We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom

Bettina L. Love argues that the American educational system functions as an educational survival complex, which prioritizes standardized testing and punitive discipline over the well-being of students of color. She outlines a framework for abolitionist teaching, drawing directly from the historical traditions of the Underground Railroad and black radical organizing. Love distinguishes between mere multicultural inclusion and radical educational freedom, documenting how current reforms often sustain racial trauma. The text focuses on the necessity of agitation, intersectional advocacy, and the dismantling of the school-to-prison pipeline to ensure marginalized children thrive rather than just endure.

This book serves educators, community organizers, and social justice advocates seeking a practical departure from traditional reform models. Readers learn to identify systemic oppression within their own classrooms and school boards. The text provides specific strategies for building sustainable grassroots movements and implementing restorative justice practices. By the end, the reader possesses a roadmap for incorporating civil disobedience into their pedagogy and replacing punitive structures with environments that center the humanity and creativity of every student.