The Impact of Racist Rhetoric on K–12 Schooling

• In Event: "Why Do They Hate Us?" Education and Racist Rhetoric in the Trump Era and Beyond

Abstract

Objectives: In this session we explore the ways that political rhetoric during the Trump presidency has set in motion new social dynamics in schools, challenging norms of civility, heightening tension and conflict, and increasing racial assaults toward vulnerable groups. We examine three questions. First, in what ways has racially charged political rhetoric in the age of Trump contributed to hate speech and contentiousness in high schools across the nation? Second, what prevailing messages have been communicated through this hate speech? Third, what school conditions have enabled or challenged hate speech?
Theoretical framework: The effects of racialized political rhetoric on hateful speech and acts in high school is important for at least two reasons. First, bullying of any sort fosters stress and undermines student learning and well-being (American Educational Research Association, 2013). Racialized bullying compounds the stress and trauma communities of color experience from racism and creates toxic climates in classrooms (Suárez-Orozco, 2020). Second, racialized bullying subverts the role of public schools in preparing young people for participation in democratic life (Cohen, Kahne, & Marshall, 2018). Such bullying threatens to silence the voices of students of color and to embolden authoritarian and antidemocratic sensibilities of the victimizers.

Methods and Data:To explore these questions, we draw on data we collected from a nationally representative group of high school teachers in 2017 and high school principals in 2018. We gathered over 2,000 surveys and 100 follow-up interviews. The online surveys asked educators about the extent to which challenges from the broader social and political environment manifested as problems within their schools. Our 30-45 minute interviews asked follow-up questions about conflict and hate speech at their school.

Selected Results: Many educators reported that the contentious tone and corrosive discourse of national politics has negatively reshaped the norms of student interaction. Many teachers spoke about the ways that political rhetoric shaped student interaction during class discussions. One teacher wrote that “the tone of the election spilled into the classroom and many students felt free to make unkind statements to those who did not agree with them.” In particular, we heard many teachers use the word “embolden” to describe the way students displayed historical symbols of racism like the Confederate battle flag and spoke in more racially derogatory ways.
Educators felt that their schools or districts did not take enough action to address the racially hostile climate. One teacher felt that the lack of action was “an implicit, if not endorsement, permission to continue what [students] were doing.” However, many educators and students have taken up the task of fostering care and countering the messages of racial hatred as we have seen with the Black Lives Matter and the Stop AAPI Hate movements.

Significance: This work underscores the influence that political climate can have on school settings as well as the importance of school leadership in shaping campus climate and educator practices, providing insight into how educators are dealing with the challenge of racialized bullying.

Authors

• John S. Rogers, University of California - Los Angeles

• Michael Ishimoto, University of California - Los Angeles