n>In 2013 and 2018, I collected ethnographic data in a predominantly white, conservative, Christian K-12 school. It was there that I discovered a robust hidden curriculum about what “diversity” means to these conservative Christians. The school communicated through its policies and practices that there is only one right way of being in the world: unapologetically white, heterosexual, conservative, and Christian. Such messaging was hard for some of its students, like Black women, mainline Protestants, and Catholics, who told me about their experiences of being “different” at that school and their desire for something more. Their experiences helped me to realize how strongly I believe schools — especially Christian schools — should be inclusive spaces that cultivate in students a love for neighbor. But now, due to a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, religious schools, like the ones I observed, are eligible for more state funding from taxpayers. Read Full Article »