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Reviews
Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side by Eve L. Ewing
ckavella's review
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This important work takes a personal look at school closures. Prior to reading this, I had not considered the deep, historical significance of individual schools and the devastating effect that closing a school can have on a community. The book was well-organized, included an abundance of evidence from various sources, and the conclusion is excellent! Because the book is split into four large sections, it was a little difficult for me to get through. It was also repetitive or contradictory in some spots. Other than that, it was a good read.
alhetcher's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
A lot of history about a specific time in a specific neighborhood of Chicago packed into one book. Ewing used a variety of sources from community meetings to press releases to individual interviews to explore the cause and effect of these school closings. Very interesting read.
ash10alli's review
5.0
This book gives a great look into school shutdowns and the racist ideas that go into this process.
annie_the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
emotional
informative
fast-paced
5.0
This is a really short read about a topic honestly most people should know about. While I lived in Chicago at this time, I was also a student and didn’t really understand what was happening. Even though this is specific to Chicago, I think a lot of urban areas with large school systems could learn some similar lessons from this book. The history of redlining in Chicago led to inheritance racist school closing on Chicago’s south side not taking into account the value of the schools or the pride the school communities had. It’s frustrating to read and at the same time, something we need to keep in mind so that we don’t repeat it.
sarabz's review
5.0
This book focuses on school closings in Bronzeville and the impacts on community members. I am so appreciative of this book that presents the value of these institutions to the people who use them and build community in them, centering the voices of students, parents, and teachers. An excellent counter to the narrative that uses test scores and student enrollment numbers to fabricate a legitimacy for the destructive school policies that devalue Black students, maintain segregation, and disrupt communities. I also appreciated Ewing's placement of herself in the narrative, explaining her relationship to the schools, the closings, and Chicago, and includes notes about her position and her relationships with the people she interviewed at the end of the book.