Bracey Harris reports on education in Mississippi for the?The Hechinger?Report, a nonprofit education news service based at Columbia Teachers College.?Her stories illuminate the systemic effects of race and poverty while keeping the spotlight where it belongs — on the children, parents, teachers, and others who have the most at stake. Bracey is a native Mississippian, and she puts her heart into every story she reports. In this conversation, we discuss a series of articles published earlier this year about the persistence of school segregation 50 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered immediate integration of Mississippi’s schools in Alexander v. Holmes Co. Board of Education. We also spoke about the preparations for reopening schools during the COVID pandemic and the consequences of the patchwork set of plans.
Articles referenced:
?We?re stronger than we?ve ever been?: A Mississippi district shows that integrated schools pay off
Why Black families are choosing to keep their kids remote when schools reopen
Local control of schools leads to a patchwork of reopening plans