Delpit Response - Too Much Political Heat

“I further believe that to act as if power does not exist is to ensure that the power status quo remains the same. To imply to children or adults (but of course the adults won't believe you anyway) that it doesn't matter how you talk or how you write is to ensure their ultimate failure. I prefer to be honest with my students. Tell them that their language and cultural style is unique and wonderful but that there is a political power game that is also being played, and if they want to be in on that game there are certain games that you too must play.”

First, let me say that I agree with what Delpit is saying here, but political pressure brought on by groups claiming that this program is racist or culturally insensitive would kill any program built around this proposal within a very short timeframe. Schools have a hard enough time dealing with parents suing schools over the “racist” book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (yes, this actually happened in Arizona) to want to provoke a large-scale assault from the UCLA over a “Culture of Power” argument. Successful implementation would require using willing private schools as “test-subjects,” and attempting to draw support by advertising successful results to academically withering public schools.