Reading Rights: Black Americans and the Constitutional Case for Literacy (Stage 2, 12:17 PM)

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education Research Ed-Talk (Stage 2)

Abstract

Support for public education is at a crossroads. It is no secret that public education suffers from gaps in quality depending on socioeconomic or racial makeup, especially regarding literacy proficiency. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic further exasperated these gaps and ignited passion into those championing private choice as a solution. Examining the actions of Black Americans during Reconstruction, I argue that the inclusion of Black people into American citizenship through the Reconstruction Amendments demonstrates that the Constitution protects a fundamental right to access literacy. Through historical narrative and legal analysis, my project provides a narrow litigation strategy that can serve as a way to tackle disparities in literacy access and counters censorship without abandoning the promise of public schools for private interests.

Author

• Vania Blaiklock, College of William & Mary