Books What We Stand to Lose: Black Teachers, the Culture They Created, and the Closure of a New Orleans High School  by Kristen Buras

"What We Stand to Lose: Black Teachers, the Culture They Created, and the Closure of a New Orleans High School" by Kristen Buras is a deeply researched book that documents the 50-year legacy of George Washington Carver Senior High School in New Orleans, a predominantly Black public school closed in 2005. Through oral histories and archival research, Buras highlights the vital role Black teachers played in creating a culture of self-determination, academic excellence, and community pride despite systemic racism and underfunding. The book critiques the widespread practice of closing public schools in Black neighborhoods under the guise of reform and efficiency, exposing how these policies disrupt established communities and erase the contributions of veteran Black educators. It argues that the assault on Black teachers and the schools they built is a civil rights issue of our era, emphasizing the cultural and social losses experienced when these institutions are shuttered.