Deny, Defund, Divert: Janel George on Race and Justice in Education

Deny, Defund, Divert: Janel George on Race and Justice in Education

Author: Andrew Lefkowits, Val Brown, Courtney Mykytyn October 9, 2024 Duration: 50:04
Janel George, a Georgetown Law professor, who explores race and justice in education, recently wrote a paper that moved us here at Integrated Schools. Called "Deny, Defund, and Divert: The Law and American Miseducation", the piece outlines historical and modern systemic educational inequalities faced by Black communities, linked to legislative actions and adaptations of White supremacy. She joins us to talk about legislative lawyering, the importance of community engagement when making public policy, and the ongoing role of systemic racism in our legal and education systems. Ms. George shares her vision for a racially just education system, and highlights the ways the battle to achieve that vision require us to understand the past and see the threads of past efforts to deny education to Black students, to defund education focused on Black students, and to divert Black educators away from eduction, in our current struggles. LINKS: Ms. George's article Deny, Defund, and Divert: The Law and American Miseducation - https://perma.cc/9K7J-7P47 Ms. Geroge's Racial Equity in Education Law and Policy Clinic - https://www.law.georgetown.edu/experiential-learning/clinics/our-clinics/racial-equity-in-education-law-and-policy-clinic/ Chai Feldbum on Legislative Lawyering - https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/1090/ Derek Black - Schoolhouse Burning - https://bookshop.org/a/18658/9781541788442 UCLA's CRT Forward Tracking Project - https://crtforward.law.ucla.edu/ Cara McClellan - Challenging Legacy Discrimination: The Persistence of School Pushout as Racial Subordination - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4803245 The 1619 Project - https://1619education.org/ Our live show from May - https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s10e18-the-70th-anniversary-of-brown-v-board-do-it-live/ Dr. Leslie Fenwick on our show. -https://integratedschools.org/podcast/s10e14-jim-crows-pink-slip-with-dr-leslie-fenwick/ Dr. Leslie Fenwick's Jim Crow's Pink Slip - https://bookshop.org/a/18658/9781682537190 Dr. Elizabeth McRae on our show - https://integratedschools.org/podcast/mcrae/ Dr. Elizabeth McRae's Mother's Of Massive Resistance - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mothers_of_Massive_Resistance/ygFCDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us. - https://bookshop.org/shop/IntegratedSchools Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further. - https://www.patreon.com/integratedschools Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org. The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits. This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits. Music by Kevin Casey. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s easy to talk about school integration in the abstract, but what does it actually look like on the ground for families navigating these choices every day? The Integrated Schools Podcast moves beyond theory into the messy, personal realities of race, parenting, and educational equity. Hosted by Andrew Lefkowits, a White dad from Denver, and Val Brown, a Black mom from North Carolina, along with co-author Courtney Mykytyn, this podcast centers conversations that deliberately sit with discomfort and complexity. Each episode brings in voices from across the spectrum-parents making tough school decisions, educators in the trenches, researchers, and community organizers-to explore why our schools remain so segregated and what it truly means to work toward integration. You’ll hear candid stories about navigating predominantly white spaces, confronting personal bias, and the small, daily actions that either challenge or uphold systemic inequities. This isn’t a podcast offering easy answers; instead, it provides a necessary space to listen, reflect, and engage with the nuanced layers of a deeply entrenched issue. The dialogue here is built on the belief that honest, sometimes difficult talk is a prerequisite for meaningful change, both in our schools and in ourselves.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Integrated Schools Podcast
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