Episode 20: Dr. Chris Emdin - For White Folks Who Teach in the 'Hood (and the Rest of Y'all Too)

This week on Speak Out with Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Dr. Christopher Emdin, author of the award-winning and best-selling books, "Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation," and "For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education." Emdin, who is a professor of Math, Science and Technology at Teacher’s College (Columbia University), is a leading expert on ways to engage and inspire young students of color in school by connecting their daily lived experiences, styles of communication and natural genius to academic learning. On this episode, Tim and Chris discuss this “reality pedagogy,” and how teachers so often resist its use, settling instead for stale and failed approaches to educating such students. They also discuss the myth that money alone will solve the issues facing urban education, the problem of white savior syndrome manifested by many white teachers in black and brown communities, and the way that oftentimes even educators of color adopt habits and mentalities that further marginalize children of color. A must-listen-to episode on a critical topic for all educators, parents, and persons concerned about the future of schooling in America.