically designed to normalize the dehumanization of Black and Native children, ensuring their continued subjugation and the accumulation of power by white institutions.

“This book is about basically how in order to create a country that is based on indigenous genocide and the enslavement of African peoples, the United States created a system of schooling that normalizes the idea that black and native kids are not kids, that they don't deserve love... and care, that we're not regular humans like everybody else.” (05:00)

Historical Context: Purposes of Schools

Ewing traces the diverging purposes of education for different racial groups. For white children, schools aimed to cultivate democratic citizens and assimilate immigrants into a homogenized American culture. In stark contrast, education for Black and Native children was geared toward suppression, teaching them subservience, and erasing their cultural identities.

“At the beginning of what we would now understand to be the public school system, so much of it was about creating this strong democracy by teaching white children to be good citizens... for black kids, so much of the history, the early history of American education has been in quelling black young people.” (08:12)

Current Moment: Battle Over Narratives

Ewing posits that the United States is at a critical juncture where two opposing visions of education are vying for dominance. On one side are educators and community members striving to use schools as platforms for empowerment and critical discourse. On the other is the rise of authoritarianism, which seeks to use education to enforce conformity and suppress dissent.

“We are really at a crossroads. There are two competing narratives of what school is and what it can be and what it can do... Those two things cannot coexist.” (08:46)

Impact on Black and Native Children

The conversation highlights how historical education policies have inflicted long-lasting trauma and systemic disadvantages on Black and Native communities. Ewing discusses specific examples, such as abolitionist Lydia Child’s textbooks that discouraged vengeance against former slave masters and the policies of Richard Henry Pratt that led to the creation of residential schools for Native children.

“For Native young people, so much of the history has been about the idea of complete and utter disappearance... Native people continue to be living right... but the idea that this disappearance was fated to happen is necessary to normalize people's comfort with... stolen land.” (23:12)

Resistance and Solutions

Eve L. Ewing emphasizes the importance of community-driven education as a form of resistance against oppressive schooling systems. She advocates for political education, study groups, and grassroots initiatives that empower communities to redefine and reclaim the purpose of education. Practical steps include organizing local learning circles, creating zines, and building supportive networks to foster collective action.

“Take out a piece of paper... write down what are the things that it's really important to you that learners in your community know... what are the really important non-negotiable things and what can you do today, tomorrow, next week to spread that knowledge.” (48:28)

Writing Process and Accessibility

Ewing shares insights into her writing process, highlighting her commitment to clarity and accessibility. Drawing from her background as a middle school teacher, she aimed to make complex historical and sociological concepts understandable to a broad audience. This approach ensures that Original Sins serves as both an educational tool and a call to action.

“The book is so well organized that it was so clear to me where you were going and what was happening... the book has a lot of receipts because I really wanted to make it clear, like, this is not my opinion. This is not like vibes.” (06:30)

Recommended Readings

Ewing recommends several books that complement the themes of Original Sins, encouraging readers to further explore the intersections of race, education, and systemic oppression:

1. "Fatal Invention" by Dorothy Roberts – Explores the historical relationship between race and science, particularly how eugenicist ideas have shaped societal perceptions of race.
2. "The History of White People" by Nell Irvin Painter – Examines the social construction of whiteness and its implications throughout American history.
3. "Native American DNA" by Kim Tallbear – Discusses the complexities of Native American identity and the issues surrounding the concept of blood quantum.
4. "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer – Integrates indigenous knowledge with scientific perspectives, challenging traditional notions of intelligence and knowledge.

“Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass... she brings indigenous worldviews into challenging how we think about how we should engage with the natural world, with each other, and what kind of knowledge is worth knowing.” (67:05)

Conclusion

Traci Thomas passionately endorses Original Sins, urging educators, parents, and community members to engage with the book to better understand and address the deep-seated racial inequities within the American education system. The episode concludes with an invitation to join The Stacks Book Club and participate in ongoing dialogues to foster meaningful change.

“Please read this book, people. I really just... if you're feeling intimidated, don't, because, you know, I'm the stupidest person in the room, and I got it, so you're gonna get it, too.” (55:58)

Notable Quotes

• Eve L. Ewing on the purpose of schools: “Having an educated citizenry... is deeply dangerous to authoritarian regimes.” (01:05)
• Traci Thomas on the book’s accessibility: “I found the book to be so well organized... It's not your mother's history book.” (05:45)
• Eve L. Ewing on resisting oppressive education systems: “The power to take your dreams and turn them into reality and to do that in co-construction and co-conspiracy with other people.” (12:30)
• Eve L. Ewing on community learning: “We cannot concede that fight. And you do not have to wait... you can be a teacher.” (48:55)

Recommendations for Further Engagement

Listeners are encouraged to join The Stacks community through Patreon and subscribe to the newsletter Unstacked on Substack for additional content and discussions. February's Book Club Pick is Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, with Ira Madison III set to lead the discussion on February 26th.

Final Thoughts

Eve L. Ewing’s Original Sins serves as a crucial examination of how the American education system has been complicit in perpetuating racial injustices. Through informed dialogue and community engagement, The Stacks aims to inspire listeners to reimagine and transform educational practices for a more equitable future.