In this recording, Diane Buxton interviews Chris Hardenbergh, a Hyde Park native who attended elementary and middle school in Roxbury. Chris, who was bused from the time he was in kindergarten, tells of his mother’s determination to support school integration, and the intimidation he faced from residents who threw rocks and bottles at passing buses.
In this recording, consultant Leslie “Skip” Griffin interviews community activist and former Boston Public School teacher Judith Baker on the segregation and endemic corruption in staffing she encountered during her tenure. Skip also contributes his experiences as an appointee of Judge W. Arthur Garrity in implementing the integration plan in Boston schools.
In this recording, special education teachers Will Yadron and Tiffany Woods speak about their experiences developing new curricula for students while demographics and funding continue to shift. Will and Tiffany address disparate test scores in underfunded schools. They also reflect on the unique challenges and pushback they faced in developing new opportunities for learning among students with specific educational needs and backgrounds.
In this recording, assistant principal Terry Batey and principal Sandra Shimon explore Terry’s evolution from a Chicago Public Schools student to an administrator. Terry shares his mission of improving student service, and Sandra recalls how Terry’s example shaped her approach to balancing the demands of staff and parents with the needs of students. Terry also examines how achieving educational equity requires growth among adults as well as students.
In this recording, teacher Ambar Rizwan talks to her brother Daanish Rizwan about their childhoods, and how representation impacted their respective career goals. They describe how their experiences in their majority-white school left them feeling isolated as people of mixed heritage. Both siblings share how their strict upbringing exacerbated feelings of isolation, and Ambar explores how these experiences inform her approach to teaching.
In this recording, creative partners and friends Cam Be and Andre “Add-2” Daniels discuss their educational journeys. Both attended private and public schools and moved around through different states and neighborhoods. Cam remembers being “bored” with school, and how movement hindered some of his ambitions. Add-2 recalls how the investment of teachers in their work directly impacted his interest in schoolwork.
In this recording, Tonia Reaves is interviewed by her daughter-in-law Robin Young about her childhood in a diverse school community. Tonia reveals how this integrated upbringing influenced her understanding of the world for both better and worse. Robin discusses how her schools were mostly homogenous until high school. Both remember certain instances where they felt singled out by white teachers for unequal punishment.
In this recording, friends Janise Wriddle and Sylester J. Miles recount their school experiences. Sylester, who was bused to school in his native Evanston, IL, remembers a diverse school environment, the nervousness he felt entering a white school, and the first grade teacher that helped boost his confidence. Janise discusses her realization of class differences in her school district when she made friends with wealthier students during high school.
In this recording, coach Dallas Anderson talks with his friend the superintendent of Summit, IL School District 217 Dr. William Toulios about the school’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dallas discusses his childhood in the Argo section of Summit; a vibrantly diverse community that opened him up to different cultures and experiences. Dr. Toulios speaks of the importance of dedicated figures like Dallas to achieving the school’s DEI objectives.
In this recording, Crispien Van Alest interviews his family friend Charles Kruner about the integration of schools in his native Lawndale section of Chicago. Kruner, a former teacher, remembers the use of stereotypes against Black students and families by white teachers and residents during the time. He discusses the struggle he faced in counteracting his co-workers’ belief that Black students were incapable of or uninterested in learning.
In this recording, city alderman Jeanette Taylor and teacher Angela Ross discuss persistent inequalities in Chicago public schools. Jeannette and Angela explore the differences in wealth and resources between schools on the North and South sides of Chicago, and the racial disparities that underlie these truths. They also examine the limited potential for children of color that comes from learning in restrictive and under-resourced environments.
In this recording, Elisabeth “Biz” Lindsay-Ryan and Suni Kartha discuss racial equity in Evanston, IL public schools. Suni, a former member of the school board, shares her mission to increase racial equity in schools, and the divide in fundraising between schools in the district. Biz, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, recalls her experiences with Suni to gather data on racial inequity to bring to the PTA and school board, and the resistance they faced.
