Reply to How many local schools hired Ibram X. Kendi to speak?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What I want answers for is why so many public and private schools threw money at him to come speak for an hour instead of using that money for actual DEI projects. It stinks of performative celebrity-chasing non-work to impress an audience that isn't even impressed by it. Nobody is more inspired to pay tuition because Kendi came to speak.

None of this is a complaint about his work or ideas, which can be debated separately. There are many amazingly contributive people that aren't woth $20K for an hour zoom call. [/quote]

This is my issue. I don't really have a problem with schools reading his book as long as it's not the only book they are reading on these issues. I think especially at the HS level, it's valuable for kids to develop a nuanced understanding of racism and inequity issues and the current thinking on the topic, and Kendi's scholarship is definitely a major part of that.

But paid speeches are rarely worth the high costs for very in-demand speakers. No shade to Kendi, but no one's speech is solving racism or inequity issues at any school, and I am certain he knows that. It is a waste of money for schools and absolutely more about looking like they care without actually doing anything. I also think for POC at the school, both students and staff, there is somewhat limited value in a speaker like Kendi. Normally I would say that more black speakers on campus is good for representation, but I'd rather see representation efforts spread across all programming and invited speakers, on all topics, rather than channelling so much money to a single, well-known black speaker coming to speak specifically on racism. For a black student, it would be more valuable to simply see more black professionals among invited guests generally, on many topics, not only on equity issues.

But in terms of grifters who emerged from the BLM movement to sell ideas to schools and corporations, I don't consider Kendi in that group. But he still costs too much as a speaker given the likely value of his speech to a school. Let tech companies and banks shell out for his speeches if they want. There are far better ways for schools to improve on DEI issues, and better ways to spend money on behalf of the community and specifically on diversity/racism concerns.[/quote]

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