Christy McGuire

Rarely has a book engaged me on so many levels, and I wholeheartedly encourage ANYONE WHO LOVES CHILDREN to read it. Practicing educators, educators-in-training, and especially teacher educators. White folks who want a better understanding of the personal and structural work we have to do every day ‘til we die towards being fuller, less racist, co-conspiring, loving human beings. Dr. Bettina Love’s book is lyrical, spiritual, analytical, and not a miracle ‘cause she worked her heart out to give this to us. Teachers in the U.S. (the vast majority of whom are white) are upholding and propagating the school-to-prison pipeline; yet school policies and practices target children’s behaviors and grades for remediation rather than the attitudes and practices of their teachers. How do we teach the people responsible for our children’s lives every school day that Black lives matter? That queer lives matter? That Black, queer, non-cis, dis/abled lives matter? While the answer is neither singular nor simple, Love describes the ways in which the concept of “abolitionist teaching” encapsulates some of the actions necessary for working towards truly transformational changes. With this critically important book, Dr. Love provides us with a space to freedom dream as a community of educators and parents; of coaches and social workers; of aunts, uncles, and cousins; of people who love children and want them to thrive, not just survive. We celebrate our children. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!