CRSLI's Blog: The Equity Exchange 

This is the second in a series of three briefs CRSLI is publishing alongside our latest podcast episodes to help educators navigate the shifting legal landscape of DEIA in education. In this second brief, we explore how the language educators use can either expose schools to political risk or safeguard equity work through strategic, values-aligned terminology.

This is the first in a series of three legal briefs CRSLI is publishing alongside our latest podcast episodes to help educators navigate the shifting legal landscape of DEIA in education at a time when it is under attack from those in power. Authored by the CRSLI Team and Jeremy Chan-Kraushar, an educator and attorney, each brief offers practical guidance and legal context. These briefs are intended as a tool for empowering culturally responsive school leaders to use effective strategies in order to remain steadfast in advancing educational equity while staying within the bounds of current law.

Since the publication of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ latest book, The Message, the controversy it has stirred has been surprising. The author of the Booker Prize-winning Between the World and Me has built a career on writing truths that illuminate the experience of being Black in a racist world. The reaction to his latest book, amidst intense political divides and global conflicts, has been mixed. Some reviewers have expressed outrage over his historical analysis of the plight of the Palestinian people, which he compares to other oppressive regimes. Yet The Message is filled with important insights for culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL), often paralleling much of the research and theory upon which CRSL is based. This is why it’s a must-read for educational leaders.