Power From Below: A Historiography of Communities of Color Organization and Mobilization for Urban Education Reform, 1950–Present

• In Event: 29.038 - Activism in Urban Spaces

Abstract

Little is known about grassroots organizing and mobilization for education reform. Using a historiographical method and applying theories of political action and drawing on the politics of education literature, this paper uses data from four states and the District of Columbia to explore why and how communities of color organize and mobilize to effect reform. Results indicate that reform agendas change over time as does organizing strategies and methods. Race and ethnicity play critical roles in determining the success of reform efforts. Such an understanding of grassroots action in urban communities of color can inform current reform movements as well as help policy makers bring critical voices to into education reform conversations.

Author

• Nadine D. Hylton, University of Rochester