Race Pride School Pride

In 1962, Malcolm X rhetorically asked during a speech, "Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet? Who taught you to hate your own kind? Who taught you to hate the race that you belong to so much that you don't want to be around each other?" Today, a necessary corollary would be to ask, "Who taught you pride?"

Few institutions reveal our societal values more than schools. The national story passed from generation to generation is complete with details of who and what deserve our pride and attention. Sami Atif expands our understanding of how race operates as a function of memory, controlling what we're taught in public and private schools. Beyond that, in Race Pride, School Pride, Atif suggests a pathway for educators to navigate these uncertain times with the conviction of those who overcame overt opposition. It is essential, as Atif contends, for schools to learn the lessons offered by their Black students.

Race Pride, School Pride appeals to many readers, but Atif documents the agency of Black American abolitionists, veterans, educators, students, and their parents in a very particular manner. Interwoven with personal experiences, this work is intimate and academic, historic and forward-thinking, unique and universal.