The 1954 Supreme Court ruling was intended to end racial segregation in America’s public education system. Yet 70 years later, public schools remain deeply segregated by race and socioeconomic status. The overarching question remains: Are our public schools truly diverse and equitable for all, or have systemic barriers and persistent resistance hindered progress?
For the first PRX national show on “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott delves into the long-term impact of this historic ruling. She explores the unintended consequences of the displacement of Black educators and its link to the current shortage of Black teachers, as well as the ways the ruling has shaped today’s public education landscape. In addition, Scott talks with guests about their efforts to ensure that all children receive a quality education.
On the first day of school for the 2024-25 school year, Rose stops by Hope-Hill Elementary School in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. She talks with first-grade teacher Asia Anderson as she welcomes students back to school from summer break. Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College, also reflects on what the SCOTUS ruling was supposed to accomplish.
We then hear from C. Eileen Welch Watts, a former teacher and president and board chair for the Durham Colored Library, Inc. She recounts what it was like to be a Black teacher and teach in Atlanta and Arlington, Virginia, in predominately white schools following the Supreme Court’s ruling to end racial segregation in schools. Dr. Kamau Bobb, the founding senior director of the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech, candidly discusses the goal of integration versus the current state of public education. He also discusses the shortage of Black educators over the past 70 years.
Lastly, WABE education reporter Juma Sei talks with Alexis Kelly from Atlanta Public Schools’ Barack & Michelle Obama Academy. The second-year teacher talks about the educators who inspired, mentored and prepared her to teach. She also explains the importance of fostering an environment that allows children to dream bigger dreams.
