In this book, eleven recent college graduates describe in vivid detail their journeys from racially segregated, underfunded public schools to a state university, and the obstacles they encountered along the way. Chapters highlight personal accounts of poverty, violence, and bullying in childhood, the persistence of racism on the university campus and the inability of faculty and administrators to combat it. Overcoming all-too-common barriers, these eleven students persevered, earned their degrees and continued on to graduate school and professional careers. The authors conclude the book with policy proposals that not only address the issues raised by the students, but that would also restore public education to its original role as an engine of opportunity and driver of democracy.

Features interviews and oral histories of students from a public university in Nevada Lays out challenges faced by non-white and low-income students and potential policy solutions Explores the intersections of race and class in twenty-first century public higher education

Autorentext

Jennifer Ring is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA, where she has taught political philosophy, and courses on race, gender and identity for 25 years. She received her Bachelor s degree from UCLA and her Master s and Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. She has published books and articles in political theory, feminist theory, and gender and sports.

Trisden Shaw is a political educator and community organizer who seeks to amplify the voices of those who traditionally have been silenced. As a campus organizer, Trisden orchestrated a number of social actions seeking to improve the conditions of marginalized students on campus and in the community. He is a recent graduate of the African American Studies MA program at University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

Reece Gibb is a technical writer for a software developer in Silicon Valley. He earned his MA in Political Science, and his BA with Honors in History and Political Science from the University of Nevada, Reno, USA. His interests include electoral politics, nineteenth-century American history, and queer studies, often focusing on the convergence of all three.

Inhalt

Introduction.- 2. Black Wastelanders.- 3. Where are you from from? 4. White Wastelanders.- 5. The Group Meetings.- 6. Grassroots Pedagogy: Rules of Engagement.- 7. Conclusion: Saving Public Higher Education.