The Right to Literacy
Update: 2025-05-21
Description
In 2016, students at five schools in Detroit sued the state government for failing to provide them with even the most basic public education. Their teachers were overworked, their school buildings were falling apart, and students frequently lacked the resources to achieve reading and writing proficiency. Their complaint asserted that they were being denied a basic right: the right to literacy.
In this episode, we examine the concept of a right to literacy. Why is it important to democracy, and why is it indispensable for success in the American economy? How does it intersect with race and incarceration? And in the aftermath of the students’ lawsuit, where does the right to literacy go from here? Our guests – including the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit, an attorney on the lawsuit, and educators who have worked both inside and outside of prison – will help us find the answers.
In this episode, we examine the concept of a right to literacy. Why is it important to democracy, and why is it indispensable for success in the American economy? How does it intersect with race and incarceration? And in the aftermath of the students’ lawsuit, where does the right to literacy go from here? Our guests – including the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit, an attorney on the lawsuit, and educators who have worked both inside and outside of prison – will help us find the answers.
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