Abstract
Crystal Sanders’ book, A Chance for Change, traces the experiences of the Child Development Group of Mississippi (CDGM) and their enduring struggle for educational freedom through the Head Start Program as a part of the War on Poverty. They started revolutionary Head Start programs throughout the state of Mississippi with the hope of “building a generation of self-supporting, self-confident people,” as described by Mrs. N. A. Theodore (p. 72). The CDGM programs were one of the first formal early childhood education programs in Mississippi, making the program a real chance for change. The program promised equitable educational opportunities for Black students and opened doors for gainful employment throughout Black communities. This was particularly true for Black women participants who assumed leading roles as CDGM board members, teachers, and advocates in the Head Start program. Sanders captures the experiences of these women and their plight for educational freedom for Black children and social mobility during a difficult time in history.
The book has an introduction, five chapters, and an epilog. The introduction provides eye-opening information on the enduring struggle for educational freedom for Blacks dating from the brink of emancipation to the mid-20th century. The first chapter is a brief history of Black education in Mississippi, lending support to the fact that Black Mississippians led self-sufficient schools before the CDGM Head Start program. Chapter two describes the process of establishing the CDGM program and partnerships with northern political organizations and the federal government. In chapter three, Sanders discusses how the CDGM program provided working-class Black women educational opportunities and higher incomes throughout Mississippi, increasing their confidence and status in the community.
There is a shift in accounts after chapter three, with Sanders encompassing the challenges of the CDGM program. In chapters four and five, Sanders provides explicit details of white supremacy in education, specifically white supremacists’ role in compromising the success of the CDGM's Head Start programs. In Sanders’ analysis, she discusses white supremacy in schooling and how it was used as a control mechanism to limit available funding for the CDGM program and end the program. White supremacists claimed that the CDGM was corrupt and filed false charges of misappropriation of funds and the board. They also brought the media attention to uncredentialed teachers working in the centers, undermining their educational training and labeling them incompetent and unfit educators. Chapter five concludes with a brief overview of the end of CDGM's Head Start programs in Mississippi and the start of the Mississippi Action for Progress (MAP) Head Start program. The MAP program changed the climate of the Head Start program, with one major change being the exclusion of CDGM's teachers and workers because they did not meet established requirements.
Sanders reflects on racial and economic segregation in Mississippi schools over the last 60 years in the epilog. In her reflection, she connects Black students’ experiences during CDGM's Head Start Program with schooling experiences in the 21st century. Specifically, she discusses resegregated schools, limited funding for Black public schools, disproportionate discipline practices, and the school to prison pipeline—all pertinent issues in Black schools today. However, readers might expect Sanders to present a more cohesive connection between the mentioned issues to show how the end of the CDGM's Head Start changed the learning culture of public schools in Mississippi.
In the words of the late William Faulker, “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” A Chance for Change provides a window and mirror into the schooling experiences of Black teachers and students in Mississippi, allowing readers to recognize, understand, and critique the longstanding racial and social inequalities in the education system. This book, at its best, provides space for scholars to explore the historical record of Black Mississippians’ long quest for education as a way to full freedom.
Sanders shares information and commentary that brings awareness to white supremacy in education and institutional barriers that have and continue to situate Black students in poor, resegregated schools with teachers who do not represent their backgrounds or situations. While she does not offer a solution for transforming Mississippi's education system, she has provided a vital book that supports the necessity for equitable and inclusive school environments for Black students. This book deserves a wide readership and is recommended for anyone interested in understanding and gaining entry into the world of Blacks’ experiences in Mississippi related to race, poverty, education, and limited social mobility. This book contributes to the field of adult education in terms of practice. It serves as a starting point for targeting ongoing issues to change the educational landscape for the better.