This work is a political investigation into the historical and ideological foundations of black education. It situates black education within the context of America's rise to corporate-industrial power in the latter half of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century.

In this timely interdisciplinary volume, William Watkins has brought together leading scholars and activists to address some of the most urgent issues facing public education. What is underneath and behind the language of choice, efficiency, and improvement in current neoliberal discourse? How will urban and poor populations be affected? Will privatization lead to increased stratification in our schools? How can public education not only be saved but re-imagined? In accessible language, renowned contributors explore and critique corporate school reform to both inform and serve as an...