True Solidarity and bell hooks’ Engaged Pedagogy

Huge inequalities exist in the U.S. K-12 and higher education systems, which further widen the achievement gap between classes and races. In addition to the quantitative studies that reveal the deficiency of social mobility, I want to examine the role of education in perpetuating oppression in various forms. In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire argues that the banking concept of education as a tool of oppression prevents the oppressed from developing a critical consciousness about their nature of being oppressed and makes them more submissive and subordinate to the dominant values (47). While Freire's work is primarily focused on developing a pedagogy with the oppressed to regain their humanity and liberation, I argue the privileged students should be included in critical pedagogy, not only because a fundamental change in exploitation and oppression needs them to engage in the movement, but also because banking education prevents them from building true solidarity with the oppressed and engaging the liberation struggle meaningfully. In addition, true solidarity in Freire’s mind is an act of love and a praxis that requires reflection and action. Therefore, if we want to build true solidarity between the oppressors and the oppressed, we must abandon the existing banking education and adopt bell hooks’ engaged pedagogy, which emphasize well-being, healing, love, respect, and equity.

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