Rapper Jay Z has launched an initiative to promote school choice, and progressives are upset. In other news, water is damp.
In fact, the move has sparked considerable controversy among radical leftists who despise the idea that parents – especially black parents – should decide where and how their children go to school.
The program aims to provide students from low-income families in Philadelphia with access to the city’s best private schools.
Roc Nation, the talent agency founded by Jay-Z, will host events to educate citizens about the Pennsylvania Senate’s proposed bill that would distribute up to $300 million in public scholarships to low-income students. The bill is similar to statewide school voucher programs that give students the option to complete their education at private schools instead of low-performing public schools.
“We want to equip youth and their families with the knowledge they need to achieve their educational dreams, raise their voices and become the leaders of tomorrow,” Dania Diaz, Roc Nation’s executive director of philanthropy, said of the initiative. Left-wing opponents of school choice policies, however, called Jay-Z’s education initiative a betrayal and a sinister collaboration with right-wing forces.
Nikole Hanah-Jones, author of The 1619 Project, wrote a thread on X sharply criticizing the program, claiming, “Voucher programs have not been proven to improve the achievement of poor black children because most do not have access to high-quality private schools.”
I really wish wealthy, unworldly people who don’t believe in education would just stop. 1) Read the fine print. THIS IS A GOVERNMENT VOUCHER PROGRAM. Voucher programs have not been proven to improve outcomes for destitute black children, as most do not have access to quality private schools.… https://t.co/EAvAGFuYo1
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) June 7, 2024
Another user claimed that the initiative is “a Republican-led attempt to undermine public education, led by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass.”
To be clear for those who don’t live in Pennsylvania, the bill Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led attempt to undermine public education, spearheaded by future Trump Cabinet member Jeffrey Yass. https://t.co/BURqIa3sJZ
— Phil Gentry (@pmgentry) June 7, 2024
Philadelphia City Councilman Isaiah Thomas argued that the program’s scholarships “are not paid for by Roc Nation, but by taxpayers.” Apparently, the politician did not seem to grasp the fact that taxpayers already pay for substandard public educational institutions.
What people may not realize is that these scholarships are not paid for by Roc Nation, but by taxpayers.
Instead of donating $300 million, Roc Nation is lobbying to pass legislation in Harrisburg to create these scholarships. https://t.co/dBR9XXPsR7
— Council Member Isaiah Thomas (@CMThomasPHL) June 10, 2024
Blacks and Hispanics make a considerable part of the city’s low-income population, meaning they would benefit the most from more educational opportunities. Given the numbers, it is no surprise that this demographic support free school choice with an overwhelming majority.
Americans of all parties and backgrounds overwhelmingly support school choice.
According to a novel RealClear Opinion Research poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted June 27-30, 2023, the concept of school choice enjoys overwhelming support (71% vs. 13% against). This is true across party lines: 66% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 69% of independents say they support such a policy. In addition, 70% of Asian, 73% of Black, 71% of Hispanic, and 71% of white voters support school choice.
Yet people like Hannah-Jones and the Washington City Council don’t care what blacks and Hispanics want or need, even though they claim to care about the needs of minority children.
The bottom line is that progressives believe that the government, not parents, should be the sole authority to decide where and how children are educated. For these people, government is the ultimate solution to every problem—including destitute quality education. This ideology leads people like them to support public education, despite its obvious inability to give children the knowledge and skills they need to succeed as adults.
Of course, we must not forget the partisan aspect. The perception that this is a purely Republican-led initiative means that it should be rejected out of hand, even if it could benefit minority children. For these people, empowering Democrats is far more crucial than empowering blacks or Hispanics, which is why they vehemently oppose this initiative.
