Episode 297 Audio: Touré

You’ll be thrilled to see political commentator Touré making a return to KK&F for a discussion on one of the biggest stories in recent memory. Nikole Hannah-Jones, domestic correspondent for the NYT and founder of the 1619 Project, wrote a piece in the NYT grappling with the ramifications of sending her daughter to an under-resourced public school from a young age. Najya, Nikole’s daughter, is the person directly experiencing those ramifications and has confronted her mother about the struggles of bearing the brunt of a decision based on principle, not on what was immediately best for Najya as an individual student. The story has brought national attention to the concentration of opportunities, resources, and investment in students in public schools serving majority-white, wealthy areas. The conversation becomes personal as we consider the choices we’ve made as parents and have had made for us in America’s deeply unjust system of education. Touré describes attending PWIs, specifically private schools, throughout his educational career, sending his children to private schools as well, and describes not only the microaggressions and abusive behavior Black students face in those environments, but also how his choice reflected his belief that his children would benefit from a higher quality education than public schools could provide along with a sort of brand recognition that may ease their paths to success. A discussion of Hannah -Jones’ article brings us to a critical assessment of what it would truly take to achieve equitable outcomes for students in a robust public education system throughout the country, and what fight the left needs to fight to get there. Thanks for watching KK&F. You can listen to this episode as a podcast on major streaming platforms. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/subscribe