Wow this book. It was such an education (pardon the pun). The book is incredibly well researched with and packed with statistics and facts, but it’s written in a way that isn’t dense, but narratively engaging. I learned so much about a topic I’d never considered thoroughly. We hear about Brown vs. Board of Education as a seminal court ruling, but there were so many other court battles about higher education that I was completely unfamiliar with. This book does an excellent job of charting the events of history that have led us to the current system that fails so many.

I decided to DNF this book after the first chapter because it was really dry. I was looking for an analysis of the education system and the book was hyper-focused on the history of slavery, which I completely understand is important to understanding the US education system, but my expectations were just different. Hopefully this book still works for others, and perhaps I'll read a summary online or see if there's an audio copy I can try.

This book is one I feel that you need to read it with an open mind. I found it to be very interesting and it intrigued me enough to want to finish it. However, I would’ve like a bit more rounded of a story. The facts were well written out on the inequality in universities, but there was no mention of maybe some solutions to the problems. Which is what I would’ve liked to see. Nonetheless, it was one that caught my attention. And I thought it was well researched, well written and all around an interesting read.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I opted to listen to the final published copy of the audiobook. As always all opinions are my own. It was nice to be able to refer to the print book while listening as there is a great deal of information to digest in this book. The audiobook comes with a pdf of the endnotes, and there are 30+ pages of references. I really appreciate a well researched book.

I thought the author did a great job presenting the facts dating back to the 1800's when the issue of racism in higher education began. There are some well known cases presented, as well as some lesser known cases that paved the way for higher education to become attainable for people of color, specifically Black Americans. I did get lost in the legal cases at times. While that information was valuable, it was hard to follow and keep them straight, especially in audiobook format.

While the history of how the inequality began in educational institutions is very well presented, I would have liked a bit more information and data regarding the progress that has been to combat it today and what we can do to further combat the issue. The present day is only discussed in the last few pages. I would have liked a bit more on the present day issues or suggestions on where to go for more information. The title suggests that there may be some solutions on how to fix the wrongs of the past, however I don't think this delivered. While I'm now more educated on what has happened in the past, I'm still not clear on what needs to be done to fix the current state and future state of higher education or education in general. I do feel the author could have devoted atleast an entire chapter, on the state of current affairs and suggested solutions.

This is a very challenging book, especially for a reader who has been steeped in the ideology of being fearful of anything that remotely resembles socialism. Although I can't agree with every point, the author makes a compelling argument for his case. I recommend this book for anyone willing to read it with an open mind.

This is an important, but somewhat (maybe necessarily) dry, look at how educational institutions have benefited from our history of systematic racism and segregation. Although schools are not technically segregated anymore, the ongoing reluctance of Americans, and in particular, the legal and governmental segments, to take action to bring everyone to the same level compounds the head start predominantly white schools have (which benefit from black athletes, I'll add.) Our founders believed "that colleges are the best way to teach people to be good citizens" but it is clear that not everyone has the same opportunities. Some solutions are discussed near the end, but that section seemed thin; I was hoping for a bit more there. Still, recommended reading.

We featured this book in our August edition of Brew's Bookshelf. A great dive into the world of higher education.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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Growing up in a family that very much valued the need for education, I was instantly drawn to this book. My brother is a high school teacher in a low-income area and I work with child performers in NYC. Between us, we run the gambit of students and families that enter our lives. This novel was an excellent exploration of the roadblocks that stand in the way of some of this children through no fault of their own. We must continue to fix the problems left behind by our forefathers.

Harris begins his book from a personal standpoint: attending a Black college (Alabama A&M University) and comparing its grounds and resources to those of nearby University of Alabama in Huntsville. The discrepancy between these two neighboring state schools--one a historically Black college and one a state school largely catering to Whites (and in fact built to maintain segregation)--was tangible evidence that separate has never meant equal. Harris, a staff writer at The Atlantic and previously a reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education, decided to explore how these discrepancies developed.

After this personal introduction, Harris jumps back to 1844 Kentucky and the first attempts in the South to create an integrated college, what is now Berea College. The book is primarily historical as it looks at the challenges Berea faced both legislatively and socially, and then moves into explaining how land-grant universities were developed across the country. Harris shows the ongoing fight to keep many of these universities segregated and how the 14th Amendment and various Supreme Court rulings impacted these attempts from reconstruction to the present day. Harris primarily does this by focusing on individual stories and attempts to integrate by Black students in Oklahoma and Mississippi, using these personal stories to reflect what was occurring nationally.

At times these discussions become exceptionally detailed and in the weeds (which is odd given that it's a relatively short book and I'm sure lots of information was removed), but for the most part the compelling nature of these stories make the struggle and impact painfully real. It's still heartbreaking to understand how determined so many people were to maintaining segregation and how often courts at all levels supported these attempts that were clear violations of the law. There are examples of remarkable courage and sacrifice in efforts to allow equal access to education for all Americans, and then Harris shows how this fight for equal access and Supreme Court rulings (notably Bakke) resulted in a turnaround where much of the progress has been lost in recent years, Because the middle section of the book is generally written in a more objective style (though not always), Harris allows legal opinions and statistics to argue his points and demonstrate the inequalities in higher education.

Harris returns to a personal writing style for the final chapter where he shows that this is not a historical problem that was resolved with Brown vs. Board of Education, but one that continues through the impact of Covid on Black colleges versus other state schools. He highlights the example of Bennett College--one of only two historically Black women's colleges in the country--as one that lost accreditation due to lack of funding while many schools receive extraordinary support from endowments and the state. Harris closes by arguing passionately and persuasively that the US Government and state universities continue to fail our societies by not providing equal access to higher education for all our citizens.

Harris' writing is excellent, the information he covers is critical, he makes persuasive arguments, and he offers sound recommendations to address the concerns he identifies. Despite occasional dry sections, it's a compelling narrative and one that should be addressed by the government at all levels. One hopes this is a step towards making the issue more visible and guiding our country to a more equitable and just educational system.

I appreciate NetGalley providing a copy of this book in exchange for an independent review.

The State Must Provide
By Adam Harris

Mr. Harris provides an interesting point of view about educational opportunities – or the lack thereof – provided by the government for black Americans, especially those attending historically black colleges and universities. He goes into much of the history of higher education in this country and how the many public colleges and universities came into being and the effect of racism on the development of these institutions.

While I found the book to contain a lot of information, I did not always find that Mr. Harris' point of few was entirely accurate. For instance, in the early days of educational development in this country, he seems to gloss over the fact that blacks were not alone in not having access to higher education. He does mention that, in fact, a great percentage of people of all races in America were illiterate. But he does not seem to consider this to be worth dwelling on.

There is no denying that slavery and racism have been a black mark on our collective history. However, having government "provide" to fix all previous wrongs opens the door to encouraging a big brother state.

Adam Harris takes the reader on a journey through the history of US higher education, paying special attention to the pervasive racism embedded in this system. You've likely heard of Plessy vs. Ferguson and Brown vs. Board of Education, but the lawsuits of various Black plaintiffs seeking higher education have mostly been lost to history. Harris shows the struggle of these men and women and how various states conspired to keep segregation alive despite court decisions telling them they couldn't do so. The land grant college system was unequal from the start, and the segregation it permitted only continues today. The beginning of the book discussing the founding of the system was a little dry, but the 2nd and 3rd parts of the book, covering the NAACP lawsuits and the state of the system today were very enlightening and readable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in inequality and systemic racism, or the history of US universities.

Thank you to Ecco for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting look at funding and other support for HBCUs vs PWIs. The title suggests a broader look at higher education and the issues raised might potentially have more than a single solution. But, absolutely an enlightening tale.

Read if you: Want a thorough take on the inequality of higher education in the US.

This is an eye-opening look at the history and need for HBCUs, their current status, and the inequality in funding public HBCUs in contrast with PWIs (predominately white instituttions).

Librarians/booksellers: Purchase if contemporary titles on education are popular.

Many thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a must-read for educators interested in the history of schooling post-integration and how segregation still exists today.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC ebook!