Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Powerful personal stories about the racism in education.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
EVERYTHING I LEARNED ABOUT RACISM I LEARNED IN SCHOOL chronicles the author's journey from elementary school through college, interwoven with stories from 19 contributors. Although Jewell is biracial (her blond, blue-eyed mother was born in Britain and her father is Black), her school system "labeled" her as White—something she didn't discover until high school. This meant she was treated as a White kid, tracked into the best classes with the most resources, and always encouraged to succeed. All the while she was acutely aware of how differently her classmates of color were being treated by teachers and administrators. Ojibwe writer James Bird writes that racism doesn't always come at you with anger and hate. After overhearing his Sunday School teacher say that Indians steal and that everyone should keep an eye on them, he learned it can come with a smile from someone who always seemed to treat you nicely. Lorena Germán remembers the teacher who, hoping to get her suspended, instigated a fight with her after Lorena had testified before her city's school committee. She didn't back down. David Ryan Barcega Castro-Harris, who has West African and Filipino ancestors, writes about the time he started hearing microaggressions from peers and teachers ("Of course, you're good at sports, you're Black." "Of course you sing, all Filipinos sing." "Of course you're good at math, you're Asian"). Torrey Maldonado remembers a high school teacher who made Black jokes and a Spanish teacher who corrected the pronunciation of Latino students. For Gayatri Sethi it was the curriculum that "teaches you the Western European-centric version of yourself ... You learn that Africans and Asians needed to be civilized ... You don't learn your own stories through the lenses of people you share identities with ... You learn to look down on your own heritage and culture."
Is It Any Good?
This unforgettable collection of stories weaves together memories both inspiring and heartbreaking, lessons from history, social commentary, and a call to activism. For some teens, the stories in Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School will reflect their everyday reality and feel incredibly affirming. For others, they could be an eye-opening window into an education system where the dominance of White culture is simply a given. At the end of the book, Jewell challenges readers to take what they've learned from these stories and imagine what could come next. What if schools were places where everyone was honored for who they are, spaces where students could be their bravest and boldest selves, and learning was truly centered on the Global Majority and the marginalized?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the courage and perseverance shown by the writers in Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School. Have you ever been unfairly labeled or tracked in your school? How did you process your experiences?
How important is it for students to see themselves reflected in the books they're assigned to read and the history they study in school? Does your school do a good job of making the curriculum inclusive? What could it do better?
Had you heard the term "Global Majority" before reading this book? Has learning about it changed the way you view the world around you?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Activism , School ( High School , Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Versify
- Publication date : February 27, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 17
- Number of pages : 258
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate