Episode #70

Exceptionalism and Educational Inequality with Caylin Moore

Just because one person manages to make it out of a really tough neighborhood does NOT mean that if everybody applies the same level of grit, they should be able to make it out too. We need to use their story as what it is - an exception - and learn from what worked to help them make it out and change the environment and reality of all the other kids who are having to fight to just exist, let alone thrive every day.

Today we bring to you a conversation with an exceptional young man, Caylin Moore, who went from growing up in Compton, CA to being a Rhodes scholar on his way to earning a Ph.D. from Stanford so he can be a college professor and continue to focus on educating himself and others.

We learned SO MUCH from his experiences moving from a predominantly White area to one where going to and coming from school was an issue of physical safety, and how he made it back out. Listen in.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

“I realized early on how the educational system, from an early age, will kind of put you into a trajectory towards prison, or towards working class, or towards college.” - Caylin Moore

What to listen for:

The power of teachers - as he recites the names of those who helped nurture him with such fondness.
1. How some kids exit school to find needles and bullet shells on the sidewalk.
2. What community fixtures you won’t find in areas that are predominantly Black or Brown.
3. The experience of being labeled a lower-tier student (“the dummy track”) and being given a dictionary so old it didn't have the word “computer” even in it - how can you get ahead?
4. What being a Rhodes Scholar taught him about focusing on your own 1/11th
5. What he thinks White privileged families can do to begin making change - moving from sound bytes to sound analysis.
Relevant episodes:
- Ep. 57: It all starts here - educational inequality.
- Ep. 58: The school to prison pipeline - six year old’s don’t belong in handcuffs.
More information on Caylin:
- To read Caylin’s book A Dream Too Big, visit here.
- To follow him on social media, check out Twitter and Instagram.
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