Black & Brown Education in America

The racial dynamics between the Black and Latinx community has been highlighted in recent debates around housing for migrants in Black communities to equal representation on the city council. Our panel presentation examines Maywood, Illinois and the recent demographic changes from a historically Black suburb home to Fred Hampton and Doc Rivers to now an increasing Latinx community. We will examine both moments of conflict as well as coalition building in our decade long study of Maywood.

The book Black and Brown Education in America: Integration in Schools, Neighborhoods, and Communities is a decade long ethnographic study of Maywood, Illinois, and the impact of its recent demographic shift from a historically Black middle-class suburb outside of Chicago with roots in the Black Panther Party to now a community with an increasing Latinx population. It explores the intersection of race, culture, and language and the ensuing Black-Brown identity politics as well as the role of community organizations such as interracial faith-based churches and embattled school boards.

About the panel

• Dr. Samina Hadi-Tabassum is the Dean of the School of Education at Elmhurst University
• Dr. Persis Driver is a Psychology professor at Dominican University
• Madilyn Wiley is a school district leader in Maywood