Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism

Original Sins examines how the American school system has historically created and reinforced racial inequality. Contrary to the assumption that education provides equal opportunity, Ewing argues that U.S. schools were designed to propagate white intellectual superiority, "civilize" Native students, and prepare Black students for menial labor. Thomas Jefferson envisioned education as an institution to fortify the country's racial hierarchy. Ewing demonstrates that these foundational dynamics persist today through curriculum that minimizes American historical atrocities, standardized testing, academic tracking, disciplinary policies, and unequal resource distribution. She contends that inequality maintenance is embedded in the DNA of American schools and operates largely unacknowledged. The book argues for a fundamental reevaluation of the purpose of schools and whom they serve, presenting education not as a path to equal opportunity but as a mechanism that has historically prepared children to expect unequal treatment throughout their lives.