CATWISE CLOCK

Dividing people makes them weaker politically. When people band together, they have power.
They can fight more effectively for what they deserve. Perhaps this is the greatest problem with
charter schools – they destroy communities and rob neighborhoods of the collective power that is
their due. In many areas of the country, communities of color know this. Ask them in New
Orleans what they think of their all-charter school district. Ask them in Chicago what they think
of the city’s plan to close public schools and turn them into charters. Ask them in Philadelphia or
any urban district taken over by the state.
They’ll tell you straight out how privatized education is cultural sabotage. They’ll tell you how
it’s the new colonialism, another element of the new Jim Crow. They’ll tell you how important it
is to fight for our system of public schools.
And when privatizers and propagandists try to paint all communities of color as if they support
charter schools, these folks will loudly cry foul. They aren’t buying the snake oil. The rest of us
need to step up and help those who have been swindled to see the truth. Likewise we need to
recognize their truth – that the struggle for civil rights is ongoing.
Because we can’t win the fight against privatization without them. And they can’t win the fight
for equality without us.We need each other. Public school advocates need to recognize it’s not all
about testing, Common Core and privatization. We can’t be so afraid to talk about race. We need
to recognize that racism is not an unnecessary distraction, it’s at the center of our struggle.
We need communities of color. We need our black and brown brothers and sisters. Because only
together shall we all overcome this madness.
Editor’s note: This article is reprinted with permission from Stephen Singer at
gadflyonthewall.com