The Sacred Art of Teaching

An unprecedented, no-holds-barred set of dialogues about race and education from two of the country’s best-known educators

The Sacred Art of Teaching is that rare thing: two intelligent talkers in conversation. Lisa Delpit was one of the first educators to receive a MacArthur “genius” Award. Her book Other People’s Children is a classic in the field, and she has been called “a visionary scholar and reformer” by the Harvard Education School, which featured Delpit in the school’s Centennial celebration and awarded her an outstanding alumni award. Chris Emdin is an award-winning educator whose book For White People Who Teach in the Hood . . . and the Rest of Y’all Too was a national best-seller. He is the creator of the HipHopEd social media movement and has been named one of Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans and one of twenthy-seven people bridging divides in the U.S. by Time magazine.

In this powerful and deeply personal volume, these two educators, generations apart but united by a shared commitment to transformative education, compare notes for the first time. Readers are treated to candid exchanges on topics including the role of art in education, students and politics, how educators of color can navigate the academy, specific approaches to pedagogy, the role of rap in education, and how spirituality informs their work. With honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom, they reflect on their own journeys into education, the challenges they’ve faced, and the strategies they’ve developed to uphold equity and justice in a system too often resistant to both. These conversations are not only intellectually rich but emotionally resonant, offering a model of mentorship, mutual respect, and the power of dialogue across difference.

A gift to teachers, scholars, and anyone passionate about reimagining public education, this book is a lasting contribution to the field—one that will inspire readers for generations to come.

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