So here’s the thing- in most of the countries of the Western Hemisphere, at least those whose economic foundations were build upon the practice of slavery, education has always held a high level of value. By high level, I mean it was often a matter of life and death, and in the U.S. many lost their limbs, eyesight, and indeed their life for the crime of becoming literate. Education, good education, was something reserved for the elites and something that they were willing to kill for. Fast forward a couple hundred years and are we really that surprised that, internationally, school systems and districts that primarily serve Black children are systematically underfunded and usually in dismal condition? Is there really any wonder that so many inner city schools in the U.S. are in a state of decay and in Brazil, there are rural schools with no running water or electricity?