Expelling Public Schools: How Antiracist Politics Enable School Privatization in Newark

Exploring the role of identitarian politics in the privatization of Newark’s public school system

In Expelling Public Schools, John Arena explores the more than two-decade struggle to privatize public schools in Newark, New Jersey—a conflict that is raging in cities across the country—from the vantage point of elites advancing the pro-privatization agenda and their grassroots challengers.

Analyzing the unsuccessful effort of Cory Booker—Newark’s leading pro-privatization activist and mayor—t...