Recently Juandolyn Stokes, Attorneys Leslie Lipson and Nkoyo Effiong, discuss the decolonization of special education. They share with Stokes that decolonizing Special Education (SPED) has a long global history of colonialism and white supremacy in the education system.
The Attorneys say White people have set-up structures that have been to their benefit at the expense of indigenous people. They recall how the decolonization movement is about the liberation of the cultural, psychological, and economic freedom of indigenous people. They tell Stokes the education system influences how society should be run with egregious systems that gives preference to some.
The trio discuss decolonization seeks to unpack the history of power, cultural appropriation and reclaim an education system that values everyone. The Attorneys tell Stokes Black students, students with disabilities, special education students, and LGBTQIA are not valued and this is what becomes the dominant cultural, that white cultural does not value them as a whole. The share this society has a social construct in this country that white is better and is the Gold Star; The further you are from that Gold Star the less valuable you are.
The panel goes on to say this is evident in education because only 67% of special education students are graduating, while 85% of general education students graduate because our society operate from the assumption that students with disabilities have something inherently wrong with them. The attorneys tell Stokes that SPED is a set of services, not a location and there are not a lot of trainings for SPED teachers. They go on to say only 16% of students in SPED are White, the overwhelming majority are strategically students of color. A student's worth is equated to their race and and ability.
Event on Thurs. Oct. 14 at noon in honor of the life and memory of George Floyd the Georgia Coalition for Equity in Education is taking part of a day of action teach about truth about structural racism and oppression. Please register for the event https://bit.ly/gceetruth entitled: Towards a Decolonized Special Education System presented by attorney Nkoyo-ene Effiong Lewis.
Listen to the full interview below.
On Point with Juandolyn Stokes can be heard Mon - Fri from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Listen through News & Talk 1380-WAOK, V-103FM (HD3) www.WAOK.com or download the Audacy App from www.Audacy.com.