DisCrit: disability studies and critical race theory in education

Abstract

DisCrit is an exciting and ground-breaking volume addressing the root of some of the most entrenched educational inequities within Western culture from an intersectional and cross-disciplinary lens, while creating spaces for solidarity and new alliances in education policies and practices. By refusing primacy of either race, or dis/ability, or gender, or any other aspect of identity, the editors and the contributing authors acknowledge how these “systems of oppression” (221) are co-constructed, and the role of schooling in reproducing hierarchies based on race, class and gender. Starting off with a captivating introduction “A Truncated Genealogy of DisCrit”, explaining the motivation for the book, and laying out the values behind the use of language – dis/ability is used with the purpose of “disrupting notions of the fixity of the concept of disability, seeking rather to analyse the entire context in which a person functions” (1) – the book describes the background behind the theoretical framework (Touchstone Text, first published in 2013 [Annamma, Connor, and Ferri 2013]), and it examines perceptions of race, class and ability (Part I); perspectives on achievement/opportunity gaps (Part II); the over-representation of minority students in special education (Part III); the school-to-prison pipeline (Part IV); school reform and its impact on learners based on race, class and dis/ability (Part V); and the capacity of law to include and exclude (Part VI). The conclusion “Critical Conversations Across Race and Ability” highlights how DisCrit is not a singular answer to entrenched educational inequities, and addresses tensions and possibilities for future research. Annamma, Connor and Ferri’s 2013 article, which has paved the way for the DisCrit book (Annamma, Connor, and Ferri 2016), has been invaluable in developing my doctoral research project on the disablement of refugee children in the Italian context. This book continues to inspire my post-doctoral career, exploring inclusive policies and practices for “multiply marginalised students” (2) in the US and Europe. I believe it is a must-read for pre-service and long-term educators within the urban school system in the US, North America and across the Atlantic.