How the Past Is Fueling Today’s Fight for Public Education
The origins of the Department of Education are not what most people think. In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was one of the strongest advocates for a federal education department.
Why would the KKK want a federal department in the first place?
They wanted to enforce Protestant values and assimilate immigrants, particularly Catholics.
They saw public education as a way to control what was being taught and limit the influence of private and parochial schools.
They believed standardized, government-controlled education would push their vision of American nationalism.
This push aligned with the National Education Association (NEA), which also wanted a federal education system to oversee national standards. The result? A dangerous mix of racist and exclusionary policies embedded in early federal education discussions.
But here’s what happened: history changed course.
The Transformation – Civil Rights & Education Equity
By the mid-20th century, education became a battleground for civil rights.
📌 1954 – Brown v. Board of Education – The Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional, forcing federal intervention in schools.
📌 1964 – The Civil Rights Act – Barred discrimination in federally funded programs, including education.
📌 1965 – The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – Increased federal funding for low-income schools.
📌 1972 – Title IX – Expanded federal protections to ensure gender equity in education.
These policies transformed the Department of Education from a tool of exclusion to a force for justice.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter officially established the DOE, making its mission clear: to provide equal access to quality education for all Americans.
Trump’s Plan to Destroy the Department of Education
Fast forward to today—and we’re on the verge of losing everything we fought for.
🚨 Trump has repeatedly promised to eliminate the Department of Education if re-elected.
🚨 His administration already slashed education research funding by nearly $900 million.
🚨 He wants to return control to the states—which means zero federal oversight over civil rights protections in schools.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about efficiency. This is about control.
Why Federal Oversight Matters
Without federal oversight, civil rights protections would be left to individual states—many of which have long histories of:
⚠️ Racial discrimination in schools and public services
⚠️ Voter suppression and disenfranchisement
⚠️ Segregation and exclusionary policies
📢 Federal oversight serves as a necessary safeguard to ensure that all Americans—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or background—have equal access to opportunities, justice, and protection under the law.
If the Department of Education is dismantled, we would see:
❌ No federal intervention in states attempting to remove Black history from the curriculum.
❌ No legal accountability for school districts discriminating against students of color, LGBTQ+ students, or students with disabilities.
❌ No enforcement of Title IX protections against gender discrimination in education.
❌ No protection for immigrant and undocumented students who rely on federal policies for access to education.
This is not just an attack on public schools—it’s an attack on democracy. The same forces that once fought for segregation and exclusion are now fighting to dismantle federal protections altogether.
💡 And if we don’t fight back, history will repeat itself.
How You Can Take Action Right Now
🔥 The time to fight is NOW. Here’s what YOU can do:
✅ Call Your Representatives – Demand that your state and federal officials oppose any attempts to dismantle the Department of Education. 📞
✅ Show Up at School Board Meetings – Fight back against policies that strip away Black history, DEI, and equity-based programs. 🎤
✅ Spread Awareness – Share this episode. Post on social media. Expose the truth about what’s happening. 🗣️
✅ Support Pro-Education Advocacy Groups – Organizations like The NAACP, ACLU, and Education Trust are leading the fight—donate, volunteer, and amplify their work. 🏫
✅ Teach REAL Black History – No matter what the laws say, find ways to include the truth in your classrooms and communities.
I hope this blog post lights a fire under you —because we can’t afford to be silent.
We are at a turning point. We can either fight for public education—or watch it disappear.
Let’s make history—not erase it.
