Episodes
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As we approach the 2024 election, we wanted to revisit a conversation with one of our favorite guests, Dr. Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University. In addition to writing White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Nation’s Divide, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy, and The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Dr. Anderson brings a depth of knowledge about our country's ongoing struggle to become a true, multi-racial democracy that felt particularly relevant in the run-up to the election.
At the core of her research agenda is how policy is made and unmade, how racial inequality and racism affect that process and outcome, and how those who have taken the brunt of those laws, executive orders, and directives have worked to shape, counter, undermine, reframe, and, when necessary, dismantle the legal and political edifice used to limit their rights and their humanity. With a gift for making the illegible legible, Dr. Anderson provides us with a clear eyed look at the history that has led to the widely inequitable education system we have today. And while the topic is heavy, she brings joy and laughter to the conversation in a way that can only leave you smiling through the pain.
We close the episode with some new commentary from Dr. Val and Andrew - if you remember the original episode and want to jump ahead to that, you'll find it around the 55:00 mark.
LINKS:
Dr. Anderson's Original Episode
Our debrief episode discussing her original episode
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Nation’s Divide
We Are Not Yet Equal – a young readers version of White Rage
One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our Democracy
One Person, No Vote - Young Reader's Edition
The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America.
Eye’s Off The Prize – Dr. Anderson’s 2003 book on the shift from a fight for human rights to civil rights at the NAACP
Charles Hamilton Houston – The first general counsel of NAACP
Plessy v Ferguson (also, listen to our episode about the Plessy case 125 years later).
Brown II – The implementation decision – “All deliberate speed . . .”
Dr. Vanessa Siddle Walker – listen to her episode on our podcast.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Shelby County v. Holder
Mothers of Massive Resistance – Dr. Elizabeth McRea
Gabriel’s Revolt
The Sum Of Us – Heather McGhee (also, hear her episode on our podcast)
My Grandmother’s Hands – Resmaa Menakem
The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Maceo Snipes
Use these links or start at our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
In the fall of 1963, in Petersburg, VA, 6 young Black girls integrated Stonewall Jackson Elementary School. In the middle of the Massive Resistance era, districts around Virginia and throughout the South were fighting desegregation tooth and nail. From physical violence to the closing of entire school districts, communities were circumventing the Brown v Board decision in whatever ways they could. In 1961, Reverend Grady W. Powell, Sr, became the pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church, located in the heart of Petersburg. With a deep commitment to civil rights, and past experience with desegregation attempts in Richmond, Rev. Powell believed it was time for Petersburg to fulfill the promise of the Brown decision. He and his wife decided to enroll their two daughters, along with 4 other children of church members, in the all White, Stonewall Jackson Elementary. Using his relationships and status in the town, Rev. Powell approached the superintendent of the schools to ask for his support. Despite his initial reticence, the superintendent eventually agreed to support the effort, and worked with the town to minimize the disruption.
Over 60 years later, this story has rarely been told, and yet, it's an important moment in the history of the country. We're joined by one of those young children who held the weight of the movement on their small shoulders all those years ago. Reverend Powell's daughter, Dr. Sandra Powell Mitchell was entering the 4th grade in 1963, and still remembers the first day of school well. She joins us to tell her story, how it informed her life's work as an educator, and if she thinks it was all worth it. We also get to hear from her father, who, at 92, is still a powerful voice for the importance of community, the value of diversity, and the goal of truly living together.
LINKS:
From Morning 'til Evening: The Autobiography of Grady W Powell
The Fauquier Times on Dr. Mitchell's Retirement
The Progress Index on Rev. Powell's retirement
Rev. Dr. Grady Powell on the Teachers in the Movement Podcast
Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth - T.J. Yosso
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
Missing episodes?
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Janel George, a Georgetown Law professor, who explores race and justice in education, recently wrote a paper that moved us here at Integrated Schools. Called "Deny, Defund, and Divert: The Law and American Miseducation", the piece outlines historical and modern systemic educational inequalities faced by Black communities, linked to legislative actions and adaptations of White supremacy. She joins us to talk about legislative lawyering, the importance of community engagement when making public policy, and the ongoing role of systemic racism in our legal and education systems. Ms. George shares her vision for a racially just education system, and highlights the ways the battle to achieve that vision require us to understand the past and see the threads of past efforts to deny education to Black students, to defund education focused on Black students, and to divert Black educators away from eduction, in our current struggles.
LINKS:
Ms. George's article Deny, Defund, and Divert: The Law and American Miseducation
Ms. Geroge's Racial Equity in Education Law and Policy Clinic
Chai Feldbum on Legislative Lawyering
Derek Black - Schoolhouse Burning
UCLA's CRT Forward Tracking Project
Cara McClellan - Challenging Legacy Discrimination: The Persistence of School Pushout as Racial Subordination
The 1619 Project
Our live show from May
Dr. Leslie Fenwick on our show
Dr. Leslie Fenwick's Jim Crow's Pink Slip
Dr. Elizabeth McRae on our show
Dr. Elizabeth McRae's Mother's Of Massive Resistance
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
We're back!! We hope you had a wonderful summer! We're excited to be back in your feeds as a new school year gets underway. As we kick off season 11 of the podcast, we are recommitting to the mission and vision of Integrated Schools, and using the podcast as a platform to invite you in to the conversation.
Mission: Integrated Schools prepares families with racial or economic privilege to commit to integrating our children, driving new narratives about education, and advocating for justice in our public schools.
Vision: Integrated Schools envisions a racially and socioeconomically integrated public school system where power and resources are shared equitably, humanity is valued unconditionally and all communities reap the benefits.
As we dive into new episodes for this season, we have three themes that will be guiding our conversations.
From Thinking to Action
We know that changing our thoughts is important, but reach change comes from changing our actions.
Deep Learning and Curiostiy
We have to be curious about ourselves and about our community.
Storytelling
It is through storytelling that we change hearts.
You'll hear us unpack these themes throughout the conversations we'll be sharing this season.
Contribute to our story bank! speakpipe.com/IntegratedSchools or send us an email - [email protected]
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
Nineteen episodes later, Season 10 comes to an end, and we are reflecting on an incredible season. Our themes for the season were the importance of public schools, the power of storytelling, the importance of community, and stamina, and we had 19 incredible episodes going deep on all of those themes, and more. Plus, we had our first ever live show!
Thanks to everyone who makes the Integrated Schools work possible, from our Board of Directors, to our chapter and network contacts, our leadership team, and bookclub moderators, we are so grateful to all of you. Special thanks to Darci and Jennifer for helping out with transcripts for every episode, Sasha and Courtney for help with graphics, and Anna for social media promotion.
LINKS:
S10E9 – The Importance of Belonging with Dr. Shanette Porter
S10E14 – Jim Crow’s Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie Fenwick
S10E15 – Rebuilding The Black Educator Pipeline with Sharif El-Mekki
S10E5 – Taking Just Action for Integration with Richard and Leah Rothstein
S10E3 – There Goes the Neighborhood with Jade Adia
S10E2 – The Demands and Promises of Integration with John Blake
S10E10 – Parenting to Create the World We Want
Send us a voice memo - speakpipe.com/integratedschools
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
Dreams really do come true . . . We have wanted to do a live show for quite some time, and finally had the opportunity thanks to The National Coalition for School Diversity, The Century Foundation, and the American Institutes for Research,who invited us to facilitate their event marking the 70th anniversary of Brown v Board. Hosted at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, on the Oprah Winfrey Stage, we were honored to facilitate three panel discussions grappling with the challenges we face today in fulfilling the true promise of Brown.
Joined by an amazing group of speakers, all deeply committed to doing integration better, we brought the nuanced, honest conversations you know from the podcast to a live audience for the first time, and hopefully not the last. From the incredible Representative Jim Clyburn, to past podcast guests, Stefan Lallinger and Matt Gonzales, to many others, we are thrilled to share excerpts from the event today. You can also watch the full program.
LINKS:
Brown v Board at 70: Fulfilling the True Promise of School Integration - the full event video
Speaker Bios
Stefan Lallinger on our show - S7E3 – Generational Work: Stefan Lallinger on Integration
Matt Gonzales on our show - S5E12 – COVID-19: Matt Gonzales on Equity
The Bridges Collaborative at The Century Foundation
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
May 17th, 1954 the Supreme Court handed down its famous decision in the Brown v Board of Education of Topekacase. So much of the work of Integrated Schools is about trying to live into the promises made through that unanimous decision. On May 17th, 1973, a girl was born in Woodbridge, Virginia. That girl, Courtney Everts Mykytyn, would go on to found Integrated Schools in 2015, calling in parents and caregivers with privilege to work towards fulfilling the vision extolled by the court nineteen years to the day before she was born.
Tragically, Courtney was struck by a car and killed on Dec 29th, 2019, cutting short a life full of promise. Not before, however, she had started a movement. All of us at Integrated Schools, from the podcast team, to chapter and networkleaders, to book club facilitators, to social media managers, are here because of her vision, her heart, and her commitment to always working to know better and do better.
To mark this special day we are re-releasing one of Courtney's last episodes of the podcast, originally called "All I Want for Christmas is 3.5%". It beautifully captures her clear-eyed realism, and her unfaltering optimism. She believed that if we can call enough people in, real change is possible, and a better world can await our children, and their children. So, on this special day, we call you in to our work. How can you be part of the 3.5% of people needed to create change? What can you do to join this work? We await you with open arms.
LINKS:
Courtney's Blog post, 3.5%, Gratitude, and Shape-Shifting Reptiles
Dr. Erica Chenoweth's Ted Talk
Matt Gonzales – “White Lips to White Ears”
Dr. Elizabeth McRae on the Mother’s of Massive Resistance
Professor Michelle Adams on Milliken v Bradley and the hope for a multi-racial democracy
Our Brown v Board at 65 Series called "The Stories We Tell Ourselves"
S6E8 – BvB@67 – Rucker Johnson Revisited
S6E9 – BvB@67 – Noliwe Rooks Revisited
S6E10 – BvB@67 – Amanda Lewis Revisited
S6E11 – BvB@67 – David Hinojosa Revisited
S6E12 – BvB@67- Greg and Carol Revisited
The Hechinger Report's Series - Revisiting Brown 70 Years Later
The Civil Rights Project - The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America
Colorlines - Attacks on Public Education Threaten the Legacy of Brown
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Courtney Mykytyn. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
In 1954’s Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with “all deliberate speed.” The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We started with a three-part series on Denver. This is our second deep dive into one of those stories, this time focusing on Charlotte, NC.
In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled in Swann v Charlotte - Mecklenburg Board of Education that, among other things, student assignment policies that involved bussing kids to achieve racial balance was a legitimate remedy for districts violating the mandate of the Brown decision. Eventually embraced by the city, the decision, and the bussing plan it led to, were held up as a model for the country of how to do desegregation right. Business boomed in Charlotte, in part because of the community embrace of school desegregation. Twenty eight years later, in Capacchione v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the district court ruled that Charlotte-Mecklenburg had complied with the Swan decision "to the extent reasonably practicable", and terminated the desegregation order, declaring it a "unitary system." Much like many other cities around the country, once the court was no longer mandating desegregation, the district began to re-segregate. Today, with nearly 75% of CMS students identifying as students of color, and massive segregation both racially and socio-economically, the district is struggling to serve all kids well.
Dr. James Ford grew up in Illinois and was bussed through a desegregation plan premised on the Swann decision. While the additional resources this provided were important, he experienced an educational environment that felt unwelcoming, and, at times, outwardly hostile. He made it his life's work to dismantle the systemic racism that caused that harm. Eventually landing in Charlotte as a teacher, he wanted to understand the history of the city and choices made by the people in power that led to him teaching in a highly segregated high school named after the superintendent who had overseen the nationally lauded desegregation plans of the 70s.
His commitment to dismantle racism through the field of education led him to create the Center for Racial Equity in Education, where he serves as the executive director, working to "serve each and every child by also making students of color central to every facet of how schools function." He joins us to share the history of Charlotte, and his current work.
You can support his important work by donating here.
LINKS:
The Center for Racial Equity in Education - CREED
Dr. Ford's Op-Ed on segregation
Swann v Charlotte - Mecklenburg Board of Education
Capacchione v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
The Dudley Flood Center's North Carolina School Desegregation and Resegregation Timeline
Integrated Schools' local chapters and networks
The Legacy and Philanthropy of Anna T Jeanes
S10E11 - Local Stories of Desegregation: Denver (Part 1)
S10E11 - Local Stories of Desegregation: Denver (Part 2)
S10E11 - Local Stories of Desegregation: Denver (Part 3)
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
In 2021, 80% of teachers in our country's public schools were White, while just 6% were Black. That same year, 54% of public school students were students of color, and 15% were Black. We also know of the extensive research showing the positive impacts of Black teachers on all kids, but especially on Black kids. However, as we learned last episode from Dr. Leslie Fenwick, we lost over 100,000 Black teachers in the wake of desegregation attempt, and the Black teacher pipeline was crushed through explicit and implicit government action. In 2019, Sharif El-Mekki founded The Center for Black Educator Development to do something about it. With a commitment to the "deeply subversive act of teaching superbly", they are targeting interventions to increase the number of Black teachers so Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.
Mr. El-Mekki joins us to discuss his work, and explain how it is rooted in a Black educational tradition that stretches back generations. His teaching and leading is informed by his own upbringing attending a Black freedom school in Philadelphia, his experience as a teacher and school leader, and the teacher activists who poured into him throughout his life.
LINKS:
The Center for Black Educator Development
Philly's 7th Ward - Mr. El-Mekki's blog
The 8 Black Hands Podcast
Reviving the Legacy of the Black Teacher Tradition - Mr. El-Mekki's TED Talk
S10E14 - Jim Crow's Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie Fenwick
Ep 5 - Interview with a Skeptic - Chris Stewart on our show
The Nguzo Saba
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey.
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Seventeen years after the Brown v Board decision, in 1971, US Senator Walter Mondale chaired a number of Select Committee hearings on Equal Educational Opportunity. One of these hearings focused on what was happening to Black teachers and principals as the country begrudgingly worked to desegregate our schools. The hearing featured testimony and supplemental documentation calling attention to the vast number of Black teachers who were losing their jobs in the Southern, dual-system states. Despite Brown's promise of desegregated schools including faculty and staff in addition to students, districts across the South were finding ways to remove Black teachers and principals, rather than allowing them to teach White kids.
The transcripts from these hearings quite literally fell into Dr. Leslie Fenwick's lap as she began a PhD program in educational policy. The stories they held matched her own lived experience. Stories of highly qualified, highly educated Black teachers who served as community leaders, and fostered a sense of belonging and empowerment among their Black students was what Dr. Fenwick and her parents and grandparents had known. And yet, as she embarked on her PhD program, these stories weren't being told. Eventually, these transcripts would form the primary evidentiary basis for her bestselling 2022 book, Jim Crow's Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership.
She joins us to talk about the book, her journey to writing it, and what understanding this untold history means for the ongoing quest for more teachers of color.
LINKS:
Jim Crow's Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership
Transcript for the Senate Select Committee Hearing on the loss of Black Teachers
Dunbar High School - Washington, DC
Sumner Academy of Arts and Science - Kansas City, MO
The Summer of Soul documentary
Whitey On The Moon - Gil Scott-Heron
Sharif El-Mekki - The Center for Black Educator Development
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
PART 3 of 3
In 1954’s Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with “all deliberate speed.” The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the course of three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event – Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education’s website – PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe’s book – A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools‘
Tomàs Monarrez on our show - S7E4 – Redrawing the Lines: Undoing the History of Segregation
EPIC Youth Theater on our show
S6E2 – EPIC’s “Nothing About Us”: Youth Theater on Integration
S9E10 – Between The Lines: An EPIC Comeback
S5E4 – All I Want for Christmas is 3.5%
Rucker Johnson’s book – Children of The Dream
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff’s show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley – which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall’s powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
PART 2 of 3
In 1954's Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with "all deliberate speed." The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the next three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event - Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education's website - PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe's book - A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools'
S5E4 - All I Want for Christmas is 3.5%
Rucker Johnson's book - Children of The Dream
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff's show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley - which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall's powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
In 1954's Brown v Board decision, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was inherently unequal. However, the Brown II decision a year later said that fixing our separate education system should happen with "all deliberate speed." The deliberate speed in most places was glacial, leading many local communities to file law suits demanding action. These local desegregation cases happened across the country following similar patterns, but varying due to local contexts. We are going to dive into several of these local stories in the coming months, and we are starting today with Denver, CO.
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Keyes v. Denver Public Schools, requiring Denver to desegregate its schools. This led to 21 years of court ordered desegregation, including through the use of busing. A local educational advocacy organization, Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education, recently hosted an event to commemorate the anniversary and reflect on the promises made at the time of the case, and the ways we have failed to live up to them.
Over the next three episodes, we will be bringing you audio from that event. Our hope is that by understanding local stories, we can see national themes emerge that may help chart a path forward.
If you have a local story of desegregation to share, let us know! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
LINKS:
A video of the full event - Integration and Equity in DPS 50 Years After Keyes
Park Hill Neighbors for Equity in Education's website - PHNEE.org
The slideshow from the event
Comments from the participants at the event
Pat Pascoe's book - A Dream of Justice: The Story of Keyes v Denver Public Schools
A visual timeline of the Keyes case prepared by Laura Lefkowits
Andrew on Brother Jeff's show talking about Integrated Schools and the event
Milliken v Bradley - which includes Justice Thurgood Marshall's powerful dissent
Our episode with Michelle Adams about the Milliken case
More resources from PHNEE
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
We are fortunate to have many guests whose work is focused on research, policy, and the broader school integration movement. However, we know that most of our listeners are parents and caregivers, and many of our favorite episodes share the perspectives of those raising kids and making decisions about how to show up in schools, in communities, and in the country. Today's conversation with Jon Tobin (and his wife Amanda) is just that - an exploration of how one family continually finds ways to make decisions that reflect their values, that support their kids, and that work to make the world just a bit more just, everyday. We don't hold these parenting conversations up as THE way to live, but as A way to think about the choices we all make as caregivers. Jon and Amanda have a deep belief in the power of community, in the need to be rooted in place, and the need to invest their resources, time and energy into their community. One of the most powerful ways to do that is through supporting their local school.
LINKS:
Teachers Have It Easy - Dave Eggers
Our founder, Courtney Mykytyn
The Two Tour Pledge
JPB Gerald - Checklists and Merit Badges
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!
We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown’s impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
There's a difference between feeling like you belong in a space and that that space belongs to you. That true sense of belonging, of feeling seen and heard and respected in a space, has profound educational impacts. Dr. Shanette Porterhas studied schools that have created that sense of belonging, and found that not only are strictly academic measures improved (test scores, etc), but other benefits come as well. From increased graduation rates, to decreased disciplinary incidents, to increased attendance, schools that focus on creating a sense of belonging do better for the whole child.
Dr. Porter joins us to share some of her findings, as well as a powerful definition of belonging inspired by john a powell- founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute
LINKS:
Dr. Porter's research on how high school climate impacts student development and educational attainment - Investing in Adolescents
An article from Education Next highlighting the link between Social and Emotional Learning and long term success for students
The 74 Million's coverage of some of Dr. Porter's recent research.
john a powell - founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown’s impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey.
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Local control of schools is long tradition in the US. The result is a patchwork of over 13,000 local school districts. This creates a challenge for The Federal Department of Education to enact change across the country. Roberto Rodriguez is the Assistant Secretary of Eduction for Planning, Policy, and Evaluation at the US Department of Education, where they recently awarded $10 million of grants through the Fostering Diverse Schools program, a grant designed to supporting voluntary efforts to increase school socioeconomic diversity throughout the country. He joins us to discuss the grant, as well as the Federal government's role in pushing policy forward. He highlights the need for local advocacy to advance important causes. The Department of Education must advocate for good policy, but creates the most meaningful change when partnering with local efforts.
LINKS:
The Fostering Diverse Schools grant program
A list of awardees of the recent Fostering Diverse Schools grants.
Chalkbeat article about the grants recently awarded
Unidos US - where Secretary Rodriguez got his advocacy start
The Bridges Collaborative from The Century Foundation
Our Brown v Board at 65 Series, The Stories We Tell Ourselves, which we revisited three years ago:
S6E8 – BvB@67 – Rucker Johnson Revisited
S6E9 – BvB@67 – Noliwe Rooks Revisited
S6E10 – BvB@67 – Amanda Lewis Revisited
S6E11 – BvB@67 – David Hinojosa Revisited
S6E12 – BvB@67- Greg and Carol Revisited
WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!
We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown's impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to [email protected], or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools.
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
As 2023 comes to a close, we just wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on the year, talk about our hopes for 2024, and hear from you! We share listener voice memos, an update on Integrated Schools, including our new board of directors, and tease a few of the episodes coming in the new year!
LINKS:
Blog post about our new board of directors
Send us your voice memos! -http://speakpipe.com/integratedschools
If you'd like to volunteer, send us an email - [email protected]
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Jaden González. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
We were thrilled to have two interns working on the podcast over the past summer. One of them, Jaden González, found an episode of the Teaching Hard History podcast from Learning for Justice that spoke to him, so he joined us to talk about it and play a portion of it. In it, we hear from Dr. Aisha White who has studied how children, especially young children, understand and learn about race. It dispels the myth that children are ever too young to learn about race, and has helpful suggestions for how to have conversations that build a healthy racial identity for all kids. It also sparked a great conversation with Jaden about his own racial identity development as a Puerto Rican growing up in New York City with a multiracial family.
LINKS:
The History of Whiteness and How We Teach About Race - from Teaching Hard History
ICYMI: Seeing White - our episode featuring the Seeing White podcast series from Scene on Radio.
The P.R.I.D.E Program from The University of Pittsburgh
Grace Abounding: The Core Knowledge Anthology of African-American Literature, Music, and Art
Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Jaden González. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
Like many of you, we were blown away by Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law for the ways it unveiled institutionalized racial segregation and its lingering impacts on our country. His methodical unmasking of the explicitly racist policies that led to the creation of the suburbs, the wealth gap, educational disparities and more helped expose the idea of "de facto" segregation, or segregation that occurs naturally, as a myth. The ways that we are segregated today were caused by intentional governmental policies, and we have yet to redress the harm caused.
While The Color Law presented compelling stories about how we got here, it didn't offer many solutions. Richard's daughter Leah, a community organizer and housing activist, was among the many people who wondered what could we do to not only minimize future injustice, but also make repairs for the past harms caused. They decided to write Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law to answer that question. In it, they present a number of ways people can advocate for justice in their local communities, as well as highlighting inspiring work happening around the country.
Both Richard and Leah join us to talk about The Color of Law, Just Action, and how everyone has a role to play in creating the true multiracial democracy we are striving for.
LINKS:
Just Action - Richard and Leah Rothstein
The Color of Law - Richard Rothstein
Segregated By Design - short film overview of The Color of Law
Just Action's website - Justactionbook.org
Richard and Leah's Substack
If you want to get involved locally, check out The Redress Movement
Drs. Darling-Hammond on our show
Jade Adia - There Goes the Neighborhood
Jade Adia on our show
Dr. Erica Turner on our show
The civil rights museum in the former Woolworth's that provided Richard's entry to civil rights work
Use these links or start at our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschools on Instagram, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Courtney Mykytyn. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey. -
Our focus on this show is often on parents and caregivers and the choices we make, from where to send our kids to school, to how we show up in those communities, to how we advocate for our kids and all kids. We have also talked about students and teachers, and national level policies. However, we have not previously spent much time talking about the district level decision makers, from school board members, to superintendents, to central office staff. Due to the decentralized nature of our education system, these leaders have tremendous power to affect change, and often find themselves on the front lines of dealing with changing school districts.
As our country becomes increasingly racially diverse and socioeconomically unequal, schools are often the first public institutions addressing those changes. Dr. Erica Turner has studied how district level leaders have dealt with this, and wrote about it in her book, Suddenly Diverse, How School Districts Manage Race and Inequality. She joins us to share some of what she found.
Key Takeaways
1. Schools are seen as the closest form of government to many individuals. They are often delegated the responsibility to deal with societal problems such as poverty, gun violence, and nurturing a multiracial democracy, which can be an overwhelming load.
2. Race-evasive managerialism plays a significant role in the education system. Schools end up devoting more attention to data and business models, often sidestepping the complex issues of racial and social equity. This approach can sometimes be a way for educators to feel like they are taking action without directly confronting the structural challenges they face.
3. There is a prevalent fear of White flight, which often limits the potential reforms in education. Dr. Turner urges listeners to reexamine this fear, citing studies that reveal White flight is not solely a result of school desegregation efforts.
4. Despite the heavy issues in education, Dr. Turner encourages listeners to see hope in social movements and community cooperation. Movements like Black Lives Matter are contributing to a wider comprehension of systemic racial inequality. She urges listeners to join such movements, fostering conversations and pushing for change together.
LINKS:
Suddenly Diverse, How School Districts Manage Race and Inequality - Dr. Erica Turner's book
The Problem We All Live With - Normal Rockwell
The Problem We All Live With - Nikole Hannah-Jones on This American Life
Equity in Pandemic Schooling: An Action Guide for Families, Educators & Communities - Dr. Turner's contribution to questions about equity during the pandemic interruptions to education
Send us your ideas – speakpipe.com/integratedschools, or click the “send voicemail” button on the side of our website, or just record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected].
Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschools on Instagram, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected].
We’re proud members of Connectd Podcasts, a network dedicated to helping shows like ours grow and thrive. For more info, or to check out their other amazing shows, head over to their website.
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey.
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