Race, Politics, and Pandemic Pedagogy

Henry Giroux is one of the very few trusted critical commentators whose voice is both focused and unerring in highlighting the social injustice and systemic racism of US politics and its effects in education. Over many years he has demonstrated his keenness of insight, power of observation and critical approach, to document the troubled modern history of the U.S. In Race, Politics and Pandemic Pedagogy: Education in a Time of Crisis, Giroux, acknowledging a time of extreme danger and crisis, surveys 'pandemic landscapes' of increased militarisation of education and public life during Covid-19, when populist rule has led to US-styled neo-Fascism based on the slogan of 'law and order'. Giroux shows how the pandemic has heightened health disparities and existing inequalities, further divided the population, and led to an economic collapse that threatens the lives and livelihood of Black people, both impoverishing and disempowering them. It is from these roots of racial injustice and the scourge of neoliberal capitalism in the time of Covid-19 that Giroux examines the hopeful new forces for education and political change that can lead to a more compassionate, just and equitable society. This is vintage Giroux - compelling reading that pictures the US on a knife-edge as it enters the final chapter of an historic U.S. presidential election. * Michael A. Peters, Distinguished Professor of Education, Beijing Normal University, China * In Race, Politics and Pandemic Pedagogy, Henry A. Giroux breaks new ground theoretically and pedagogically in making education central to politics while making clear how the struggle over matters of agency, values, ethics, and identity are crucial to reclaiming any viable notion of democracy. * Jeffrey R. Di Leo, Professor of English and Philosophy, University of Houston, Victoria, USA * Giroux combines a passionate call for a humane conscience, an astute analysis of the relations among the multiple contemporary crises, and a critical understanding of pedagogy as a political practice. His work stands out from the chaos of voices that claim to diagnose the present and offer a way out. * Lawrence Grossberg, Distinguished Professor of Communication and Cultural Studies, Unviersity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA * Race, Politics, and Pandemic Pedagogy is trenchant and illuminating, offering not only an essential analysis of our times but also a vision of a real path forward. Giroux brings us new language to confront the current crises, and urges us to not only face our immediate catastrophes, but to activate our broader imaginations. What kind of society do we want? What stories will we engage to guide our actions? At a time of desperation and quick-fix reforms, Giroux's bold, long-reaching inquiries provide a crucial intervention -- and a call for all of us to dream bigger. * Maya Schenwar, Editor-in-Chief of Truthout and co-author of Prison by Any Other Name *