Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads
0 0
Download high-resolution image Look inside

Being Black in America's Schools

A Student-Educator-Reformer's Call for Change

Author Brian Rashad Fuller
Look inside
Paperback
$18.95 US
Kensington | Dafina
On sale Jul 29, 2025 | 256 Pages | 9781496746610
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

See Additional Formats
For readers of The Knowledge Gap, Race to the Bottom, and The Inequality Machine, education and equity strategist Brian Rashad Fuller sheds a stark light on America's public schools, the miseducation of students of color, and the action required to make tangible changes and reforms to a failing and racialized educational system.
With a foreword from Harriet Tubman's great-grand nephew, Abdul Tubman.

In a polarizing and racially divided America, what do children of color learn about themselves before they even go to school? How do they see themselves and is that image only exacerbated by spending twelve years in a public education system that perpetuates negative stereotypes? Brian Rashad Fuller personally knows that the impact of low expectations can be devastating, as proved by the “school to prison” pipeline that so many students have experienced. He aims to make a difference in this humanizing and very personal portrayal of what it means to be Black in America’s schools.

As a Black man who has spent his life as a student and an educator, Brian shares his own story of navigating the world, overcoming his family struggles, and eventually entering an educational system that he believes is inherently racist, damaging, and disserving. He exposes the challenges Black students face in elite and predominantly white universities and spaces, dissects “Black exceptionalism” in the schooling experience, and offers a firsthand account of the emotional and psychological impact made by teachers, administrators, policies, practices, lessons, and student interactions. Most Americans are looking for answers on how to improve our education system—as illustrated by the critical race theory debate—but have not fully understood the lived Black experience, until now.

With powerful insight into a thoroughly American institution, Brian offers present-day solutions, and liberating hope, for a centuries-long issue, as well as a galvanizing and radical step forward. It is a book essential to our challenging times.
Brian Rashad Fuller is an educational leader, writer, and strategist whose own experiences as a student in South Carolina’s public school system fuel his passion for addressing the needs of historically underserved students. A graduate of Emory University, he earned a MEd in School Leadership and Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and previously has launched the Philadelphia arm of The DREAM Program, taught third grade, helped manage the NYC Community Schools initiative, and later served as Chief Strategy Officer for School Planning and Development at the NYC Department of Education. He now serves as Associate Provost for Strategy and Operations at The New School in New York City and can be found online at BrianRashadFuller.com.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

My sole focus in this book is the advancement and protection of our children. All of the names of children and minors, and many of the names of adults, mentioned in the book have been changed to protect the identities of those individuals. One of the reasons why it's difficult to write a book that critiques education is because so many people who work with children have good intentions. When I describe organizations, teachers, supervisors, or classmates in this book, my only purpose is to use my past interactions in education to show how we can improve our efforts to develop all students. I believe in education because I believe in the capacity for each person, including myself, to grow. I pray this book begins to shed some light on exactly how we can do that so all of our children will have a more hopeful future.
Brian Rashad Fuller View titles by Brian Rashad Fuller

About

For readers of The Knowledge Gap, Race to the Bottom, and The Inequality Machine, education and equity strategist Brian Rashad Fuller sheds a stark light on America's public schools, the miseducation of students of color, and the action required to make tangible changes and reforms to a failing and racialized educational system.
With a foreword from Harriet Tubman's great-grand nephew, Abdul Tubman.

In a polarizing and racially divided America, what do children of color learn about themselves before they even go to school? How do they see themselves and is that image only exacerbated by spending twelve years in a public education system that perpetuates negative stereotypes? Brian Rashad Fuller personally knows that the impact of low expectations can be devastating, as proved by the “school to prison” pipeline that so many students have experienced. He aims to make a difference in this humanizing and very personal portrayal of what it means to be Black in America’s schools.

As a Black man who has spent his life as a student and an educator, Brian shares his own story of navigating the world, overcoming his family struggles, and eventually entering an educational system that he believes is inherently racist, damaging, and disserving. He exposes the challenges Black students face in elite and predominantly white universities and spaces, dissects “Black exceptionalism” in the schooling experience, and offers a firsthand account of the emotional and psychological impact made by teachers, administrators, policies, practices, lessons, and student interactions. Most Americans are looking for answers on how to improve our education system—as illustrated by the critical race theory debate—but have not fully understood the lived Black experience, until now.

With powerful insight into a thoroughly American institution, Brian offers present-day solutions, and liberating hope, for a centuries-long issue, as well as a galvanizing and radical step forward. It is a book essential to our challenging times.

Author

Brian Rashad Fuller is an educational leader, writer, and strategist whose own experiences as a student in South Carolina’s public school system fuel his passion for addressing the needs of historically underserved students. A graduate of Emory University, he earned a MEd in School Leadership and Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and previously has launched the Philadelphia arm of The DREAM Program, taught third grade, helped manage the NYC Community Schools initiative, and later served as Chief Strategy Officer for School Planning and Development at the NYC Department of Education. He now serves as Associate Provost for Strategy and Operations at The New School in New York City and can be found online at BrianRashadFuller.com.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

My sole focus in this book is the advancement and protection of our children. All of the names of children and minors, and many of the names of adults, mentioned in the book have been changed to protect the identities of those individuals. One of the reasons why it's difficult to write a book that critiques education is because so many people who work with children have good intentions. When I describe organizations, teachers, supervisors, or classmates in this book, my only purpose is to use my past interactions in education to show how we can improve our efforts to develop all students. I believe in education because I believe in the capacity for each person, including myself, to grow. I pray this book begins to shed some light on exactly how we can do that so all of our children will have a more hopeful future.
Brian Rashad Fuller View titles by Brian Rashad Fuller

Additional formats

Related Articles

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month
Psychology

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

Psychology
Literature

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

Literature
Gender and Sexuality Studies History

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

Gender and Sexuality Studies History
Subscribe

Penguin Random House Higher Education

© 2025 Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Wish List (0)