Blog Post #6

Lisa Delpit                                                                                                               The Silenced Dialog 

ARGUMENT: This author, Lisa Delpit, argues that students from marginalized backgrounds are often denied access to the “codes of power” when teachers fail to teach the cultural norms valued in schools and society.

Delpit’s central point is that well-meaning educators sometimes believe it is oppressive to directly teach students the rules of language, behavior, or power that are dominant in their culture. However, she argues that withholding this knowledge actually disempowers students, because they are left unequipped to succeed in environments that demand those skills. At the same time, Delpit stresses that these codes should be taught without devaluing students’ own languages and cultural practices. Her key contribution is showing that equity in education means both affirming students’ identities and giving them full access to the tools of power, so they can navigate and transform the systems around them.

Blog Post #5

 Christine E. Sleeter                                              The Academic and Social Values of Ethnic Studies

Reflection:    Taking multiple Africana Studies courses in college allowed me to experience firsthand many of the outcomes Christine Sleeter highlights in The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies. Sleeter’s review demonstrates that ethnic studies curricula enhance academic engagement, affirm students’ identities, and foster civic awareness. In my Africana classes, I found myself more motivated to read, write, and think critically because the material connected directly to lived histories and struggles that mainstream courses often overlooked. The coursework not only sharpened my analytical and writing skills but also affirmed my sense of identity by linking personal and cultural experiences to broader historical narratives. Just as Sleeter describes, these classes reduced the distance between who I am and what I was studying, giving me a stronger sense of agency within academic spaces. They also encouraged me to examine issues of inequality and justice in ways that shape my engagement with my community today. In many ways, my own journey through Africana Studies mirrors Sleeter’s findings: ethnic studies are not only academically enriching but also socially and personally transformative.

Sleeter’s review argues that ethnic studies (properly conceived and taught) are not merely “nice to have” but can be an evidence-based strategy to improve academic achievement, engagement, identity development, and civic capacities, while also addressing educational inequities.