Episode 156: How White Backlash Shapes Black Students' Learning

Honest history should not be controversial, yet every step toward equity seems to trigger a counterpunch. I dig into how White backlash has shaped K-12 education for generations—from laws that criminalized Black literacy to modern book bans and vague “indoctrination” claims that chill classrooms. Along the way, I unpack the difference between White rage and White backlash, explain why CRT became a political smoke screen, and connect today’s “parents’ rights” movement to earlier strategies that protected dominance while sidelining truth.

I walk through a historical line that includes Reconstruction sabotage, Brown v. Board’s resistance, and the fear-driven narrative of A Nation at Risk that corroded public trust in public schools. Fast-forward to the 2000s and 2010s, and you’ll find promising shifts toward culturally responsive teaching and student activism—but also the persistence of anti-Black structures, surveillance, and discipline disparities that undermine progress. The current wave of censorship policies and book bans doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it’s part of a long, predictable pattern that surfaces whenever Black students’ learning, dignity, and futures come into clearer focus.

This conversation is not just a diagnosis, it’s a plan. I share practical moves families can make now: build racial literacy at home with books by Black scholars and authors; testify at school boards and state hearings; use counter-storytelling to document harm and advocate for inclusive curricula; support teachers who teach truth; and organize broad coalitions that can stop harmful bills, as seen in Indiana. If you care about accurate history, safe and inclusive classrooms, and real opportunity for Black children, these steps matter.

If this resonates, subscribe, share with one friend who needs it, and leave a quick review. Your voice helps push honest history forward and protects the future that Black children deserve.

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Chapters

• 1:01 Host Story And Mission
• 3:45 Defining White Backlash And Its Drivers
• 6:32 CRT Panic And Policy Myths
• 11:22 White Rage Versus White Backlash
• 16:31 A Historical Line From Slavery To Brown
• 18:40 A Nation At Risk And Its Fallout
• 21:33 Millennial Reforms And Their Limits
• 23:20 Modern Censorship And Parents’ Rights
• 27:35 Bills, Book Bans, And Teacher Chill
• 30:23 Action Steps And Community Wins
• 35:00 Key Takeaways And Listener Invite

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:36

Welcome to another episode of K-12 Public Education Insights, Empowering Parents of Color Podcast. The podcast that converges at the intersection of educational research and parental actions. It's about making the trends, topics, and theories in public education understandable so that you can implement them into practical, actionable strategies that work for your children. My name is Dr. Kim J. Fields, former corporate manager, turned education researcher, and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast. I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microaggressions that I faced as an African-American mom raising my two kids who were in the public school system. I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system. Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress. This battle-tested experience is what I provide as action steps for you to take. It's like enjoying a bowl of educational research with a sprinkling of motherwit wisdom on top. If you're looking to find out more about the current information and issues in education that could affect you or your children, and the action steps you can take to give your children the advantages they need, then you're in the right place. Thanks for tuning in today. I know that staying informed about K-12 public education trends and topics is important to you, so keep listening. Give me 30 minutes or less, and I'll provide insights on the latest trends, issues, and topics pertaining to this constantly evolving K-12 public education environment. Well, be warned. This episode may not only be eye-opening, but it may hit you between the eyes. It's about mapping white backlash in the history of K-12 African American educational progress and its impact on current students in the educational system, as well as exposing the necessary tools in the continued fight for African American educational liberty. It's not my intent to alarm or polarize you, but it is my intent to inform, to educate, and to make you aware that the white backlash on African American education and progress is very real. This is a necessary and provocative discussion. It's time to wake up. Let's gain some insight on this. Notable researchers define white backlash as negative reactions within white communities to number one, the proximity of black communities following migration, or two, the potential acquisition of new power and or status by black people, or three, the creation of policies or legislation to bring about greater equity between racial and ethnic groups, or four the enforcing of such policies or legislation. White backlash often occurs due to the perceived loss of white privilege and power. What is white backlash as it pertains to African American educational progress? It's the immediate, violent response of some white people to the actual and perceived racial and educational progress of oppressed groups. In modern times, this looks like negative responses to African American women who are the most highly educated segment of this society. It looks like negative responses and blaming of Muslim politicians. And it looks like constant banter and divisiveness about how certain demographic groups don't belong in this country. Yes, white backlash is real. And as a side note, I'll be using African American and black interchangeably throughout this discussion. As a response to the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against people of color, many educational entities across the country expressed a deepened commitment to making educational spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable, as well as to address the entrenched anti-African-American racism within its very structure. Parents and teachers participated in online training diversity seminars and book clubs, reading bestseller books like White Fragility, How to Be an Anti-Racist, and The New Jim Crow. Now I thoroughly enjoyed all of these books, and if you haven't read these excellent books, I strongly encourage you to do so. But the years following the COVID-19 crisis essentially manifested into a retreat to the normative, oppressive systems of public schools, accompanied by expanded digital surveillance, persistent anti-black violence, and increased societal practices that sideline and criminalize marginalized communities. Since 2020, legislation restricting race education has manifested across the country with the total of thirty-eight states and counting that have signed into law or proposed legislation banning or restricting the teaching of critical race theory. It has also led those who don't understand this academic discipline to label everything taught about the real history in America as teaching critical race theory. What critical race theory does is that it argues that racism is ingrained in the foundation of the United States and it provides a framework in which to examine the ways that racism continues to pervade various systems across this nation, including the educational system. As a point in fact, teachers do not teach critical race theory or CRT in K-12 schools. Only fake news reports that it is taught in K-12 public schools. Politicians and legislatures who use this theory as an umbrella term to refer to the teaching of race or white supremacy do so in an attempt to restrict critical discussions of factual history in the classroom. I guess if they continue to say something often enough that they believe that it's true, they'll eventually believe that it is true. Although it isn't. Let's stick a pin here and talk for a little bit about why there was such a pushback against CRT. The pushback wasn't really about CRT, which the majority of people talking about it in the news and other platforms have no actual idea of what it's about. What they were pushing back against was the teaching of a more accurate and inclusive accounting of American history. CRT was then co-opted to mean anything curriculum related that provided a critical interrogation of America's history and its present, with repeated messaging against CRT and despite not illustrating sufficient understanding of what CRT is, nor producing evidence that CRT was in fact being taught in public schools between 2020 and 2022, nearly 25 states enacted anti-CRT curriculum in school legislation. Supporters of the proposed legislation to ban or restrict the teaching of critical race theory argue that the theory teaches hate and that it's divisive, unpatriotic, and indoctrinates students with lessons on race that make people feel quote unquote discomfort or quote unquote shame. Huh. They argue that such teachings overstate the role of racism in American society and create discord between people of different races. Sure. It sounds like a fear-based perspective to me, and rightfully so. Especially if you think about the possibility of unifying all people of color in this country and how the power dynamics would certainly shift. So the teaching of the real American history makes some people feel uncomfortable, huh? Well, what about those people of color who live in this country that have to experience microaggressions on a daily basis? Gaslighting on a daily basis. Do you think they feel uncomfortable? If the truth about American history makes some white people feel ashamed, and rightfully so, why do they continue to perpetuate racism and racist ideals? Ignoring history or not discussing it doesn't make it any less real. Okay, back to the central discussion. Educators and parents argued that these bills censor teachers and students as well as place limitations on the discussions in classrooms about the nation's history of oppression. The circulating of bad faith interpretations of critical race theory, the criticism of the 1619 Project, and the growing tide of legislation aimed at policing and censoring any truthful teaching of American history and social reality have ignited conversations about the long history of erasure, silencing, and miseducation in U.S. schools, especially as it relates to the African American community. History reveals that anytime white supremacy and dominant structures are challenged, it brings up emotional, violent, and reactionary responses. Researchers have coined this phenomenon as white rage, stating that whenever black people have made advances toward full participation in American society, it is met with anger, frustration, hostility, resentment, and opposition by white Americans. During the Jim Crow era, implementing dehumanizing segregationist practices, policies, and laws to circumvent perceived black progress and enfranchisement was the perspective of that day. The Southern strategy was a policy implemented by the Republican Party to gain political support among white voters in the South. In modern times, this phenomenon of white rage was shockingly demonstrated as white supremacists stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This reaction was a direct response to the Democratic presidential win and arguably a result of ongoing frustration with the perceived racial progress made with the presidential terms of the nation's first black president, Barack Obama. White rage is not a new phenomenon. It is the violent white supremacist emotional undercurrent that has been utilized to halt, deflect, and evade justice and liberation for Black people for centuries. White backlash is evident at every instance of black sociopolitical advancement across time and demonstrates a chasm between the promise of democracy and racial justice and the truth of racial reality of black life in America. Whereas white rage is a simmering, gradual and persistent frustration among some white Americans toward advancements or policies that challenge the existing power structures and encompasses a sustained and ongoing resistance toward racial equity, and it is also rooted in historical injustices and systemic inequalities that have persisted over time. White backlash is a more immediate, defensive, and reactionary response among some white Americans to recent events or advancements. It is the instantaneous rollback to societal shifts in racial, social, political, and economic dynamics that challenge traditional power structures, and white backlash is centered on a false premise of white supremacy. From the antebellum era to the Civil War and Reconstruction era, to the Jim Crow era, to the Civil Rights era, to the post-civil rights era, and to the millennial education era, you can trace white backlash in the history of K-12 black education. Here are some notable highlights. Laws prohibited enslaved people from learning to read or write and made it a crime for others to teach them. Literacy was eventually made illegal for black people, enslaved and free in many southern states. When slaves became free, they leveraged their freedom in the big search for education, even though the very presence of schools exclusively catering to black students incited resentment, aggression, and hostility. Any progress after Reconstruction that was made toward a public school system that would educate black children was all but erased. Very few African American children attended school, and even fewer attended high school. Black student enrollment continued to grow, however, because black teachers mobilized through professional and community organizations to advocate for the education of black children. The Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 was considered the biggest victory for black education in the history of the United States. Although many white parents and community members, school district personnel, and government officials resisted desegregation by implementing strategies to delay or avoid the desegregation of schools. This led to white flight and even the closing of entire school systems. The Reagan administration in 1981 threatened to abolish the Department of Education and advocated for school vouchers so that public dollars could be spent at private schools. The Reagan administration also released a 36-page report called A Nation at Risk, which was full of misleading data and half-truths used to merge education with the attack on Black lives. The fear-mongering and narrative of failing schools that was promoted in the report can only be attributed to the increased academic achievement of African American students, which threatened the anti-black ideology of black intellectual inferiority. The consequences of the Nation at Risk report are that it corroded public support for public education, drained resources from Black communities and schools, and also neglected the historical and cultural relevance of education for African-American communities, effectively marginalizing and demonizing Black ways of being and knowing in schools. The educational landscape during the millennial era, from 2000 to 2020, continues to evolve, shift, and respond to global and societal changes and technological advancements. It was during this time that education researchers, policymakers, and leaders began implementing culturally relevant, responsive, and sustaining teaching methods, policies, and programs in recognition of the importance of students' cultural backgrounds and experiences. Educators worked to foster a more inclusive, welcoming, and engaging learning environment for all students. It was also during the millennial era that student activism and advocacy became a social and political movement to highlight the continued discrimination, racism, inhumanity, and inequity experienced by black people in America and across the globe. However, while it would seem that schools were making progressive efforts toward educational justice, schools instead reverted back to or propagated anti-black educational structures through their continued marginalization and punishment of black students. Instead of being the open, accepting, and accessible learning spaces in modern society, many K-12 public schools and school leaders regularly respond to race and racism discussions by prioritizing the reputation of the school or the district, positioning racialized incidences as isolated and unrepresentative of the larger community. And these leaders also refused to acknowledge the structural roots of anti-blackness within their schools and communities. The progressive sociopolitical movements in schools exude an aura of liberation, seemed forward-thinking, emancipatory, and morally advanced, but they remain a socially harmful environment for black students. Understanding that white backlash has and continues to persist helps frame the current contemporary moment in K-12 public education. For example, groups like Moms for Liberty that seek to cease racially inclusive curricula are no different than the mother's lead that Governor Orville Falbus worked with as he sought to prevent school desegregation in Arkansas back in 1957. Likewise, contemporary banning of books by black authors like Tony Morrison, Maya Angelou, and James Baldwin resembled the literacy bans that black people faced during the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite the past and present agendas to provide challenges and obstacles for African American educational progress, African Americans have continuously struggled to ascertain physical, psychological, legal, and educational freedom. The struggle for equal access to education continues, just as efforts are made to address historical injustices and promote educational equity for all students. As African Americans continue to fight for schools that are equitable and just, it's also important to not only recognize but anticipate white backlash. Let us face our racial realities while at the same time leaving room to radically imagine viable alternatives for educational liberation for all. White backlash is a response to perceived racial progress made by African Americans, which they equate to a threat to their status at the top of America's racial hierarchy. The presence of white backlash is driven by the conception that more equity in political rights or economic opportunity for other ethnic groups constitutes a loss in rights to white people. This has been noted throughout racial history in the United States. While white backlash and white rage are often attributed to primarily poor working class whites without college education, it's often supported by middle and upper class whites as well. Now let's be honest, white rage played a prominent role in propelling Trump to the White House. And look how that turned out. Anti-blackness is a persistent feature of American society with implications for the experiences, outcomes, and well-being of black communities. White backlash efforts have taken the form of educational censorship policies that have been successfully enacted in at least 18 states. Policymakers at the state, local, and federal levels have engaged in targeted efforts to ensure that a race-evasive history of American patriotism and freedom would be taught in schools. These intentional policy choices attempt to promote the racist and dominant narrative not only of who belongs in the United States, but also of whose stories are allowed or deserve to be told in American schools. Not only was the banning of books by authors of color an effort of censorship, so was the educational censorship involved with the introduction of ethnic studies curriculum in K-12 education. Similar to proponents of CRT bans, constituents of largely white politically conservative groups often argued that ethnic studies curricula would be inherently harmful to white Christian students, and they claimed that such horses violated federal anti-discrimination legislation. These are just some of the reactionary movements aimed at limiting racial literacy and learning opportunities for students of color. And with surgical-like precision, policymakers throughout this nation's history have systematically developed and enacted targeted policies to deny African Americans the civil rights and liberties promised to all U.S. citizens. These policies are racially reactionary by design and can be characterized as manifestations of white backlash and resentment in reaction to the racial progress of other groups, especially African Americans. Triggered by even the threat of progress for black people, these policy assaults and legal contortions have consistently punished black resilience and black resolve. White backlash is not about visible violence, but more about how it works its way through the courts, legislatures, and a range of government bureaucracies. Two bills, one in Texas and one in North Dakota, illustrate predictable manifestations of white backlash in opposition to the potential for black progress that was expressed throughout various Black Lives Matter protests five years ago. What's interesting about these bills is that they position conservative white parents and community members as educational experts by virtue of their role as parents, at the same time ignoring the policy preferences of parents, teachers, and community members who fundamentally believe in anti-racist equity-oriented teaching. The Contemporary Movement for Parents' Rights has argued for the protection of all innocent children against indoctrination, regardless of color, while supporting color neutral policies that are only conscious of whiteness and concerned with the liberties of white parents and their children. The concept of parents' rights has been racially weaponized to protect and uphold whiteness, something that apparently needs to be protected at all costs. Such is the current state of America. Sounds like MAGA to me, or code word MAWA MAWA. Since the passage of the Texas Bill, HB 3979, and the North Dakota Bill, HB 1508, the same political agenda has continued to thrive in both states, which has only resulted in the expansion of efforts to limit discussions on race and racism in schools. These types of efforts have led to curriculum changes as well as instructional practice and funding shifts at both the K-12 and post-secondary levels, causing anxiety for many teachers. For many states, these educational censorship policies have been used as a tool to intimidate, penalize, and push out teachers in an effort to continue upholding race evasive narratives regarding race and racism in America. The fact of the matter is that the endemic nature of racism and anti blackness in this society. And in turn, in education policy suggests that the struggle for racial justice is one that will continue to be fought in perpetuity. However, while racial equity and justice for all African Americans remains elusive, those of us who care deeply about the lives, experiences, and outcomes of African Americans must remain equally as steadfast in our commitment and continue to dream of and work toward the future black children deserve. So, what can you do with the information that I just shared? Here are the action steps you can take regarding white backlash on African American educational progress. There are things you can do at the local level to disrupt an inequitable policy making effort. Counter storytelling and civil disobedience can be used to push back against racially oppressive practices during policy making processes. These can be employed in state legislative hearings, school board meetings, and other policy spaces where future policy actions are under consideration. Now, while these actions may not always be successful in stopping discriminatory policy action from being enacted, there are specific cases where this has been successful. Notably in Indiana, where two bills were proposed on the same topic as the Texas Bill and the North Dakota Bill, that is, against indoctrination in schools, white parents' rights, and race and racism being taught in the classroom. In this case, both of which of the bills in Indiana were defeated through collective action by a broad coalition of community members, including civic groups, teachers, parents, and businesses. You can also make a small, personal stand by supporting black businesses. If policymakers continue to push the curricula that is allowed to be taught in schools, set a goal to know the facts. African American scholars have written extensively about the truths of American society for decades, and those books about their observations and intellectual perspectives are widely available. I suggest that you start a library of their books so that you and your children will have access to them, including the authors I mentioned toward the beginning of this episode, should their books suddenly become unavailable. Make it a point to know the real history of America and make it an intention to not be silenced. Here are this episode's takeaways. Notable researchers define white backlash as negative reactions within white communities to one the proximity of black communities following migration, two the potential acquisition of new power and or status by black people, three the creation of policies or legislation to bring about greater equity between racial and ethnic groups, or four the enforcing of such policies and regulations. White backlash often occurs due to the perceived loss of white privilege and power. White backlash is evident at every instance of black sociopolitical advancement across time and demonstrates a chasm between the promise of democracy and racial justice and the truth of racial reality of black life in America. White rage is a simmering, gradual and persistent frustration among some white Americans toward advancements or policies that challenge the existing power structures, whereas white backlash is a more immediate, defensive, and reactionary response among some white Americans to recent events or advancements by African Americans. The American history of white backlash in response to perceived educational gains of African Americans, whether economically or politically, is robust. This does not bode well for America's future. What are your thoughts about white backlash on African American educational progress? Let me know your experiences or your perspectives by leaving me a text comment on my podcast website, K-12Education Insights.bussprout.com. And here's how you leave that text comment. Go to the episode description page and click on the Send Me a Text Message link. Again, it's K12Education Insights.bussprout.com and leave me a text comment today. If you enjoyed this episode, why not listen to another episode from my catalog? It can take as little as 15 minutes of your day. And remember, new episodes come out every Tuesday. And before I forget, would you do me a favor? Go online right now and share this episode with one friend who you think would love it. Thanks for listening today. Be sure to come back for more insights on K 12 educational topics that impact you and your children. Until next time, learn something new every day.