Punished for Dreaming: The Case for Abolitionist Teaching and Educational Reparations

In this keynote conversation, Dr. Bettina Love tells the story of her generation, the Hip Hop generation - children of the '80s and '90s who came of age when mass incarceration and educational policies put unmistakable, identical targets on the backs of Black children. Crime reform and education reform merged to label Black children as crack babies, Super Predators, and thugs, and told the nation they were nothing more than an achievement gap. Dr. Love's presentation vividly explains how the last four decades of educational reform laid the foundation for each book ban, CRT ban, and the never-ending goal of reformers to extract from Black education for their own gain. Her talk will end with a road map for repair, arguing for educational reparations with transformation for all children at its core. The talk will be followed by a facilitated conversation and Q&A led by Dr. Kamau Bobb. The conversation will delve into the connection between Dr. Love's work and equitable computing education, including the role that computer science education and anti-DEI policy play in the continued opportunity gaps that exist for Black children.