Lisa Delpit Boeken

The author of Other People's Children joins with other experts to examine the relationship between language and power in the classroom. The Skin That We Speak takes the discussion of language in the classroom beyond the highly charged war of idioms and presents today's teachers with a thoughtful exploration of the varieties of English that we speak, in what Black Issues Book Review calls "an essential text." Edited by bestselling author Lisa Delpit and education professor Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, the book includes an extended new piece by Delpit herself, as well as groundbreaking work by Herbert Kohl, Gloria Ladson-Billings, and Victoria Purcell-Gates, as well as classic texts by Geneva Smitherman and Asa Hilliard. At a time when children are written off in our schools because they do not speak formal English, and when the class- and race-biased language used to describe those children determines their fate, The Skin That We Speak offers a cutting-edge look at crucial educational issues.

Collected essays, including Skills and Other Dilemmas of a Progressive Black Educator and The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children. From her own experience, Delpit argues that all children must be given access to the codes of power that drive society.

The book presents a thoughtful exploration of racism tailored for younger audiences, using accessible language and relatable examples. It aims to educate children about the complexities of racism, encouraging critical thinking and empathy. By addressing difficult topics in a straightforward manner, it seeks to empower the next generation to recognize and challenge discriminatory attitudes. The French edition adapts these themes for a different cultural context, making the conversation about racism relevant and engaging for its readers.