The Integrated Schools Podcast

We're revisiting our conversation with Dr. Loretta Ross because her book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel, is the Integrated Schools book club pick for this month. You can register for one of our amazing, free book club sessions here.We’re joined by MacArthur “Genius” and legendary activist Dr. Loretta Ross for a conversation that left us grounded, challenged, and deeply moved. From her early work in reproductive justice and anti-violence movements, to her current mission disrupting “call-out culture,” Dr. Ross offers us a path forward rooted in grace, accountability, and radical love.We explore what it means to “call in” rather than call out—especially in an era where public shaming feels ever-present and social media rewards outrage. Dr. Ross shares her personal story of trauma, healing, and transformation, and helps us understand how real change happens not through perfection or purity, but through connection and curiosity.Together we unpack the power of holding ourselves and others accountable without dehumanizing. We talk parenting, public schools, and what it means to stay in the struggle without breaking our link in the “chain of freedom.”Whether you’re navigating tricky conversations in your school community or trying to show up better in the fight for justice, this episode is for you.LINKS:Register for book club!Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel – Dr. Ross’s new bookWhat If Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In? – NY Times Article about Dr. Ross’s workWhat Is A Good Parent?  Blog post by NY Chapter member, Meredith WinfreyMothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy – Dr. Elizabeth McRaeEp 11 – White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy – Dr. McRae’s 1st time on our showS5E14 – White Supremacy and Black Educational Excellence – Dr. McRae’s 2nd time on our showSend us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.dThis episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.Music by Kevin Casey.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re going back to the archives today to revisit a conversation with Heather McGhee. In February of 2021, Heather McGhee’s book, The Sum of Us came out. With a focus on the ways in which racism harms everyone, and the potential good that can come from cross-racial coalitions, the book was exciting to us. When we realized that Integrated Schools was featured prominently in the chapter about education, we were blown away.The book is based around three main concepts.  The first is the “zero-sum lie of racial hierarchy”, or the idea that progress for people of color necessarily has to come at White folks’ expense. The second is the idea of the “drained pool,” the disinvestment by White people in public goods simply because they have to share them with people of color. And finally, the “solidarity dividend,” the idea of gains that we can unlock, but only when we come together across lines of difference.This last idea, the most hopeful, inspired Ms. McGhee to go back on the road and make a podcast documenting examples of the Solidarity Dividend in action. She joins us to discuss the podcast, what it means to be a good ally, the power of relationships in sustaining movements, and what role the Integrated Schools community should play in participating in the current, cross-racial movement for public education.LINKSMs. McGhee’s first appearance on our showThe Sum of Us PodcastThe Sum of Us BookJames Haslem from HEAL TogetherMs. McGhee and Victor Ray’s Op-Ed in the NYTCalifornia Calls – organizing in CaliforniaMs. McGhee’s mother – Dr. Gail ChristopherTruth, Racial Healing, and TransformationACTION STEPSListen to The Sum of Us PodcastRead The Sum of Us BookGet involved locally – find organizations that align with your values, and just show up!Take opportunities to share space with folks – school pick up/ drop off is a great place to startShare stories off cross racial solidarity with others. Stories from The Sum of Us, from our podcast, or from your own life.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 – @integratedschls on twitter, IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We're joined by YA author, María Dolores Águila to uncover the largely untold story of the 1931 Lemon Grove Incident—the first successful school desegregation case in California, led by Mexican and Mexican American families.Through her book A Sea of Lemon Trees, Maria invites us into the world of 12-year-old Roberto Alvarez, a child asked to carry the weight of his community’s fight for educational justice.Together, we explore what it looks like when communities organize, when young people lead, and when stories become a form of power.We can’t be what we don’t see.Maria shares how her work is rooted in creating “social capital” for young readers—especially those who have not seen themselves reflected in books or history. When our kids see communities like theirs organizing and winning, it expands what feels possible.The Lemon Grove case unfolded during a time of anti-Mexican sentiment and mass deportations. The parallels to today are hard to ignore. What we don’t know about our history can make the present feel confusing—but these stories remind us: we’ve been here before. While Roberto Alvarez was the named plaintiff, this was never a story about one hero. It was about a community—families organizing, neighbors supporting, people taking risks together. Every role mattered.Resistance is real—and it costs something.This wasn’t a clean or easy victory. Families faced threats, pressure, and even deportation. Telling the full story—including the hard parts—matters, especially for our kids. Through a 12-year-old’s perspective, the absurdity of segregation becomes clear. Kids often see injustice plainly—before we, as adults, complicate it.We keep coming back to this:All of our kids are watching.They’re watching how we talk about history.They’re watching how we respond to injustice.They’re watching whether we stay—or walk away.What might shift if we saw ourselves not as individuals navigating systems, but as part of a community shaping them—together?LINKS:A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto AlvarezBarrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano ParkMenudo Sunday: A Spanglish Counting BookThe Lemon Grove Incident Mexican RepatriationS11E10 – Micro Activism: Making a Difference One Step at a Time Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when we stop thinking about schools as buildings—and start seeing them as the ecosystems that hold our communities together?In this episode, we sit with Dr. Mara Tieken to explore school closures not as isolated decisions, but as part of a broader pattern of spatial injustice—where resources, opportunities, and care are unevenly distributed based on where we live.Together, we wrestle with a hard truth: school closures are often framed as inevitable… but what if they’re actually the result of choices—policies, priorities, and patterns of disinvestment—that we can question?We grapple with several key ideas:Schools are more than buildings—they are social, cultural, and economic anchors in our communitiesClosures disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and low-income communitiesThe most common justifications (cost savings, academic improvement, “efficiency”) often don’t hold up under scrutinyWhat gets labeled as a “failing school” is often a school that has been failed—by policy, funding, and systemic neglectSchool closures don’t just disrupt students—they create lasting grief, loss, and disconnection across generationsThis conversation also reminds us that we are not powerless. Across the country, communities are:Organizing and building multiracial, cross-class coalitionsQuestioning the data and narratives used to justify closuresRunning for school board, advocating for policy change, and showing up for each other’s schools—not just our ownWe are left wondering, what would it look like to treat every school as our school? Not just when it’s under threat—but all the time.Because if public schools are foundational to our democracy, then caring for them can’t be an individual act. It has to be collective.LINKS:Dr. Tieken's Hechinger Report Op-Ed - Shuttering public schools is a strategy that rarely saves much money and often leads to test score declinesAnd from The Washington Monthly - Don't Fall for the School Closure TemptationRural Schools Open - Dr. Tieken's guide to fighting school closures and doing it well, when needed. Dr. Eve L Ewing - Ghosts in the SchoolyardAnd Dr. Ewing on our show - S11E12: Schools and Race: Eve Ewing on the Construction of American Racism Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Andrew and Dr. Val are joined by Logan Tilton, a history student at North Carolina Central University and one of the Levine Museum of the New South’s fellowship students. Together, they reflect on what it means to learn history not as a list of dates and names, but as a living story shaped by community, struggle, resilience, and collective memory.Drawing from a powerful fellowship trip to Montgomery and Selma, Logan shares how visiting the Equal Justice Initiative sites and hearing directly from a Selma foot soldier deepened her understanding of history, accountability, and the ongoing connections between past and present. This conversation explores the emotional weight of historical truth, the importance of learning from young people, and the role community plays in sustaining hope.This episode reminds us that history is not over. The patterns of inequality, exclusion, and violence that shaped the past are still with us. But so are the patterns of resistance, courage, care, and collective action. Logan’s reflections offer a powerful reminder that when young people are trusted with truth, they can carry it forward with clarity, insight, and hope.LINKSThe Levine Museum of The New SouthThe Levine Museum's Catalyst Fellowship ProgramThe Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy SitesFoot Soldier Park - Selma, ALBryan StevensonJust Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption - by Bryan StevensonS11E15 – Unearthing Joy: Gholdy Muhammad on Teaching with LoveThe Old South: A Psychohistory - by Earl E. ThorpeSend us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When crisis comes for one of us, it comes for all of us.In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Dr. Val and Andrew sit down with two parent leaders in Minneapolis—Carina (a White mom and longtime bridge-builder in dual language spaces) and Cisne (a Spanish-speaking immigrant mom and vice president of their dual language parent organization)—to talk about what it means to care for our community when ICE arrives at your doorstep.What unfolds is a story about more than fear. It’s a story about relationships built long before crisis hit. About language justice. About sharing power. About mutual aid that moves in both directions. About what happens when Latino leadership is centered—not as an afterthought, but as the foundation.We also hear from the professional interpreter who made this conversation possible in real time—offering a powerful reflection on interpretation as social justice work.This conversation is heavy. And it is also filled with hope.Because what we’re reminded of again and again is this: systems may fail us. Relationships keep us safe.This episode reminds us that integration work is not theoretical. It is not performative. It is not about optics.It is about who gets to make decisions.Whose language is spoken first.Whose safety is prioritized.Whose children are protected.It asks those of us—especially those of us who are White, documented, resourced—to reflect on how we are using proximity to power. Are we holding it tightly? Or are we sharing it?It reminds us that bilingual education is not enrichment for some and marginalization for others—it is an opportunity to build bridges, leadership, and collective strength.And it underscores something we’ve said for years: public schools are one of the few remaining places where we canbuild the kind of cross-racial, cross-class relationships that sustain us in crisis.If we choose to.The children missing from classrooms in Minneapolis are our children.The parents afraid to leave their homes are part of our communities.The mental health impacts will ripple far beyond one city.Integration is not just about where our children sit in class.It is about whether we are willing to stand together when it matters most.Thank you for being part of this work. Thank you for staying in it—even when it’s heavy. Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does it mean to outlast backlash?In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Danielle Wingfield—legal historian, law professor, and public education advocate—whose work sits at the intersection of history, civil rights, democracy, and family. Together, we trace the long arc of resistance to public education, from enslavement and segregation to today’s fights over curriculum, parental rights, and school privatization.Dr. Wingfield helps us see that what feels overwhelming right now isn’t new—it’s cyclical. And that clarity matters. When we understand the playbook, we can respond with intention instead of panic.We talk about:The history of massive resistance—and why today’s attacks on public education are part of a much longer projectHow curriculum control, “parental rights,” and privatization have been used before to maintain racial hierarchyWhy public schools remain essential to democracy—and why they’re being targeted so aggressivelyWhat “home place” looks like: community care, shared responsibility, mutual aid, and kinship beyond bloodlinesWhy progress always brings backlash—and why staying power is how movements winThis conversation is both grounding and galvanizing. It reminds us that we don’t have to solve everything—but we dohave to hold our link in the chain.Because when we know our history, we’re harder to divide.And when we stay together long enough, we change what’s possible.LINKS:The Resurgence of Massive Resistance - Washington and Lee Law JournalTeachers in the Movement - Oral history projectFirst Class Project - documentary seriesHomeplace (A Site of Resistance) - bell hooksHenry L. Marsh III - First Black mayor of Richmond, VA & civil rights attorneyOliver W. Hill - Civil rights attorneyBarbara Rose JohnsSend us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 Join the conversation by registering for one of our upcoming Book Club sessions! The Integrated Schools Podcast returns with a great conversation with Emily Ladau, disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally.Ladau describes herself as "passionate about having conversations about disability and really engaging people to talk about a topic that they might otherwise feel uncomfortable with and really making it approachable and accessible to them." In the spirit of Dr. Loretta Ross, she models what it means to call people in: to meet other people where they are and offer them a bridge to understanding the lived reality - or rather, realities - of the over a billion people around the world who have some type of disability.Ladau takes an approach that is at once gracious and practical. "In order to be effective advocates for any kind of social justice, we first need the tools and the resources and the understanding, but often we are not socialized to think about disability at all... I don't want people to feel so worried about making a mistake that they don't get involved in the conversation in the first place; [nor] to get bogged down in specific rules, but… to have a working knowledge so that you feel like you belong in the broader work.”This conversation brings up the parallels between combating White supremacy and combating ableism, and the interplay between the two. Ladau points out that we can't fight back against either racism or ableism by keeping these issues siloed -especially because disability is an identity that cuts across all other identity groups."It's also pretty much one of the only marginalized communities that anybody can join at any time. And I always say, you know, that's not a threat. We're cool, we're fun."LINKS:Join Book Club!!Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an AllyEmily's website - emilyladau.comWords I Wheel By - Emily's SubstackThe 504 Sit InS12E6 - Calling In with Loretta RossCalling In - Dr. Loretta Ross's book Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As we come to the end of 2025, we wanted to pause together—to reflect on a year that has been emotionally heavy, nationally turbulent, and deeply personal.This year, our families have been in the midst of big transitions. We talk about what it’s been like to launch a child toward adulthood, to navigate new middle and high schools, and to sit with the uncertainty that comes with parenting when the stakes feel so high. We reflect on the school choices we’ve made—often outside the bounds of prestige or promise—and what it feels like, years later, to see our kids growing, learning, struggling, and coming out whole.We also hold the broader context of 2025. We name the ways the world feels like it’s unraveling: ICE raids disrupting communities and schools, cuts to public institutions, and the cumulative weight our young people are carrying after growing up through a pandemic and so much instability. This conversation doesn’t rush past the grief. We sit with it—and remind ourselves that survival, community, and care are not small things. They are strategies.Looking back on this season, we revisit conversations that shaped us—from Byron Sanders on identity and purpose, to Raising Antiracist Kids on honest conversations with our children, to Keri Rodrigues and Loretta Ross on calling people in and refusing to let our link in the chain break. Again and again, we return to the truth that none of us can do this work alone.The episode closes with reflections from our first-ever in-person Integrated Schools gathering in Columbus, Ohio. Bringing together people from across the country to hold space, share meals, sing, grieve, laugh, and recommit to this work reminded us of what is possible when we are physically together. Through voice memos from participants, we hear what it means to feel less alone—and more grounded—at a moment when the pendulum feels far away from justice.Ten years into the life of Integrated Schools, this episode is both a reckoning and a reminder:We are still here. And we’re not going anywhere.Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re joined by MacArthur “Genius” and legendary activist Dr. Loretta Ross for a conversation that left us grounded, challenged, and deeply moved. From her early work in reproductive justice and anti-violence movements, to her current mission disrupting “call-out culture,” Dr. Ross offers us a path forward rooted in grace, accountability, and radical love.We explore what it means to “call in” rather than call out—especially in an era where public shaming feels ever-present and social media rewards outrage. Dr. Ross shares her personal story of trauma, healing, and transformation, and helps us understand how real change happens not through perfection or purity, but through connection and curiosity.Together we unpack the power of holding ourselves and others accountable without dehumanizing. We talk parenting, public schools, and what it means to stay in the struggle without breaking our link in the “chain of freedom.”Whether you’re navigating tricky conversations in your school community or trying to show up better in the fight for justice, this episode is for you.LINKS:Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel - Dr. Ross's new bookWhat If Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In? - NY Times Article about Dr. Ross's workWhat Is A Good Parent?  Blog post by NY Chapter member, Meredith WinfreyMothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy - Dr. Elizabeth McRaeEp 11 – White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy - Dr. McRae's 1st time on our showS5E14 - White Supremacy and Black Educational Excellence - Dr. McRae's 2nd time on our showSend us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we’re stretching the boundaries of our “big tent”—the messy, hopeful space where we try to build a public education system worthy of all our kids. We sat down with Ms. Keri Rodrigues, President and co-founder of the National Parents Union, for a conversation recorded inside the U.S. Senate building (a first for us!).Ms. Rodrigues brings her whole self into this work: mother, organizer, daughter of immigrants, former student who didn’t always get what she needed from school, and fierce believer in the power of parents showing up together. While the methods of school improvement NPU has advocated for the in the past may not have felt fully aligned with our values, we share a commitment to the common good of public education—and in a moment when that institution feels increasingly under attack, widening the circle of who we can struggle with feels essential.In This Episode We Explore:Parent voice as expertiseWhy parents—especially those who’ve historically been pushed to the margins—carry knowledge that our systems often ignore, and what’s lost when family engagement is treated as transactional rather than transformational.The conditions that fuel fear-based parent movementsMs. Rodrigues offers a nuanced take on how groups like Moms for Liberty gained traction, and how a lack of authentic, respectful engagement with parents created space for bad actors to step in.Trust between families and schoolsWhat it means to leave “our hearts outside our bodies” every morning, and the very real fears that get activated when schools feel unwelcoming, dismissive, or unsafe—especially for Black, Brown, immigrant, and disabled students and their families.The broader crisis facing childrenFrom ICE raids to unregulated social media to defunding the Department of Education, Ms. Rodrigues paints a sobering picture of what American childhood looks like right now—and why focusing narrowly on academics misses the full context our kids are living in.Possibility inside the “messy middle”How unlikely coalitions (even with people we once vowed to “never work with”) can still form around shared values like literacy, safety, and teacher pay—and why bipartisan hope isn’t naïve, but necessary.Our own expectations of schoolAfter the interview, Val and Andrew reflect on power, privilege, trust, and the complicated dance between advocating for our kids and caring for all kids—work that sits at the very heart of public education in a multiracial democracy.Why This Conversation MattersIf we truly believe that public schools are foundational to a functioning democracy, then we need a tent big enough to hold disagreement, nuance, and shared purpose. Not a tent where we water down our values or ignore harm, but one spacious enough for collective problem-solving. As Ms. Rodrigues reminds us, movements built on love endure longer than movements built on fear. And right now, our kids need us rooted in love.Join the ConversationWhere do you see yourself in this big tent?What are your expectations for parent voice?How do you advocate as a parent or caregiver?How do you build (or rebuild) trust with your child’s school?Send us a voice memo: speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsCheck 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when over 600 educators, students, organizers, and advocates gather in community to center racial equity and storytelling? We found out at this year’s Color of Education Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina.In this episode, Andrew takes us inside the summit—hosted by the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity—to hear voices from across the state and country. From keynote speeches to hallway conversations, we witness the power of stories to connect, inspire, and catalyze change.We hear from Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, who set the tone with vulnerability, legacy, and a call to collective action. And we meet educators, community leaders, organizers, and students whose stories underscore that equity work is personal, communal, and ongoing.Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on what it really means to talk about equity—and how we move beyond “access” to ensure all children can truly thrive. If you’re wondering what role stories play in building a better future, or where to find hope in hard times, this one’s for you.🎧 Listen in, and then tell us: What story are you carrying?LINKSColor of Education 2025Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and OpportunityTara Roberts - Into the Depths (Podcast)I Am Leandro ProjectProfound GentlemenPublic Schools First NCPublic School Forum of North Carolina Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.Share your thoughts by leaving us a voice mail - speakpipe.com/integratedschoolsJoin our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, @integratedschools on Instagram and TikTok, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 We’re sharing a special crossover: Dr. Val and Andrew join Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs and Adam Jacobs, co-hosts of the Raising Antiracist Kids podcast, to talk about parents as partners in building antiracist school communities. We dig into why relationships—especially across lines of race and class—are core to any multiracial democracy, what it looks like for White families to show up without centering themselves, and how we nurture brave, durable school communities together. Along the way, we sit with discomfort, model grace, and keep our eyes on the long game—this is a marathon relay, and we each carry the baton for a bit.LINKS:Raising Antiracist Kids - Tabitha & Adam's substackThe Raising Antiracist Kids PodcastWhite Parents, You Can't Support Black Lives Matter & Start A Private Learning Pod- Tabitha's article for Romper back in 2020Dr. Val's online organizing #ClearTheAirIntegrateNYC's 5R's of Real IntegrationBettina Love on the spirit murdering of Black childrenS11E14 – What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on the Failures of IntegrationS7E2 – Moving and Choosing a School- Dr. Val's 2nd episode on the podcast 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does it mean to truly know who you are—and how might that knowing shape what you give back to the world? In this episode, we’re joined by Byron Sanders—educator, CEO, community leader, and newly elected Dallas ISD school board member—for a vulnerable, expansive conversation about identity, purpose, and the responsibility that comes with our gifts.Byron shares a deeply personal story of finding his way from trauma to mission, from being driven by what he didn’t want to become to discovering a life of service rooted in community. Alongside reflections on masculinity, Whiteness, and the narratives we inherit (and resist), Byron challenges us to consider the roles we each play in building a more just and joyful future—both in and beyond schools.We talk about the power of imagination as a source of hope, the need for purpose-driven education, and the importance of community-based “third spaces” where young people can build the skills and self-understanding they’ll need to navigate an uncertain future. And we explore the dangers of narrow identity constructs—especially for boys and men—and the urgent need for models that reflect a fuller humanity.This conversation is a reminder that our stories matter, that restorative possibility lives in community, and that every gift is also an assignment.LINKS:Byron SandersThe Creator Archetype from Big Thoughtbell hooks - The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and LoveRichard Reeves - Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.Additional music Uncertain Ground and Black Mud by Blue Dot SessionsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As we launch Season 12 of the podcast, Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on the start of the school year. With big personal transitions, and the country in a state of deep uncertainty, we ask, what now? How can we acknowledge the current state of eduction and find ways to act for justice.LINKS:Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities - Dr. Val and Andrew on the Raising Antiracist Kids PodcastBig, Beautiful Monstrosity . . . And a call to action - Blog post from this summer about the budget bill creating a national voucher program.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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism is the Integrated Schools Book Club pick for the fall. So we thought we'd revisit our episode with Dr. Ewing. If you've never attended Book Club, it's a wonderful to chance to chat with folks from around the country who are interested in school integration. We have small groups and great facilitators who make sure the conversation flows. Book Club is free! Register now!---------------------------------Public education is touted as the bedrock of democracy, a leveler of playing fields, and our best tool to create active, engaged citizens. And while that vision is powerful, Dr. Eve L. Ewing argues that it was never intended to be those things for Black or Native students. In fact, her new book, Original Sins: The (MIs)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, maintains that schooling in America was created to prepare White kids for leadership, Black kids for subjugation, and Native kids for erasure. She joins us to discuss these three separate strands of education and the tools of discipline and punishment, implied intellectual inferiority, and preparation for economic subjugation used to support them.  She leaves us with love, justice and a focus on flourishing as possible antidotes to help us imagine something better. LINKS:Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South SideOriginal Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American RacismBughouse Square - Eve Ewing's Podcast with co-ghost, Studs TerkelFaith Ringgold - United States of Attica, 1971Gwendolyn Brooks - We Real CoolHow Watermelons Became a Racist Trope - William R. Black in The AtlanticThe Abigail Fisher caseProject a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica - currently at the Art Institute ChicagoBraiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererS7E9 – Revisiting Heather McGhee on How Racism Hurts Us AllUse 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill - a national school voucher plan. It's temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.LINKS: A blog post version of this episode. 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 Facebook, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As Season 11 comes to a close, we wanted to spend some time reflecting on the lessons we've learned from this season and what we hope for in Season 12. We'll be off for the summer with a few possible bonus episodes, and back for real in the fall. In the mean time, we want to express our deepest appreciation for a number of people who make this podcast run. Firstly, to all of our guests, thank you for joining us, for sharing your stories and your wisdom with us. Being in conversation with each of you is a true gift that we do not take likely. To the podcast team - Darci, Jennifer, Jenna, Anna, Susan, Courtney - thank you for your work on transcripts and promotional material, but more importantly for your thought partnership on each episode and the entire season. The conversations you share, the insights you bring are what keeps the podcast relevant and topical and helps us dive into nuanced topics knowing you're listening and thinking about these things along side of us. To our Patreon supporters and Integrated Schools donors, your belief in this work and your willingness to support it with your financial resources isn't something we take for granted. Your belief in us keeps us invested in the work and motivates us to always make the best episodes we can. And finally, to all of you, our listeners, it is truly and honor to be in this with each and every one of you as we try to know better and do better. Until next season!________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________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 Facebook, or email us [email protected] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“Having my children in public school was something that I wanted to do with people in my community. It was a commitment that we were making together. And then when I saw folks leaving, it felt like a betrayal.” – Stephanie Forman.Where we send our kids to school is, for many, a complicated decision. We struggle to weigh multiple factors- curriculum and teachers, diversity of the student body, the commute and hours, not to mention what role we want to play in supporting the institutions where our kids spend 8 hours a day. Drs. Stephanie Forman and Lisa Sibbett are educational researchers in the Pacific Northwest and both decided to send their kids to public schools after weighing many factors. However, they saw many of their colleagues, who were also working to support education, and also expressed a belief in the importance of public schools, opting out, and instead sending their kids to private schools. Rather than write these people off, they decided to use their educational research skills to better understand the choice these families were making, what the impact was for them, and their families, and what tools might be best suited to reconnect those families to public schools, whether by bringing their kids back, or, at a minimum, advocating on behalf of public education.They join us to share what they learned, and help us keep an open mind as we think about the choices people make for schooling. ________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:Robin DiAngelo's Rules of Engagement for White FragilityLisa's Substack - The Auntie Bulletin S11E16 - Advocating for Black Educator Wellness with Asia Lyons 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 Facebook, or email us [email protected] 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“I hope that you know that I believe you, the community of listeners believes you, and that's good enough.” Dr. Asia Lyons Dr. Asia Lyons is the host of 'The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators' where she practices archival justice by sharing the stories of Black educators who have left the classroom. Her own journey to education and then out of the classroom led her work both on the podcast, and in creating intentional spaces of healing for Black educators. Dr. Lyons's work focuses on the less sexy, but often more important work of retaining Black educators. Recruitment is a crucial starting point, but if we can't create spaces of wellness for Black educators, retention will always be a challenge. Dr. Lyons encourages all of us to speak up on behalf of Black educators, to create spaces of healing, and to advocate for justice at least as loudly as the voices who aren't. ________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black EducatorsWilliam A Smith - who coined the term Racial Battle FatigueTaking Care and Moving Forward with Dr. LaShaune StittBoundaries, Burnout and Black educator Wellness with Josephine Ampaw-GreeneS11E14 – What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on the Failures of IntegrationS10E15 – Rebuilding The Black Educator Pipeline with Sharif El-MekkiS10E14 – Jim Crow’s Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie FenwickS11E8 – Gratitude and Validation: One Family’s Journey Through Integrated SchoolsS11E15 – Unearthing Joy: Gholdy Muhammad on Teaching with LoveVisit 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"If we're not centering children’s humanity through love, there's no strategy, no professional book or instructional method in the world that can prepare the teacher to elevate the child." - Dr. Gholdy MuhammadIdentity, skills, intellectualism, criticality, and joy. These are the five pursuits that Dr. Gholdy Muhammad argues are key to education. Our educational system focuses most of its attention on skills while often overlooking the other pursuits to the detriment of all kids. All people need to know who they are and whose they are, need to put the knowledge they gain into action, need to learn to distinguish between truth and lies, and to critically examine the stories we are told, and everyone needs joy. An education system, not to mention a society, that focuses on all five pursuits has the possibility of bringing out the genius in all of us. Underlying all of these pursuits is love. Dr. Muhammad joins us to discuss what teaching, parenting, and being part of community can look like with a focus on these pursuits. ________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive LiteracyUnearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Curriculum and InstructionThe Secret Life of PlantsUse 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“At its inception, in the courts, and as a project, integration was deeply contested and Black people were deeply divided about it. ” – Dr. Noliwe RooksThe common narrative about integration often frames it as a clear victory—a moment when American education finally confronted injustice. But Dr. Noliwe Rooks argues the reality is far more complicated. In her new book, Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children, she traces the history of Black education, showing how the pursuit of desegregation sometimes led to profound losses for Black communities.In this conversation, Dr. Rooks discusses the overlooked sacrifices Black communities made as schools integrated, from the closure of vibrant Black-led schools to the erasure of Black educators' roles and perspectives. Through the story of 4 generations of her own family, she reveals how integration initiatives frequently dismissed Black voices and visions for education, leaving systemic inequities intact.This episode challenges us to rethink what integration truly means, and what’s required if education is to fulfill its promise of justice and liberation for all students.________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black ChildrenA Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod BethuneCutting School: The Segrenomics of American EducationS6E9 - BvB@67 - Noliwe Rooks Revisited - Dr. Rooks from our Brown v Board anniversary seriesS11E9: The Containment: Michelle Adams on Northern Jim CrowNo Choice Is the “Right” Choice: Black Parents’ Educational Decision-Making in Their Search for a “Good” School - Dr. Linn Posey-MaddoxS10E14 – Jim Crow’s Pink Slip with Dr. Leslie FenwickEp 11 – White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last month, integration advocates from around the country gathered for the National Coalition on School Diversity's National Conference to discuss where we find ourselves in this difficult moment.From policy makers to researchers, school leaders to equity advocates, the conference featured many of the brightest minds focusing on how we build up and support an education system that serves all children well. Despite the challenges to education, especially public education, not to mention multiracial public education, attending the conference was inspiring and sustaining. To see several hundred people gather in the face of pushback to reaffirm our commitment to the project of integration provided much needed hope in troubling times.Today we share some conversations with folks from the conference who are committed to a better world and finding hope where they can.LINKS:The National Coalition on School DiversityS10E18 – The 70th Anniversary of Brown v Board – Do It Live!S11E9: The Containment: Michelle Adams on Northern Jim CrowNAACP LDF on The Dept of Ed's Dear Colleague LetterVisit 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Public education is touted as the bedrock of democracy, a leveler of playing fields, and our best tool to create active, engaged citizens. And while that vision is powerful, Dr. Eve L. Ewing argues that it was never intended to be those things for Black or Native students. In fact, her new book, Original Sins: The (MIs)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, maintains that schooling in America was created to prepare White kids for leadership, Black kids for subjugation, and Native kids for erasure. She joins us to discuss these three separate strands of education and the tools of discipline and punishment, implied intellectual inferiority, and preparation for economic subjugation used to support them.  She leaves us with love, justice and a focus on flourishing as possible antidotes to help us imagine something better. LINKS:Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South SideOriginal Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of AmericanRacismBughouse Square - Eve Ewing's Podcast with co-ghost, Studs TerkelFaith Ringgold - United States of Attica, 1971Gwendolyn Brooks - We Real CoolHow Watermelons Became a Racist Trope - William R. Black in The AtlanticThe Abigail Fisher caseProject a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica - currently at the Art Institute ChicagoBraiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererS7E9 – Revisiting Heather McGhee on How Racism Hurts Us AllUse 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"To be White is, is to be raised on lies. Lies that are passed down, generationally that a lot of White folks don't always know that they're passing down." - Greg Jarrell Our guest today, Greg Jarrell is an ordained minister, a cultural organizer and the author of Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods. Through many years of building community while engaging in anti-racist learning, he has come to realize that he also has a stake in ending White supremacy, advancing racial justice, and building loving, multi-racial communities. He joins us to discuss the ongoing moral and intellectual deficiencies that come from Whiteness, the importance of intentional anti-racist education, and the need for material and cultural reparations. Jarrell emphasizes the necessity of developing multiracial coalitions and using one's advantages to dismantle systemic inequities, in order to face historical scars and work towards a more just society.LINKS:Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American NeighborhoodsQC Family Tree in Charlotte, NCThe Redress MovementICYMI: Seeing White - Our episode sharing clips from the Seeing White season from Scene on RadioS5E3 – Gifts We Didn’t Expect: Family, Faith, and Integration - our conversation with AlbertCharles Mills - The Racial ContractUse 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. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes. 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 Omkari Williams believes deeply in the power of people to change their environments - that through the power of the human spirit, and small, concrete actions, anything is possible, and that true changes requires all types of people. Her recent book, Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World Without A Bullhorn, is a testament to this idea. In it, she lays out four activist archetypes - The Headliner, The Producer, The Organizer, and The Indispensable. All movements need all four types of activists, and everyone can find themselves in one or more of the archetypes. This view opens the door to anyone to participate, and the book gives concrete steps to take to figure out how to get involved in a way that leans in to each person's individual strengths.In a dark time, where hope can be hard to find, Ms. Williams brings a grounded sense of hope and possibility, along with actionable steps to changing our environments for the better.________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World Without A BullhornMs. Williams Podcast - Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Social Justice and How We Get FreeRegister for an Integrated Schools Book Club session!S10E2 – The Demands and Promises of Integration with John BlakeS11E9: The Containment: Michelle Adams on Northern Jim Crow 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.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video versions of our episodes.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] 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.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 The 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas declared that separate is inherently unequal. The Supreme Court declared that it was in the national interest for kids to learn together. And while progress towards that goal was slow, and often met with resistance, there was an opportunity in the decision to try to heal our nation from the extraordinary wounds caused by slavery, Jim Crow, and persistent separate and unequal opportunities for Black people. In many ways, 1974's Milliken v Bradley decision put an end to that potential. A tragic Supreme Court decision, that led Thurgood Marshall to write a powerful dissent, in which he says, "unless our children learn together, there is little hope that our nation will learn to live together and understand each other."Professor Michelle Adams has been studying the Milliken decision for many years, and just released a book about the case, called The Containment: Detroit, The Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North.  It's an easily digestible, incredibly compelling story about the power of ordinary people in Detroit who came together to fight for equal opportunity for all kids, and who came up against a court that codified White flight as tool to avoid integration into law. We are still dealing with the ripples of that decision today.Professor Adams joins us to discuss her life, the book, and why she cares so deeply about this decision. While the decision caused great harm, Professor Adams also provides us with hope. The book gives a more complete understanding of the history of the civil rights movement so we can start from a shared set of facts. This understanding can help us all demand that our children learn together, in high quality, fully funded, integrated public schools, because, as Professor Adams says, it's very hard to have a multiracial democracy without that.________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:The Containment: Detroit, The Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the NorthA review of The Containment by Jeffry Toobin at the New York Times (gift link)Complete audio from the Milliken v Bradley opinion, including the entirety of Justice Marshall’s dissent.Professor Adams first appearance on our show - S5E16 – Revisiting Not In My Suburbs: Milliken v Bradley @46Justice Marshall's dissenting opinion in MillikenPart 1 of our 3 part series on Keyes v Denver Public SchoolsUse 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 Every parent and caregiver wants a crystal ball. We want to see how the choices we make for our kids, from screen time to activities to where they go to school, will impact them when they're older. Choosing an integrating school can feel like a risky choice, and even if we believe that it is the right choice, both for our kids, and our community, it's easy for doubt to creep in.Susan, a White mom in Lancaster, PA, and her husband, made that choice for their son, Elias in kindergarten. When he was 15, he was at a track meet with schools from around the county, and recognized how many other schools were almost entirely full of White students. He took that moment to say thank you to his parents for the choices they made. He recognized all the benefits he had received from his integrated education, from a comfort in diverse spaces, to a deeper sense of community, to an appreciation for not being centered at all times.Susan and Elias join us to share their experience, what they've learned, and what they hope other parents, caregivers, and kids can take from their journey. LINKS:Choosing a school for my daughter in a segregated city - Nikole Hannah-Jones (gift link)Ep 2 - The Bordon FamilyThe Daunting Task of Staying Put - Susan's blog post on our site________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________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 Facebook, or email us [email protected] 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 We often talk about race as a social construct. We know that there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between. And yet, race obviously has real life impacts on people's lives. We have talked on the show in the past about the historical creation of race, and looked at the creation of Whiteness, particularly in relation to Blackness. Our guest today complicates this understanding both by asking us to acknowledge the ways race continues to be created and re-created, particularly in schools, and by asking us to consider the label of Latinx as a racial category rather than an ethnicity.Dr. Laura Chávez-Moreno recently wrote a booked called, How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Radicalization in America, in which she argues that schools play an important role in how society makes and remakes racial categories. Through an examination of two dual-language programs in the midwest, Dr. Chávez-Moreno studied the ways these programs reify ideas about racial identity and use what she calls an "imagined" Spanish, as a proxy for racial identification.The conversation complicates our understanding of racial categories, and highlights the ways that school could play an important role in moving beyond anti-racism and towards an anti-race society.________________Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our FREE guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that: Click here to download the guide now!________________LINKS:How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Radicalization in America - Dr. Chávez-Moreno's bookEpisode 13 - Hopes and Hazards of Dual LanguageICYMI: Seeing White - our overview of the podcast series from Scene on RadioS10E15 – Rebuilding The Black Educator Pipeline with Sharif El-MekkiS7E11 - A Framework for Antiracist Eduction - with a discussion of the CARE FrameworkZeus Leonardo, at UC Berkeley - After the Glow: Race ambivalence and other educational prognosesContact Dr. Chávez-MorenoUse 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The way we fund schools in this country often results in haves and have nots. We have some districts with immense wealth, often bordering districts that are severely under resourced. The work of creating more equitable funding formulae is important and ongoing. At the same time, we have district lines that make for school districts deeply segregated by race and class. The work of desegregating our schools is also important and ongoing. And yet, the people working on these two seemingly separate problems rarely work together. Brown's Promise was created to bring these conversations together with the belief that both are important, and neither can be solved without addressing the other. We will never equitably resource segregated schools, and school desegregation is a key tool towards providing equitable opportunity for all kids.Saba Bireda (who we met at our live show back in May), and Ary Amerikaner met working on these separate issues in the Obama administration. Their frustration with the slow pace of progress led them to start Brown's Promise early last year. Their work focuses on advocating for well-resourced, integrated schools that actually serve all of our children. From state level litigation to a policy agenda to a community engagement, Brown's Promise is committed to fulfilling the promise of the Brown v Board decision. Believing that separate is inherently unequal, they believe that giving all students an equitable education requires fully-funded, integrated schools for all.They join us to discuss their work, how parents and caregivers can get involved in advocacy work, and what the world might look like if we could solve these two, interrelated issues.LINKS:Brown's PromiseBrown's Promise State Policy AgendaBrown's Promise Research AgendaSee if there is a Brown's Promise engagement session near youOur live show for the 70th anniversary of Brown v BoardBeloved - Toni MorrisonHeather McGhee on our showDr. Shanette Porter on our showElizabeth McRea - The Mother's of Massive ResistanceDr. McRea on our show 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the wake of the election results, Dr. Val and Andrew sit down to reflect on what it means for ourselves, for the Integrated Schools movement, and for the institution of public education. 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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 EpisodeOur debrief episode discussing her original episodeWhite Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Nation’s DivideWe Are Not Yet Equal – a young readers version of White RageOne Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying Our DemocracyOne Person, No Vote - Young Reader's EditionThe 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 NAACPCharles Hamilton Houston – The first general counsel of NAACPPlessy 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 1965Shelby County v. HolderMothers of Massive Resistance – Dr. Elizabeth McReaGabriel’s RevoltThe Sum Of Us – Heather McGhee (also, hear her episode on our podcast)My Grandmother’s Hands – Resmaa MenakemThe Fisk Jubilee SingersMaceo SnipesUse 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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 PowellThe Fauquier Times on Dr. Mitchell's RetirementThe Progress Index on Rev. Powell's retirementRev. Dr. Grady Powell on the Teachers in the Movement PodcastWhose 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 MiseducationMs. Geroge's Racial Equity in Education Law and Policy ClinicChai Feldbum on Legislative LawyeringDerek Black - Schoolhouse BurningUCLA's CRT Forward Tracking ProjectCara McClellan - Challenging Legacy Discrimination: The Persistence of School Pushout as Racial SubordinationThe 1619 ProjectOur live show from MayDr. Leslie Fenwick on our showDr. Leslie Fenwick's Jim Crow's Pink SlipDr. Elizabeth McRae on our showDr. 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 ActionWe know that changing our thoughts is important, but reach change comes from changing our actions.Deep Learning and CuriostiyWe have to be curious about ourselves and about our community.StorytellingIt 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] 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] 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy