Why They Hate Us: How Racist Rhetoric Impacts Education

This book examines how racist political rhetoric has created damaging and dangerous conditions for Students of Color in schools and higher education institutions throughout the United States. The authors show how the election of the 45th president has resulted in a defining moment in U.S. history where racist discourses, reinforced by ideologies of white supremacy, have affected the educational experiences of our most vulnerable students. This volume situates the rhetoric of the Trump presidency within a broader historical narrative and provides recommendations for those who seek to advocate for anti-racism and social justice. As we enter the uncharted waters of a global pandemic and national racial reckoning, this will be invaluable reading for scholars, educators, and administrators who want to be part of the solution.

Book Features:

• Uses Donald Trump’s presidency as a case study to show how and why racist rhetoric can be used to mobilize large numbers of U.S. voters.
• Examines how the current administration has changed perspectives on contemporary racism that will have a lasting impact throughout the K–16 educational system.
• Demonstrates how the current discourses around race and immigration are resulting in increased racism and violence in schools and universities.
• Provides strategies for how anti-racist social justice efforts in education will need to shift to respond to the new landscape.

Lindsay Pérez Huber is an associate professor in the Social and Cultural Analysis of Education master’s program in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach, and coauthor of Racial Microaggressions: Using Critical Race Theory to Respond to Everyday Racism. Susana M. Muñoz is an associate professor, program coordinator of the Higher Education Leadership Program, and co-director of CSU initiatives for the Race and Intersectional Studies for Educational Equity Center in the School of Education at Colorado State University.