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The Shame of the Nation
The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America
Jonathan Kozol examines the renewed racial segregation of American public schools and the unequal educational conditions accompanying it. Drawing on visits to nearly sixty schools, especially in large urban systems, he combines classroom observation, conversations with children and educators, historical reflection, and policy criticism. His argument extends beyond disparities in buildings or budgets: racially isolated schools are often subjected to rigid discipline, scripted instruction, relentless test preparation, reduced arts and humanities offerings, and assumptions about children’s future economic roles that affluent communities would resist. The book places these conditions against the unfulfilled promise of Brown v. Board of Education and challenges claims that standards and accountability can compensate for unequal opportunities. Its central concern is moral as well as institutional: what does a democracy reveal about itself when it accepts profoundly different forms of school…
