Troubling the Waters

Based on extensive fieldwork in schools and communities in St. Louis and Atlanta, Troubling the Waters captures the experiences of today’s African American families like no other book. Reframing the debates around urban schooling, Jerome Morris offers an empirically based research foundation for a new approach to quality schooling for African Americans. Morris counters the view set forth by many neoconservatives that racism no longer exists, while simultaneously offering a trenchant critique of the desegregation-only paradigm for achieving Brown’s promises. Essential reading for educators, scholars, and policymakers who are deeply committed to improving the education of Black children, this timely book:

Situates African Americans’ pursuit of quality education outside the traditional liberal versus conservative dichotomy.Revisits the role of African American culture, identity, and institutions in the educational achievement of Black children today. Discusses organizational characteristics of schools that constrain or support African American students’ educational experiences and outcomes. Examines the implications for urban education and school reform.