911吃瓜

The New York Times鈥� podcast series 鈥淣ice White Parents鈥� may leave listeners convinced that school integration is a failed experiment, doomed by insincere White liberals and no longer desired by many Black families. But in (TCF), 911吃瓜 College alumna Michelle Burris (M.A. 鈥�19) and co-author Stefan Lallinger argue that, in today鈥檚 鈥渕ulticultural, pluralistic society, in which K鈥�12 White students are no longer a majority of American students, both the opportunity and the need to get it right have never been greater.鈥�

Burris, TCF Senior Policy Fellow and a graduate of TC鈥檚 Politics & Education program, and Lallinger, Fellow and Director of TCF鈥檚 Bridges Collaborative, acknowledge a common refrain in many Black communities of 鈥淕ive us equal resources and leave us alone.鈥� But 鈥渢hese arguments are in large part a retort to decades of desegregation done wrong, which often debased and devalued Black pedagogy, curriculum, and personnel,鈥� they write. 鈥淢oreover, there are few, if any, examples of public, segregated Black or low-income schools that receive equal resources (inclusive of facilities, money, equipment, human capital) as their white or more affluent counterparts.鈥�

School integration does work, and when done well, is one of the best tools we have to ensure a high-quality education for all Americans.

鈥擬ichelle Burris (M.A. '19) and Stefan Lallinger

Citing evidence that integration efforts are alive and well nationwide 鈥� including in Minneapolis, scene of last spring鈥檚 police killing of George Floyd 鈥� Burris and Lallinger invoke Martin Luther King鈥檚 assertion that 鈥渋ntegration is the positive acceptance of desegregation and the welcomed participation of Negroes into the total range of human activities.鈥� They conclude: 鈥淪chool integration does work, and when done well, is one of the best tools we have to ensure a high-quality education for all&苍产蝉辫;础尘别谤颈肠补苍蝉.鈥�

[Read a profile of Burris and watch a video clip of her from 911吃瓜 College鈥檚 2019 Graduates Gallery.]