Jonathan Kozol (born September 5, 1936) is an American writer, progressive activist, and educator, best known for his books on

public education in the United States Education in the United States is provided in public and private schools and by individuals through homeschooling. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supe ...

Education and experience

Born to

Harry Kozol Harry Kozol (August 2, 1906 – August 27, 2008) was an American neurologist who helped establish the fields of forensic psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. Kozol treated or analyzed several well-known figures, including playwright Eugene O'Neill, the ...

and Ruth (Massell) Kozol, Jonathan graduated from

Noble and Greenough School The Noble and Greenough School, commonly known as Nobles, is a coeducational, nonsectarian day and five-day boarding school for students in grades seven through twelve. It is near Boston on a campus that borders the Charles River in Dedham, Massa ...

in 1954, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

'' in 1958 with an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

. He was awarded a

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

. He did not, however, complete his scholarship, deciding instead to go to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

to learn to write fiction and nonfiction from experienced authors such as

William Styron William Clark Styron Jr. (June 11, 1925 – November 1, 2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work. Styron was best known for his novels, including: * '' Lie Down in Darkness'' (1951), his acclaimed fi ...

, Richard Wright, and others who were living in Paris at the time. It was upon his return that he began to tutor children in

Roxbury, MA Roxbury () is a neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for neighborhood services coordination. The city states that Roxbury se ...

, and soon became a teacher in the

Boston Public Schools Boston Public Schools (BPS) is a school district serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest public school district in the state of Massachusetts. Leadership The district is led by a Superintendent, hired by the ...

. He was fired for teaching a

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

poem, as described in '' Death at an Early Age'', and then became deeply involved in the

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

movement. After being fired from Boston Public Schools, he was offered a position to teach at

Newton Public Schools Newton Public Schools is a school district in Newton, Massachusetts, United States. The district features four middle schools that lead into two high schools. Schools The Newton Public Schools are organized into an elementary school (K–5), m ...

, the school district he attended as a child, and taught there for several years before becoming more deeply involved in social justice work and dedicating more time to writing. Kozol is of Jewish heritage. Kozol has since held two

Guggenheim Fellowships Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

, has twice been a fellow of the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...

, and has also received fellowships from the

Field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

and

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

Foundations. Kozol also has worked in the field of

social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the r ...

. He has been working with children in inner-city schools for more than forty years. Kozol is currently on the editorial board of ''Greater Good Magazine'', published by the

Greater Good Science Center The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) is a center located at the University of California, Berkeley. Introduction The center was founded by Dacher Keltner in 2001, with a donation from UC Berkeley alumni Thomas and Ruth Hornaday following the d ...

at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. Kozol's contributions include the interpretation of scientific research into the roots of compassion, altruism, and peaceful human relationships.

Writing career

Jonathan Kozol at Pomona College 17 April 2003

'' Death at an Early Age'', his first non-fiction book, is a description of his first year as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools. It was published in 1967 and won the

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

in Science, Philosophy and Religion."National Book Awards – 1968"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

. Retrieved 2012-03-05. It has sold more than two million copies in the United States and Europe. Among the other books by Kozol are ''Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America'', which received the

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

Book award for 1989 and the

Conscience-in-Media Award The Conscience-in-Media Award is presented by the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to journalists that the society deems worthy of recognition for their distinctive contributions. The award is not given out often, and is awarde ...

of the

American Society of Journalists and Authors The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is the professional association of independent nonfiction writers in the United States. History The organization was established in ...

, and '' Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools'', which won the New England Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1992. His 1995 book, ''Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation'', described his visits to the

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...

of New York City, the poorest congressional district in the United States. It received the

Anisfield-Wolf Book Award The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award is an American literary award dedicated to honoring written works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture. Established in 1935 by Clev ...

in 1996. He published ''Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope'' in 2000 and ''

The Shame of the Nation ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America'' was released September 13, 2005. Kozol documents the continuing and often worsening segregation in public schools in the United States, and the increasing influence of neoconservative ideology on the way children, particularly children of color and poor children of urban areas, are educated. He is still active in advocating for integrated public education in the United States and is a critic of the

school voucher A school voucher, also called an education voucher in a voucher system, is a certificate of government funding for students at schools chosen by themselves or their parents. Funding is usually for a particular year, term, or semester. In some cou ...

movement. He continues to condemn the inequalities of education and the apparently worsening segregation of black and Hispanic children from white children in the segregated public schools of almost every major city of the nation. Kozol's ethical argument relies heavily on comparisons between rich and poor school districts. In particular, he analyzes the amount of money spent per child. He finds that in school districts whose taxpayers and property-owners are relatively wealthy, the per-child annual spending is much higher (for example, over $20,000 per year per child in one district) than in school districts where poor people live (for example, $11,000 per year per child in one district). He asks rhetorically whether it is right that the place of one's birth should determine the quality of one's education.

Non-profit

Kozol founded The Education Action Fund, which serves as a nonprofit charitable fund that provides direct assistance to many of the children and families profiled in his books. Donations to the EAF go directly towards children and families living in impoverished or racially isolated areas, and often provide a much-needed relief from financial instability.

Awards and honors

*1968

for ''Death at an Early Age. *1970 and 1980

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

*1972 Field Foundation Fellowship *1974

Field Foundation The Field Foundation of New York was one of the two organizations that had split off from the original Field Foundation in 1960, the other being the Field Foundation of Illinois. The foundation in New York was originally led by Ruth Field, the widow ...

Fellowship *1978 and 1983 Rockefeller Fellowship *1988 Conscience in Media Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors *1988

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

*1992 New England Book Award *1996

for ''Amazing Grace'' *2005

Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship The Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship is an American award given jointly by Type Media Center (a nonprofit media organization previously associated with ''The Nation'' magazine) and the Puffin Foundation. The annual $100,000 award honors artis ...

.Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship
, official website. *2013 The Deborah W. Meier Hero in Education Award from

FairTest The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, also known as FairTest, is an American educational organization that addresses issues related to fairness and accuracy in student test taking and scoring. History FairTest was founded in 1985 by leaders ...

Works

*''The Fume of Poppies'' (1958) A novel. *'' Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools''. First published in 1967, it won the

and sold more than two million copies. It describes his year of teaching in the Boston Public School System. Reissue *''Free Schools'' (1972) *''The Night is Dark and I Am Far from Home'' (1975) *''Children of the Revolution: A Yankee Teacher in the Cuban Schools'' (1978) *''Prisoners of Silence: Breaking the Bonds of Adult Illiteracy in the United States'' (1980) *''On Being a Teacher'' (1981) *''Alternative Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents'' (1982) *''Illiterate America'' (1986) *''Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America'' (1988) Awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award for 1989 and The Conscience in Media Award of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Christopher Award, 1988. Reprint *''

Savage Inequalities ''Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools'' is a book written by Jonathan Kozol in 1991 that discusses the disparities in education between schools of different classes and races. It is based on his observations of various classrooms ...

: Children in America's Schools'' (1991) A finalist for the 1992 National Book Critics Circle Award and awarded The New England Book Award. Reprint
Bookfinder
collected reviews. *''Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation'' (1995) Reprint

and appreciation by Mary Leue. *''Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope'' (2000) Reprint .
Review
by Jana Siciliano at BookReporter.com. *''

: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America'' (2005) *''Letters to a Young Teacher'' (2007) *''Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America'' (2012) *''The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father One Day at a Time'' (2015)

References

External links

*
Jonathan Kozol Takes On the World
Gary Stager interviews Kozol about ''The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Education in America'' fo
''District Administration Magazine''
– January 2006 issue.

In this September 2000 interview for Curriculum Administrator Magazine, Kozol talks about his book, ''Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope'' with Gary Stager.
Explanation of Modern US Education
2005 Talk given by Jonathan Kozol (MP3)
Video: Jonathan Kozol – Letters to a Young Teacher
(October 3, 2007), from Mr. Kozol's 2007 book tour.
Video: Jonathan Kozol – The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America
(September 30, 2005), from Mr. Kozol's 2005 book tour. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kozol, Jonathan 1936 births Living people Noble and Greenough School alumni Harvard Advocate alumni Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Activists for African-American civil rights American educational theorists American education writers American political writers American male non-fiction writers American Rhodes Scholars Education reform Jewish American writers National Book Award winners Writers from Boston 21st-century American Jews Jewish anti-racism activists