#BlackInSchool

A young Black woman documents the systemic racism in her high school diary and calls for justice and educational reform. Habiba Cooper Diallo's words illustrate how our schools reinforce racism, such as handcuffing and frisking students of color, one-dimensional curricula, and overt racism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 122 pages
Publication date: 04 September 2021
Publisher: University of Regina Press

The prevalence of anti-Black racism and its many faces, from racial profiling to police brutality, in North America is indisputable. How do we stop racist ideas and violence if the very foundation of our society is built upon white supremacy? How do we end systemic racism if the majority do not experience it or question its existence? Do our schools instill children with the ideals of equality and tolerance, or do they reinforce differences and teach children of color that they don't belong?

#BlackInSchool is Habiba Cooper Diallo's high school journal, in which she documents, processes, and resists the systemic racism, microaggressions, stereotypes, and outright racism she experienced while being Black in school in Canada. Powerful and eye-opening, Cooper Diallo illustrates how our schools reinforce rather than erode racism: the handcuffing and frisking of students of color by police at school; one-dimensional, tokenistic curricula portraying Black people; and the constant barrage of overt racism from students and staff alike. She shows how systemic racism works, how it alienates and seeks to destroy a child's sense of self. She shows how our institutions work to erase the lived experiences of Black youth and try to erase Black youth themselves. Cooper Diallo's words will resonate with some, but should shock, appall, and animate a great many more into action towards a society that is truly equitable for all.

Weight: 276g
Dimension: 136 x 210 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780889778191