Original Sins

1. Schools as Sites of Racial Hierarchy Construction

And the schoolhouse, that most venerable and beloved image of American aspiration, hasn’t rested angelically on the sidelines, uninvolved with the construction of racial hierarchy.

Schools are not neutral. They actively participate in creating and maintaining racial hierarchies, rather than simply reflecting existing societal biases. This complicity challenges the common perception of schools as inherently fair and meritocratic institutions. The book argues that schools are one of the laboratories where the Race Machine and its technologies have been developed, honed, perfected, and maintained, generating the steam that makes the engine go.

Original sins. The United States was built on the genocide and displacement of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement of African people. These "original sins" are not just historical events but ongoing structural forces that shape contemporary society. Schools have played a central role in perpetuating the racial hierarchy established by these sins.

Three pillars of American racism. These pillars are cultivated in schools:

• Intellectual inferiority: The belief that Black and Native people are inherently less intelligent.
• Discipline and punishment: The idea that Black and Native people have unruly bodies that need to be controlled.
• Economic subjugation: The notion that Black and Native people are assigned specific roles within a capitalist system and cannot be self-determined.

2. White Schools: Forging a Unified, White Citizenry

A notion of freedom lies at the core of the American idea of whiteness.

Whiteness as a social construct. The definition of "White" has evolved over time, expanding to include previously excluded European immigrant groups. Schools played a key role in assimilating these groups into a unified White citizenry. The book highlights how schools were used to assimilate diverse European immigrant groups into a cohesive "White" identity, often at the expense of their original cultures.

Creating a common culture. Schools were seen as a means to instill a shared American identity, language, and values in White students. This included practices like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, promoting "American" cuisine, and organizing structured play activities.

Exclusion of Black and Native people. While schools aimed to unify White students, they simultaneously reinforced the exclusion and marginalization of Black and Native people. This created a system where Whiteness was defined in opposition to Blackness and Indigeneity.

3. Black Schools: Civilization as Social Control

There would be no lynching if it did not start in the classroom.

Civilization vs. barbarism. Schools for Black people were often framed as a means of "civilizing" them, implying that Black culture was inherently inferior. This "civilizing" mission served to control Black people and maintain their subordinate position in society. The book argues that schools for Black people were designed to instill subservience and obedience, rather than to empower them for leadership or full participation in society.

Moral instruction. Textbooks and curricula emphasized moral instruction, teaching Black students to be industrious, respectful, and forgiving, even in the face of injustice. This reinforced the idea that Black people should accept their subordinate status.

Limited opportunities. Black schools often provided limited academic opportunities, focusing instead on vocational training and manual labor. This prepared Black students for specific roles within a capitalist system, rather than empowering them to pursue their own goals.

4. Native Schools: Education for Cultural Extinction

To educate the Indian in the ways of civilized life, therefore, is to preserve him from extinction, not as an Indian, but as a human being.

Education for extinction. Schools for Native people were designed to eradicate Indigenous cultures and assimilate Native children into White society. This was seen as a way to "save" Native people from their own "barbarism." The book details how Native boarding schools aimed to erase Indigenous languages, traditions, and identities, often through harsh and abusive methods.

The Doctrine of Discovery. This legal principle, which justified European colonization of Indigenous lands, underpinned the rationale for Native schooling. It framed Native people as inherently inferior and in need of White intervention.

Forced assimilation. Native children were often forcibly removed from their families and communities to attend boarding schools. This separation aimed to sever their ties to Indigenous culture and replace them with White values.

5. The Myth of Innate Intellectual Inferiority

Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry.

Jefferson's legacy. Thomas Jefferson's writings perpetuated the idea that Black people were intellectually inferior to White people. This belief has had a lasting impact on American society and has shaped the way Black and Native children are treated in schools. The book traces the historical roots of the belief in Black and Native intellectual inferiority, highlighting the role of figures like Thomas Jefferson in shaping this ideology.

The achievement gap. The focus on the "achievement gap" in education often reinforces the assumption that Black and Native students are inherently less capable. This can lead to lower expectations and fewer opportunities for these students.

Giftedness and race. The underrepresentation of Black and Native students in gifted and talented programs reflects the biased ways in which "intelligence" is defined and measured. These programs often prioritize White cultural norms and values, disadvantaging students from different backgrounds.

6. Standardized Testing: A Legacy of Eugenics

The test movement came to this country some twenty-five or thirty years ago accompanied by one of the most glorious fallacies in the history of science, namely, that tests measured native intelligence purely and simply without regard to training or schooling.

Origins in eugenics. Standardized testing has roots in the eugenics movement, which sought to improve the human race through selective breeding. Early intelligence tests were used to justify racial hierarchies and limit opportunities for Black and Native people. The book explores the history of standardized testing, revealing its connections to eugenics and its role in perpetuating racial inequality.

Cultural bias. Standardized tests often reflect White cultural norms and values, disadvantaging students from different backgrounds. This can lead to inaccurate assessments of their abilities and limit their access to educational opportunities.

Perpetuating inequality. Standardized tests are often used to track students into different academic pathways, with Black and Native students disproportionately placed in lower-level tracks. This limits their access to challenging coursework and college opportunities.

7. Carceral Logics: Schools as Sites of Control

Because the Negro labored, he was considered a draft animal. Because the Indian occupied large areas of land, he was considered a wild animal.

School-to-prison pipeline. This term describes the ways in which school discipline policies and practices can lead to the criminalization of Black and Native students. This includes zero-tolerance policies, suspensions, expulsions, and the presence of police in schools. The book examines how schools can function as sites of control and punishment, particularly for Black and Native students.

Adultification. Black and Native children are often treated as adults, facing harsher discipline and being denied the innocence and protection afforded to White children. This adultification contributes to their overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system.

Carceral logics. These are the underlying assumptions and beliefs that justify the use of punishment and control in schools. They include the idea that Black and Native people are inherently unruly and need to be managed.

8. Black and Native Resistance as Criminality

Our presence is our weapon.

Criminalization of resistance. Black and Native students who resist oppressive school policies and practices are often labeled as "troublemakers" and subjected to further discipline. This criminalizes their attempts to assert their rights and challenge injustice. The book highlights the ways in which Black and Native students who resist oppressive school policies are often criminalized and punished.

The Murderable Indian. This concept describes the historical and ongoing dehumanization of Native people, which makes violence against them seem justifiable. It contributes to the disproportionate rates of police violence against Native people.

Settler grammars. These are the underlying assumptions and narratives that normalize settler colonialism and justify the dispossession of Indigenous lands and cultures. They are often embedded in school curricula and practices.

9. Racial Capitalism: Schools Reinforcing Economic Subjugation

Get the Indian out of the blanket and into trousers—and trousers with a pocket in them, and with a pocket that aches to be filled with dollars!

Schools as preparation for labor. Schools often prepare Black and Native students for specific roles within a capitalist system, rather than empowering them to pursue their own economic goals. This can include vocational training and limited access to college preparatory courses. The book explores how schools reinforce economic inequality by preparing Black and Native students for low-wage jobs.

The Protestant work ethic. This ideology, which emphasizes hard work and accumulation of wealth as signs of virtue, has been used to justify the economic exploitation of Black and Native people. It frames their resistance to capitalist labor as a sign of laziness and immorality.

Dispossession by degrees. Even when Black and Native people achieve educational success, they often face systemic barriers to wealth accumulation, such as employment discrimination and devaluation of assets in their communities.

10. Braiding Strands: Imagination, Liberation, and Shared Futures

Black and Indigenous folks are the most dangerous union to the stability of America.

Beyond critique. The book calls for a move beyond simply critiquing the problems in education to actively imagining and building new possibilities. This includes centering care, love, and community in educational practices. The book emphasizes the importance of collective struggle and an ethic of care in transforming education.

Abolition and Land Back. These movements offer a framework for dismantling oppressive systems and creating a more just and equitable world. They call for the abolition of prisons and the return of Indigenous lands.

Black and Native co-conspiracy. The book highlights the potential for Black and Native people to work together to create transformative change. This includes recognizing their shared histories of oppression and building solidarity based on mutual respect and understanding.

Last updated: March 31, 2025