Rac(e)ing to Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools and Classrooms

For those of us teaching in urban landscapes, this work is a must-have! Dr. Milner expertly and eloquently identifies the implications on constructs of race for Black, Brown and White students, families and teachers. In addition to definitively naming the realities and challenges of educating the urban poor, Mr. Milner provides sound, evidence-based strategies to that ensure equitable outcomes. This entire book was akin to an educational pilgrimage that has made me a more thoughtful, intentional advocate for the students and families I am privileged to work with.

"Rac(e)ing to Class: Confronting Poverty and Race in Schools and Classrooms" illuminates how education overlaps with poverty, but Milner's thesis journeys beyond socioeconomic status, underscoring a notable caveat - the intersection between poverty, race, and education. His findings offer readers a nuanced understanding of the historical and contemporary inequalities and inequities that shape interactions between teachers and students with vastly different life experiences. Milner expresses a keen awareness that classrooms do not operate in a vacuum. Instead, social, political, and economic factors influence whether students maximize their potential. "Rac(e)ing to Class" is essential reading for developing best practices that counter the implications of structural classism and racism.

I read this book the summer before I started a doctoral program in education. I'm so glad I did; many of the concepts covered in this book gave me the statistics and theory to back up some of the truths I had already discovered as a young, Black man who grew up in a low-income community and attended both low-resourced and high-resourced schools: race and class matter. No wonder, Dr. Cornel West endorsed the book!

This book is an amazing addition to Dr. Milner's previous work - Start Where You Are But Don't Stay There. His realistic understandings of the barriers individual teachers see regarding systemic change in schools are poignant and insightful, and his recommendation for systemic initiatives to support individual teachers hits the nail right on the head. I highly recommend this work to all educators, teachers, researchers and anyone interested in reforming our educational systems toward equity.

Rac(e)ing to Class is an excellent resource for educators and education researchers as it offers a unique and comprehensive take on the challenges of education in urban environments. Perhaps even more impactful for administrators, Rac(e)ing to Class examines the pervasive nature of poverty, though not in a sensationalized manner. An accessible text, Rac(e)ing to Class zeros in on the evidence and urges school leaders to implement equitable practices and to work closely with communities.

This is an excellent and informative text that bridges the realities and exposes the complexities of the relationship between race and class. It is eye-opening and instructive for teachers, deans, principals, school leaders and policy makers alike. It gives readers a clearer picture of the multiple factors and vicious cycles that face an increasing majority of America's youth, and what educators are doing and can do to improve the opportunities for our nation's youth to achieve.

Sincere, honest, and educated perspective. As the author writes, the question is whether we have the will do to what we know will work and is the right thing for all students

A must read for teachers and administrators. Dr. Milner does an excellent job of teasing out the way race and poverty intersect for students at macro, meso and micro levels of schooling. Rac(e)ing to Class is a timely read in an era of white nationalist movements, racial conflict and an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Public schooling plays a critical role in the reproduction or amelioration of these issues and Dr. Milner's work provides scholarly and practical implications for educators.