I’ve spent years unwrapping the myths of the American education system, both as a parent and as someone deeply involved in curriculum design. While public schooling offered me great enrichment, cultivating my interests and abilities as a youth, the system remains mired in its historical roots of assimilation, exclusion, and control. To truly transform our schools, we must untangle and heal these roots—shifting from systems designed to standardize and suppress to those that uplift, empower, and liberate.
As caring adults, we want schools to be places of empowerment, but the foundation of this country’s education system tells a different story. In the 1800s, Native American children were forced into boarding schools to forget their identities, under the banner of Richard Henry Pratt’s infamous phrase, "Kill the Indian, save the man." Simultaneously, slavery enforced brutal laws banning African language, music, and literacy, punishable by torture. Pioneer abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, who famously said, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free," risked everything to educate themselves, finding creative ways to learn in secret. Douglass exchanged bread with white boys for reading lessons, while others held hidden “pit schools” in the woods. Today, the fight for Black children to receive a quality education continues, as parents and teachers must often rebel against prevailing norms to ensure their children learn and thrive.
One of the most poignant stories is of Baptist Minister John Berry Meachum in St. Louis in the 1800s, who established a "boat school" on the Mississippi River to educate their children, as teaching Black children was a crime punishable by prison. The image of a floating school, carrying the hope of an entire community, is one I think about often. Black parents, then and now, must rise above mediocrity and design bold pathways for their children to succeed.
The struggles didn’t end with slavery. After the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling, integration and busing promised equal access to resources for all children. But the policy also led to the mass closure of Black schools and the firing of Black teachers. These closures gutted many Black communities, and families had to flee their neighborhoods to seek better education opportunities in wealthier, predominantly white areas, further destabilizing local economies.
Even the most progressive educational innovations couldn’t undo the harm of lost opportunities. Maria Montessori’s child-centered approach, introduced in the early 20th century, was a breath of fresh air, but when deindustrialization in the 1980s led to the closure of trade schools, whole generations of students lost access to hands-on learning and viable career paths. Academic elitism left many students behind, while standardized tests did little to measure the diverse skills that children bring.
For someone like me, who thrived in the academic world, public schools provided the intellectual stimulation I craved. I was fortunate to attend Montessori and gifted schools, which sharpened my analytical skills and prepared me for top-tier universities. However many students, particularly those without a natural inclination toward traditional academics, found themselves at a disadvantage in this system.
Now, in the era of Common Core, we’re facing a return to rigid standardization—a modern echo of Pratt’s mission to “kill the Indian.” The current system is struggling with these standards as they measure success through a narrow, obtuse lens. So, where do we go from here?
We must re-center the purpose of public schooling around the democratic ideal that every child, no matter their background, deserves a quality, tailored education. As the Yoruba proverb says, "Omo ti a ko ba ko, ni o gbele ti a ko ba ti," meaning, "A child left untrained will become a burden to the home." Our task is to equip children with academic knowledge but most importantly, a wide array of life skills and career options.
Programs like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Head Start, and Title I prove that it’s possible to set aside resources for underserved groups, including Black children. We must also reintroduce trade schools to provide hands-on learning, helping students contribute to generational independence.
In my field of practice, there’s momentum toward culturally responsive teaching, where students see themselves reflected in their lessons. But reflection is only a step. Learning must be completely immersed in their empowerment. Some schools get it and are re-centering creativity, critical thinking, and moral development, and in the process, prioritizing a child's universal rights to a strong education over trendy discourse.
With this mix of protective policy and rebellion, I remain hopeful. Imagine if, instead of “killing the Indian,” our schools nurtured every child’s identity and potential. What if we embraced the spirit of abolitionist Africans who, against all odds, found ways to learn? What if our education system became like the boat schools of the past—a vessel for each child’s dreams?
Oh yes! For every caring adult in the education field, it’s time to untangle those deep roots and embark on the daily quest to liberate our children into their brilliant destinies.
At Jaifunde Education Consulting & Resources Service, we design educational frameworks that prioritize student empowerment, creativity, and critical thinking. By partnering with schools, parents, and communities, we implement hands-on learning strategies, and build environments where every child’s unique potential is recognized and developed. Our mission is to work with and alongside carding adults and companies to untangle the systemic barriers and restore the roots of glory to education here in America. Reach out to us today and lets revolutionize learning together!