Ghosts in the Schoolyard

Racism and School Closings in Chicago’s South Side

De: Eve L. Ewing

Narrado por: Lisa Reneé Pitts

Eve L. Ewing knows Chicago Public Schools from the inside: as a student, then a teacher, and now a scholar who studies them. And that perspective has shown her that public schools are not buildings full of failures - they're an integral part of their neighborhoods, at the heart of their communities, storehouses of history and memory that bring people together.

Never was that role more apparent than in 2013 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced an unprecedented wave of school closings. Pitched simultaneously as a solution to a budget problem, a response to declining enrollments, and a chance to purge bad schools that were dragging down the whole system, the plan was met with a roar of protest from parents, students, and teachers. But if these schools were so bad, why did people care so much about keeping them open?

Ewing's answer begins with a story of systemic racism, inequality, bad faith, and distrust that stretches deep into Chicago history. Black communities see the closing of their schools - schools that are certainly less than perfect but that are theirs - as one more in a long line of racist policies. The fight to keep them open is yet another front in the ongoing struggle of black people in America to build successful lives and achieve true self-determination.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 The University of Chicago (P)2019 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Ewing is a Harvard-trained sociologist as well as a poet and an educator (among other things), and this comes through in her lively and accessible writing." (Booklist, starred review)

Phenomenal work

Extraordinarily told with gripping narratives and poignant research. Should be assigned reading for teachers and those going into public policy.

Breathtaking analysis of the city I call home, and a masterpiece of a literary work!

It was a heartbreaking account, but scholarly and informed by the community members affected most. Thank you for documenting this history, and for recounting the through lines for the people that don’t know (or might have forgotten). The narrator was fantastic, and coupled with the hardcover book, I was transported within the hearings, city council meetings, and interviews. Such a profound and beautiful book. I am even more grateful to be from Chicago, thanks to Eve Ewing!

Powerful story - Speaks Truth to Power

Eve Ewing is a phenomenal writer and Lisa Renee Pitts is brings so much life to Eve’s words in her reading. I learned so much about systemic racism and the history of segregationist policies in Chicago through this book. Great entry point for some, great new chapter in the ongoing story of race in American education for others. Highly recommend.

Great Reviewer

I found the subject matter to be a very emotional experience for me! Great research!

Fascinating!

I loved this book! It is required reading for a Cultural Studies in Education class I'm taking. I have heard about the problems in Chicago's school system but never knew any specifics. This book explored things on a historical and political level that make me want to visit Chicago and see the sights of the schools mentioned and hope that the ghosts speak to me in a voice of dignity. And, I have a Master's in English Lit and am very familiar with the works of the Black writers the author tied into this piece. It reminds me of how Black people's writing really reflected the zeitgeist. It was almost a documentation of history. I loved this book! Also, the narrator was amazing!