 Dear reader,
With outrage rising over the killing of George Floyd, I thought back to my time with Michael Walker, director of the Minneapolis Public School’s Office of Black Student Achievement, during a trip to Minnesota five years ago. On my visit, I watched as Walker encouraged students to share their feelings of despair in response to an earlier spate of fatal police shootings of unarmed black men. Former President Barack Obama had encouraged new funding and programs like this one as a way to close the achievement gap and improve the lives of young black and brown men.
Much momentum has been lost with the new administration, but I was heartened to find that Walker is still at it, and I asked him to write about what’s happening now that the coronavirus has shuttered schools and his students are out protesting. It’s one of the many stories we bring you this week, along with a plea for HBCUs to reopen, a tale of trying to turn around a New Orleans school in a pandemic, an exploration of how to restart the economy without childcare, and much more. As always, we love hearing from you.
Liz Willen, Editor
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 Main Idea |
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"The events we are facing today are about a far broader, more systemic problem. We are pushing for the end of police brutality, but we are also addressing disparities that affect black people negatively: educational outcomes, homeownership, employment rates and access to appropriate health care."
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Reading List
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Delaying enrollment, slowing to part time lower the odds of ever getting a degree.
For all the talk of getting America back to work, the reality remains the same: Many working parents won’t come back if they don’t have somewhere safe for their kids.
A Louisiana school that had seen academic gains under a new principal has struggled simply to make contact with its students
Americans seek educations that take months, not years, to help them find new jobs fast.
Historically black college's vice president pens letter to students, knowing they are 'not OK' and need the safety and security of campus.
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Solutions
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"Communal trauma:” Counselors help students combat stress amid pandemic ," The Notebook
This week’s solutions section came from SolutionsU powered by Solutions Journalism Network and their database of solutions journalism. Search for more solutions.
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