The Three Faces on the U.S. Department of Education and What They Are Really Telling Us

This is not random. And it’s definitely not neutral.Hanging banners of Charlie Kirk, Catharine Beecher, and Booker T. Washington on the Department of Education building is a choice. Charlie Kirk built a career as a racist attacking universities and multicultural education. Catharine Beecher championed women’s education but rooted in domesticity and “separate spheres.” She was an ardent anti-suffragist. Booker T. Washington was a giant in Black education, but one whose philosophy emphasized accommodation in the face of segregation. When you put these three together, you’re not just honoring history. You’re signaling a worldview.Notice who’s missing. No John Dewey. No W.E.B. Du Bois. No Ella Baker. No one who centered democratic activism, structural critique, or student voice. That absence is loud. Because the people you elevate tell us what kind of education you believe in.This lineup suggests a Department of Education obsessed culture-war messaging and nothing else. Get full access to Yo, Miss! at saribethrosenberg.substack.com/subscribe