--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our nation's oldest sin and deepest crime…" description: "\"Our nation's oldest sin and deepest crime is the isolation of minority children - black children, in particular - in schools that are not only segregat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/800/jonathan-kozol-2747_black_our-nation-s-oldest-sin-and-deepest-crim_993987.png" --- # Our nation's oldest sin and deepest crime is the isolation… ![“Our nation's oldest sin and deepest crime is the isolation of minority children - black children, in particular - in schools that are not only segregated but shamefully unequal.” quote by Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/800/jonathan-kozol-2747_black_our-nation-s-oldest-sin-and-deepest-crim_993987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/800/jonathan-kozol-2747_black_our-nation-s-oldest-sin-and-deepest-crim_993987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/800/jonathan-kozol-2747_black_our-nation-s-oldest-sin-and-deepest-crim_993987.png) > “Our nation's oldest sin and deepest crime is the isolation of minority children - black children, in particular - in schools that are not only segregated but shamefully unequal.” [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that separating minority,, especially Black children, into unequal schools is a profound moral failing of the nation. **In simple terms:** Segregated, unequal schools harm minority children. Key Takeaway Demand equitable education for all. Themes education justice race equality policy Mood concerned determined hopeful Type political social educational When to use this quote - school board meetings - parent-teacher conferences - policy advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts systemic racism social equity public schooling Questions to Reflect On - How can communities effectively challenge school segregation? - What policies best ensure resource parity across schools? A Different Perspective Implementation of integration policies can face political resistance and funding constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-children/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Deepest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Isolation Minority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation-minority-2054520/) [Minority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minority/) [Minority Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minority-children-1475858/) [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [Oldest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oldest/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schools/) [Schools Segregated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schools-segregated-698824/) [Segregated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregated/) [Segregated Shamefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/segregated-shamefully-2054519/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Unequal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unequal/) ## Related quotes > [At present, black children are more segregated in their public schools than at any time since 1968. 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In Portland, no more than forty-five black children were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bell/as-with-most-voluntary-school-integration-programs-dispersal-of-the/) [Derrick Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bell/) > [I'm the proud father of three Black children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/i-m-the-proud-father-of-three-black-children/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [Only when Christ comes again will the little white children of Alabama walk hand in hand with little black children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/only-when-christ-comes-again-will-the-little-white-children-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I used to get letters saying, 'I didn't know black children and white children were the same.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-used-to-get-letters-saying-i-didn-t-know-black-children-and-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I'm an African woman, I suppose these thoughts torture me more than they do black American people, because it's like watching my own children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-an-african-woman-i-suppose-these-thoughts-torture-me-more-than/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Raising Black children-female and male-in the mouth of a racist, sexist, suicidal dragon is perilous and chancy. If they cannot love and resist at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/raising-black-children-female-and-male-in-the-mouth-of-a-racist/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [It is not, nor will it ever be, white people's responsibility to teach black children our unique American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/it-is-not-nor-will-it-ever-be-white-people-s-responsibility-to-teach/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) ## More by Jonathan Kozol > [Political struggle is the most important thing any of us can do as a citizen in a democracy; and that means the old joining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/political-struggle-is-the-most-important-thing-any-of-us-can-do-as-a/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. 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They call the schools diverse, which means half black, half Hispanic, and maybe two white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/our-political-establishment-refuses-to-use-the-word-segregated-they/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > ['Savage Inequalities' was about school finance, and 'Amazing Grace' primarily dealt with medical and social injustices in New York. But with 'Ordinary Resurrections,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/savage-inequalities-was-about-school-finance-and-amazing-grace/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Discrimination is alive and soaring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/discrimination-is-alive-and-soaring/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [If you could lead through testing, the U.S. would lead the world in all education categories. 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