Teaching Through Crisis in Charlotte: Dr. James Ford on Immigration Raids, Student Safety, and Educational Equity

In this episode of The Teacher’s Forum, David Harris speaks with Dr. James Ford about the recent immigration enforcement actions in Charlotte and their impact on students, families, and schools (02:35). Dr. Ford discusses what educators must do during moments of crisis to ensure students’ physical and emotional safety (05:46), the pressures teachers feel to remain silent (10:30), and why claims of classroom “objectivity” can become harmful when discussing issues of human dignity (14:40).The conversation then turns to the values public schools claim versus the values they practice (21:00), the fragility of rights like those affirmed in Plyler v. Doe (25:42), and the trauma today’s youth navigate in a digital age (29:00). Dr. Ford offers historical insight into the role of Black private schools as spaces of autonomy and safety (33:15), distinguishes between reform and true transformation in education (36:00), examines the “illusion of inclusion” many students of color experience (38:50), and reflects on the teacher who deeply shaped his own journey (41:10).To contact Dr. Ford and learn more about the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) please visit their site at https://www.creed-nc.org/Send us a text with your thoughts or ideas, and follow and subscribe to The Teacher’s Forum so you don’t miss future episodes.Join the Conversation:[email protected]@theteachersforum.bsky.socialX (formerly Twitter) @theforum1993Please subscribe, share and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Help us amplify the voices and issues of K-12 educators all over the world.