Rapper Jay Z has launched an initiative to promote school choice, and progressives are mad about it. In other news, water is wet.
In fact, the move has ignited no small level of controversy among folks on the hard left, who despise the idea that parents – especially black parents – should choose where and how their children are educated.
The program is aimed at providing Philadelphia’s low-income students with access to the city’s best private schools.
Roc Nation, the talent agency Jay-Z founded, will host events to educate residents about proposed legislation in the Pennsylvania Senate that would distribute from public funds up to $300 million in scholarships to low-income students. The legislation is similar to school-choice voucher programs across the country that give students the opportunity to pursue education at private schools rather than low-performing public schools.
“We want to empower the youth and families with the knowledge to pursue their scholastic dreams, make their voices heard, and become the leaders of tomorrow,” Roc Nation’s managing director of philanthropy Dania Diaz said of the initiative. Left-wing opponents of school-choice policies, however, described Jay-Z’s education initiative as a betrayal and a sinister collaboration with right-wing forces.
Nikole Hanah-Jones, author of “The 1619 Project,” wrote a thread on X in which she harangued the program, claiming that “voucher programs have not been shown to improve results for poor Black children because most cannot get into high-quality private schools.”
I really wish rich, out-of-touch folks who nothing about education would just stop. 1) Read the fine print. THIS IS A GOVT VOUCHER PROGRAM. Voucher programs have not been shown to improve results for poor Black children because most cannot get into high-quality private schools.… https://t.co/EAvAGFuYo1
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) June 7, 2024
Another user claimed that the initiative is “a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass.”
Just to be clear for those not in Pennsylvania, the legislation Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass. https://t.co/BURqIa3sJZ
— Phil Gentry (@pmgentry) June 7, 2024
Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas argued that the scholarships provided by the program “aren’t going to be paid for by Roc Nation, they would be paid for by taxpayers.” Apparently, the fact that taxpayers are already paying for substandard government-run education didn’t seem to register for the politician.
What people may not realize is these scholarships aren’t going to be paid for by Roc Nation, they would be paid for by taxpayers.
Roc Nation is not donating $300M, they’re leading an advocacy effort fighting for Harrisburg to pass legislation that will create these scholarships. https://t.co/dBR9XXPsR7
— Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (@CMThomasPHL) June 10, 2024
Black and Hispanic Americans make up a sizeable portion of the city’s low-income population, which means they would stand to benefit the most from more educational choices. Given the numbers, it is no surprise that these demographics overwhelmingly support school choice.
Americans of all parties and backgrounds overwhelmingly support school choice.
According to a new poll from RealClear Opinion Research, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters from June 27-30, 2023, the concept of school choice enjoys overwhelming support (71% vs. 13% opposed). This is true across party lines, with 66% of Democrats, 80% of Republicans, and 69% of Independents saying they support such a policy. Additionally, 70% of Asian, 73% of Black, 71% of Hispanic, and 71% of White voters support school choice.
Nevertheless, folks like Hannah-Jones and Councilmember Washington don’t give a rip about what Blacks and Hispanics want or need, despite pretending to care about the plight of minority children.
The bottom line is that progressives believe the state should be the only entity deciding where and how children are educated, not parents. For these people, the government is the ultimate solution to every problem – including substandard education. This ideology drives folks like this to support state-run education regardless of its blatant ineptitude when it comes to equipping children with the knowledge and skills they need to prosper as adults.
Of course, we can’t forget the partisan angle. The perception that this is purely a Republican-led initiative means that it should be rejected outright, even if it could benefit minority children. For these people, Democrat empowerment is leaps and bounds more important than Black or Hispanic empowerment, which is why they vehemently oppose this initiative.
