BookPeople Presents: Mike Hixenbaugh - They Came for the Schools
BookPeople welcomes Mike Hixenbaugh in conversation with Rob Downen to celebrate the release of They Came for the Schools.
Date and time
Location
BookPeople
603 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78703About this event
- 2 hours
Please welcome Mike Hixenbaugh and Robert Downen to celebrate They Came for the Schools!
This event is free and open to the public.
- Start time: 7:00 P.M.
- Run time: 45-60 minutes, followed by a signing line.
- Location: The second floor of BookPeople.
The author will be signing and personalizing copies of the book after the speaking portion of the event.
- To get a book signed, a copy of the event book or an item of equal value must be purchased from BookPeople.
Guidelines:
- Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
- There will not be a live stream or recording available.
- BookPeople reserves the right to cancel or postpone this event if necessary.
- If you have any other questions, please visit our Eventbrite FAQ. If your question isn't covered in the FAQ, feel free to email us at online@bookpeople.com.
About the book:
The urgent, revelatory story of how a school board win for the conservative right in one Texas suburb inspired a Christian nationalist campaign now threatening to undermine public education in America—from an NBC investigative reporter and co-creator of the Peabody Award–winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist Southlake podcast.
Award-winning journalist Mike Hixenbaugh delivers the immersive and eye-opening story of Southlake, Texas, a district that seemed to offer everything parents would want for their children—small classes, dedicated teachers, financial resources, a track record of academic success, and school spirit in abundance. All this, until a series of racist incidents became public, a plan to promote inclusiveness was proposed in response—and a coordinated, well-funded conservative backlash erupted, lighting the fire of a national movement on the verge of changing the face of public schools across the country.
They Came for the Schools pulls back the curtain on the powerful forces driving this crusade to ban books, rewrite curricula, limit rights for minority and LGBTQ students—and, most importantly, to win what Hixenbaugh’s deeply informed reporting convinces is the holy grail among those seeking to impose biblical values on American society: school privatization, one school board and one legal battle at a time.
They Came for the Schools delivers an essential take on Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, as they demean public schools and teachers and boost the Christian right’s vision. Hixenbaugh brings to light fascinating connections between this political and cultural moment and past fundamentalist campaigns to censor classroom lessons. Finally, They Came for the Schools traces the rise of a new resistance movement led by a diverse coalition of student activists, fed-up educators, and parents who are beginning to win select battles of their own: a blueprint, they hope, for gaining inclusive and civil schools for all.
About the author:
MIKE HIXENBAUGH, senior investigative reporter for NBC News, has been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist and won a Peabody Award for his reporting on the battle over race, gender, and sexuality in American classrooms. They Came for the Schools, his first book, is the winner of the prestigious Lukas Work-in-Progress Award. Hixenbaugh’s work at newspapers in Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas has uncovered deadly failures in the U.S. military, abuses in the child welfare system, and safety lapses at major hospitals. He lives in Maryland with his wife and four children. Learn more at www.mikehixenbaugh.com.
About the moderator:
Robert Downen is a reporter at The Texas Tribune whose work has forced some of the nation’s most powerful institutions to confront their darkest parts — from white supremacists embedded in the Republican Party of Texas to a sexual abuse crisis in the nation’s second-largest faith group. He was the lead writer on the Houston Chronicle's landmark 2019 investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention's abuse crisis, the findings of which prompted historic reforms, sparked an ongoing Justice Department investigation and continue to dominate the faith group's agenda. In 2022, he joined The Texas Tribune as a reporter covering democracy and threats to it, including extremism, disinformation and conspiracy theories.
By purchasing a book from BookPeople, you are not only supporting a local, independent business – you’re showing publishers that they should continue sending authors to BookPeople.
Thank you for supporting Mike Hixenbaugh, Robert Downen, and your local independent bookstore!
Frequently asked questions
For most events, we will begin with an introduction at the start time, followed by a reading or moderated author conversation, an audience Q&A, and finally our book signing portion of the event. However, please check the Eventbrite details for each event for further information.
RSVPs are encouraged in order to reserve a spot at the event. While most of our events won't reach the capacity of our event space, certain titles and/or authors may surpass what our space can hold. In this case, customers with RSVPs will be prioritized for entry to the event.
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To attend the talk/Q&A portion of the event, you do not need to purchase a copy of the event book. To participate in the signing line after the talk, you WILL need to purchase a copy of the book OR make a purchase of equal value from BookPeople. Thank you for supporting our events program!
If you already own a copy of the event book and would like to join the signing line, we ask that you make a purchase of equal value from BookPeople and be prepared to present your receipt to an events staff member upon joining the line. Thank you for supporting our events program!
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