Roundtable: The Politics of Educational Oppression: Unmasking the Real Xenophobic Agenda Behind Book Bans/Curriculum Restrictions

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract/Description

This discussion explores the xenophobic impact of criminalizing certain topics in public educational institutions, particularly in Southern states. Educators who teach the history of lynching or enslavement in the United States now face the risk of arrest and prosecution, as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become the 'other' and fallen victim to educational apartheid. Book banning has become an expanding norm, with terms like 'wokeism' or 'Critical Race Theory (CRT)' coded as threats to mainstream ideology. While these policies are often framed as a means to protect students from "divisive" concepts, their actual impact on educators, students, and society as a whole may differ significantly from their perceived intent. This discussion will examine how these policies serve as conservative dog whistles, designed to rouse their base and maintain power structures, rather than genuinely addressing educational concerns. By focusing on the actual vs. perceived impact of these xenophobic practices, this discussion aims to highlight the urgent need to address the criminalization of teaching for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Sub Unit

• Area XIV. Roundtables

Chair

• Ronald Craig, Tennessee State University

Discussants

• Howard Henderson, Texas Southern University

• Robert A. Brown, University of Maryland Eastern Shore