21. Math for Everyone as a Tool against Oppression with Nathaniel Stewart

transcript: tinyurl.com/elnepisode21

In this episode of Equity Leadership Now!, host Jabari Mahiri speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Stewart, Assistant Professor in the Education Policy and Leadership Program at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Stewart shares his academic training in educational policy and his research orientation toward critical educational policy analysis, anti-colonial epistemologies, Black critical theory, and critical quantitative methods. He differentiates between exclusionary, gate-kept mathematics and the intuitive mathematical reasoning people use in everyday life. 

Stewart highlights his current commitments to redistributing university resources to marginalized communities, writing, and building partnerships with educational institutions. He encourages educators to “reclaim mathematics” by cultivating students’ agency in using quantitative reasoning to interpret and challenge systems of oppression. He also critiques the exclusionary histories of statistical and algorithmic models, emphasizing that many systems emerged to safeguard existing wealth and restrict access to resources like homeownership. 

Stewart concludes by advocating a pluralistic approach to democratic movements that values diverse talents, including but not limited to mathematical proficiency.  He questions the viability of participatory democracy in the United States but acknowledges that mathematical tools, such as social network analysis tracing the flow of political and philanthropic funding, can shed light on inequities and inform strategies for disruption. 

Equity Leadership Now! hosts conversations with equity-conscious leaders from Pre-K through university settings on educational research, policy, and practice. We complement the mission and goals of the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy, 21CSLA.