October 31, 2001
University Park, Pa.—Internationally-renowned writer, educator and anti-racist advocate Jonathan Kozol will present the Waterbury Forum discussion, “The Persistence of Apartheid Education: Still Separate, Still Unequal in America,” Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Schwab Auditorium on Penn State’s University Park campus.

Kozol is the author of numerous books on racism and poverty in the United States and has a large following among scholars and activists.  In his most recent book, Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools, Kozol delved into what he says is a serious lack of public indignation for the poverty and segregation that is allowed to exist in an otherwise wealthy American society.  Kozol says in the book: “People speak of getting lost in East St. Louis as a nightmare. The nightmare to me is that they never leave that highway, so they never know what life is like for all the children here.”

The Waterbury Forum is a series of critical thought presentations funded by the College of Education. Waterbury Chair Professor of Secondary Education Henry Giroux, who arranged for Kozol’s visit, said, “Through his steadfast commitment to democratic struggle, Kozol has become something of a national treasure, repeatedly serving as the public conscience of the nation.  He is one of the foremost public intellectuals in the country who has used his talents and skills to address some of the most important issues of our times.  His writings on race, poverty, education, and youth serve as a testimonial to what it means to act with courage and conviction.  He draws huge crowds wherever he goes, and we can only hope that the crowds act on what they hear.”

Other Kozol books include Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America, and Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools. 

A second Waterbury Forum featuring author Roger Simon will be held November 27 at 7:00 p.m. in 101 Chambers.  The College of Education also sponsors the Bernreuter Lectures in school psychology.

Contact: Jeff Deitrich 814-863-2216 http://www.ed.psu.edu/