Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE    / @lauraflandersandfriends  

Join us for this discussion on multicultural education as a fundamental human right. As we kick off a new academic year, it's crucial to reflect on the state of education today. From right-wing pushback against critical thinking and comprehensive history to challenges in class size, teacher compensation, and the very foundation of quality public education — our conversation aims to shed light on the progress we've made toward multicultural education and the paths we've taken to get here.

📚 The Birth of Puerto Rican and Black Studies Programs:
In this episode, you’ll learn about the efforts to establish Africana Studies and Puerto Rican Studies Departments at The City University of New York, or CUNY's Brooklyn College. Black, Latino, and working-class white students united to reshape a campus, an educational system, and college curricula — setting the stage for today’s multicultural education and overall educational landscape.

🎥 Featured Documentary: Making the Impossible Possible
Directed by Tami Kashia Gold and Pam Sporn, and distributed by @ThirdWorldNewsreel, this documentary tells the story of this transformative movement for multicultural education.
Streaming on TWN On Demand: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mtipfilm
Educational Screenings: twn.org/film.aspx?rec=1531

🌟 Meet the Guests:
- Askia Davis: A former Black Panther and one of the "BC 19," Askia was arrested in 1969 for demanding Open Admissions and the establishment of Africana and Puerto Rican Studies at Brooklyn College. He served as Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Schools in Harlem and the Bronx.
- Antonio Nieves: Also a member of the "BC 19," Antonio was a founder of the Puerto Rican and Afro American Institutes at Brooklyn College and has been a pharmacist for 30 years. He currently serves as the Director of Pharmacy for Caribbean Health Outreach.
- Sonia Nieto: A former Brooklyn College faculty and one of the "BC 44," Sonia was arrested in 1974 during a student takeover. She is the Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy & Culture at the College of Education at UMass, Amherst. Her 1992 book, "Affirming Diversity," is considered a defining work in 20th-century education.

00:00 Introduction
00:46 Meet the Guests
04:23 History of Multicultural Education
05:20 The Struggle for Education
07:23 How CUNY Brooklyn College Got Involved
08:30 Police Reactions & Raids
10:12 Rikers Island Experience
13:01 Fighting for Puerto Rican Studies
12:18 Why Multicultural Education is Crucial
16:59 Major Takeaways from the Struggle

“The desire was to transform education, not just to create departments, not just to open access, but to change the fundamental nature of the institutions. At Brooklyn College in 1968, I would say maybe every day [there] was a demonstration . . .” - Askia Davis

“These are the same issues that we were fighting for so many years ago . . . Things have improved somewhat, but in other ways, they have gotten worse because of right-wing interests and fear of losing power . . .” - Sonia Nieto

“You cannot be unwoke . . . If you are unwoke, that means that history will repeat itself and you will be victimized again. We want an education that tells us where we came from and what our contribution to America was.” - Antonio Nieves

🎧 PODCAST: Listen to this week's episode on major podcast platforms: https://lauraflanders.simplecast.com/...

✏️ SHOW NOTES: Visit our Patreon for more information on this week's episode:   / 88624818  

📺 RELATED EPISODES:
- Puerto Rico: Freedom From Fantasy:    • Puerto Rico: Freedom From Fantasy  
- Howard Zinn at 100: A People’s History, Urgent Lessons for the Present:    • Howard Zinn at 100: A People’s Histor...  

📚 Check out our Book of the Week on BOOKSHOP*: “Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education” by Patty Bode and Sonia Nieto: https://bookshop.org/a/22992/97801340...
(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
_________________
The Laura Flanders Show is non-commercial independent media that relies on the contributions of viewers and listeners.

DONATE TODAY at https://lauraflanders.org/donate/ or consider becoming a PATREON partner at   / thelfshow  

📩 SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter: lauraflanders.org

🎧 SUBSCRIBE to our podcast: lauraflanders.org/listen

🎧 LOOKING FOR UNCUT INTERVIEWS? Patreon subscribers get early access to our full, uncut conversations and audio extras! patreon.com/thelfshow