WS Chronicle

By Felecia Piggott-Long, Ph.D.

More than 500 students, educators, parents, and community leaders participated in a book discussion and a celebration of hip-hop culture at Carver High School and at Union Baptist Church on Tuesday, April 16. The purpose of Dr. Betinna L. Love’s visit was to introduce her new book, “Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal.” Carver’s principal, Dr. Thyais Maxwell, invited the juniors and seniors to lunch in the media center before treating them to the presentation by guest author, Dr. Love.

The book recounts four decades of educational reform that had a negative impact on African American children. It explains how 25 of Dr. Love’s friends – African Americans from the post-civil rights generation – were beaten, suspended, incarcerated, and defined as “crack babies,” and vicious predators. They lived through this educational harm. 

In her book, Dr. Love argues that Reagan’s presidency ushered in a “war against Black children” under the guise of the “War on Drugs.” Dr. Love has established a national conversation about the structural overhaul that is needed to reverse the miseducation of America’s Black children.

Dr. Maxwell presented Dr. Love an award for her research and sincere efforts to improve education. Several supporters joined in this presentation: WSFCS Superintendent Tricia McManus; Dr. Effie McMillian, WSFCS Equity Team; and student government officers Tierra Pinckney and Siarra Bass.

 “Dr. Love, I just want to present you with this award to thank you for your fight on behalf of our children each and every day,” said Dr. Maxwell.

Dr. Love is the William F. Russell Professor at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, and her new text has become a New York Times bestseller. In 2022, the Kennedy Center named Dr. Love one of the next 50 leaders who would help make the world more compassionate for all of mankind. She is the co-founder of the Abolitionist Teaching Network (ATN), and the mission of this organization is to uphold teachers and parents who are fighting injustice within their schools and communities. As a founding member of the task force that launched In Her Hands, she has distributed more than $15 million to Black women in Georgia.

Dr. Love is sought after to present workshops on abolitionist education, hip-hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and arts-based education.

“Abolitionist education means building up more than we can ever tear down. … We must build something that works for everyone,” said Dr. Love. “We all do harm, but we must offer an apology and atone for that harm. We can build a world better than what we have. We can reduce the mortality rate for Black women who desire to have children, improve disparities in housing, healthcare, safety, and make our communities better.”

Love considers herself a part of the hip-hop generation and of the post civil rights generation, since she was born in 1979. She expressed the importance of the South and its musical traditions which fostered the growth of hip-hop music. Love held a dialogue with the students about the emergence of this genre over the last 50 years.

Love was impressed with the names of the historical hip-hop artists the students shouted out for their importance in the culture: Tupac, Ja Rule, Outcast, Biggie, Public Enemy, and others.

“Without the spirituals, the field hollers, and the blues, there would be no such thing as hip-hop. Not without the blues, gospel, and the shouting and praying of the South!” said Dr. Love. “And who is the most sampled singer of our time? James Brown made his way through the South as well. Before these sounds came to the South, the sound was on the continent of Africa. The Diaspora – all of us, regardless of our past, you are touched by that continent.”

At Union Baptist, Dr. Love’s presentation focused on the contents of her new book. Bishop Dr. Sir Walter Mack, Jr. was impressed with Dr. Love’s research. Her address was titled, “Punished for Dreaming: The Case for Abolitionist Teaching and Educational Reparations.”

 “Her research is valuable in the sense that she takes you on a journey, and shows that various structures for which racism continues are still upheld,” Bishop Mack said. “She blessed this community, and I’m motivated more so now than ever, to remain involved in the educational process of our youth.”

Dr. Mark Maxwell, the lead equity coach in the department of Equity, Access, and Acceleration, attended the gathering at Union Baptist Church. Maxwell sees great merit in Dr. Love’s new book.

“Her work is a beacon of support for educators and parents who are combating the injustices stemming from years of educational reforms. Dr. Love’s presentation delved into the ways we can begin to mend the harm inflicted upon Black children,” Dr. Maxwell said. “With a combination of detailed insights, heartfelt messages, and impassioned pleas, she skillfully wove humor into her discourse, providing the audience with moments of levity amidst the weighty subject matter.”

Planning partners included several groups in the community: Knollwood Baptist Church, Union Baptist Church, My Brothers Keeper WS, the Winston-Salem Foundation, Love Out Loud, Wake Forest University, Salem College, Winston-Salem State University, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Forsyth Futures, Love Literacy, Temple Emanuel of Winston-Salem, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, United Metropolitan MBC, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Triad Cultural Arts, The United Way of Forsyth County, Winston-Salem Freedom Schools, First Baptist Church on Fifth, Pastors for N.C. Children, Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity, Family Services, Inc., and Every Child N.C.