The Political Economy of Subprime Educational Policy: A Critical Analysis of Charter Schools in Black Communities

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, the author explores the relationship between the subprime mortgage crisis and charter school expansion. By situating both cases in a structural analysis of race and political economy, this article demonstrates how Jim Crow segregation established the conditions for contemporary symbiotic relationships between segregation and economic exploitation as evidenced by the concentration of subprime mortgages and charters in Black communities. By centering Black communities, this analysis demonstrates the limitations of charters to advance educational opportunity for historically underserved communities if broader political economic contexts are considered.