High Schools, Race, and America's Future

Lawrence Blum is the Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Education and a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has written extensively on race and racism, moral philosophy, social and political philosophy, philosophy of education, moral education, multicultural education, philosophy and the Holocaust, race and film, moral emotions, and other topics. He is the author of four books—Friendship, Altruism, and Morality (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980), A Truer Liberty: Simone Weil and Marxism (with V. J. Seidler) (Routledge, 1989), Moral Per ception and Particularity (Cambridge University Press, 1994), and “I’m Not a Racist, But . . .”: The Moral Quandary of Race (Cornell University Press, 2002), which was selected as the Social Philosophy Book of the Year by the North American Society for Social Philosophy. Blum has also taught at Teachers College, Stanford School of Education, and UCLA (in philosophy). He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"Blum's good ideas should get in the hands of many teachers, administrators, and parents who want to try such things in schools, or to evaluate or rethink their current practices...This class is a powerful metaphor for a racially literate society, as well as a thoughtful narrative of a valuable educational experiment." — Sophie Bell, Radical Teacher "The personal nature of racial identity for the students and their candid and poignant reflections on race are among the many strengths of this engaging book. Although of special interest to teachers involved in inner-city education, the book has much to offer general readers."— K. Ryan, CHOICE "Blum is to be commended for the manner in which his book and course move across and between many 'borders' that academics rarely cross... The book is an accessible one I strongly recommend for academics across the related fields and high school teachers, and I dare say high school students themselves--if they are looking for a challenging but relevant book. Taking his own advice, Blum leaves his comfort zone to reach new audiences, and to work across fields and sites to make an exemplary contribution." — Tatyana Kleyn, Teachers College Record