Schools & Youth

Jaisaan Lovett. Young Black boy smiles while standing behind podium wearing navy graduation cap and gown with yellow sash
Kenrya Rankin  Jul 6, 2018 10:21AM EDT

ICYMI: Black Valedictorian Denied Graduation Spotlight Gives Speech Anyway

Jaisaan Lovett is his school’s first Black valedictorian—but officials refused to let him speak at his graduation. So Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren gave him a bigger platform.
Brown people protest outside. One board cardboard sign reads, "I believe in affirmative action."
Kenrya Rankin  Jul 5, 2018 1:11PM EDT

Trump Administration Reverses Education Affirmative Action Policy

“This is a wholly political attack.”
A grid of summer books with titles like "sick," "if they come for us," "we built the wall," "assata taught me," and more
catherine lizette gonzalez  Jun 29, 2018 1:10PM EDT

The Must-Read Race and Culture Books of the Summer

From memoirs to poetry to fiction, these titles will deepen your understanding of what’s going on, inspire activism and even entertain the kids.
Judge orders Trump administration to end family separations at border and reunite separated families.
Alfonso Serrano  Jun 27, 2018 12:59PM EDT

Judge Orders Trump Administration to Halt Family Separations, Reunite Families

Federal judge says government was not prepared to accommodate separated children, calls for families to be reunited within 30 days.
Illustrated book cover depicting White children and adults in brown wagon in front of blue sky on green grass; sepia image of White woman in dark dress
Sameer Rao  Jun 25, 2018 3:22PM EDT

Library Group Removes 'Little House' Author's Name From Award For Racist Themes

The Association for Library Service to Children renamed the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in response to long-standing complaints about her books’ treatment of Indigenous and Black people.
catherine lizette gonzalez  Jun 22, 2018 12:06PM EDT

How You Can Support Detained Immigrant Families

From volunteering to organizing to donating, here are actionable steps you can take to support immigrants and asylum-seekers being prosecuted and detained by the United States government.
Brown young woman with two French braids wearing a maroon shirt holds a neon green sign that reads "Free the children."
Amanda Baran  Jun 21, 2018 11:22AM EDT

Why Trump's Move to 'Address' Border Separations Isn't a Victory [OPINION]

“For Trump to claim he is saddened by the family separation policy he created and to offer family detention as a benevolent act reeks of cynicism and hypocrisy.”
Donald Trump. White man sits at a table.
Kenrya Rankin  Jun 20, 2018 12:32PM EDT

Trump on Stopping Border Separations: 'I'll Be Signing Something In a Little While'

President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to sign an executive action that reverses his own directive to separate immigrant children from their families.
Brown woman wearing a teal shirt holds child wearing pink shirt. They are surrounded by men in uniforms.
Alfonso Serrano  Jun 20, 2018 11:14AM EDT

Babies, Preschoolers Held in 'Tender Age' Detention Centers

Amid public outcry over Trump’s family separation practice, doctors describe despondent young children at three Texas detention centers.
Brown protesters—including several children—hold signs and banners, including one that says "Families belong together."
Kenrya Rankin  Jun 19, 2018 1:59PM EDT

The Trauma of Separating Children From Their Parents

“The harm our government is now causing will take a lifetime to undo.”
Blue pencil case sits atop teal book with white cover, all sitting on a child's desk in a classroom; only the desk is in focus
Kenrya Rankin  Jun 18, 2018 2:39PM EDT

Separate, Unequal: 700+ Public Charter Schools Are Whiter Than Their Districts

From priority attendance zones to expensive uniforms to no-busing policies, a new report says that many charter schools are creating highly segregated, richly resourced schools.
Protests surge against Trump administration policy of separating immigrant children from parents.
Alfonso Serrano  Jun 18, 2018 1:27PM EDT

Outrage Surges Over Trump's Family Separation Practice

Critics assail “un-American” immigration policy, as House Republicans mull two measures that would dump billions into a southern border wall.
Brown statue depicting two women in front of black background
Sameer Rao  Jun 12, 2018 11:50AM EDT

Teachers Fight To Keep Pre-Colonial World History In AP Course

“You cannot tell my Black and Brown students that their history is not going to be tested and then assume that isn’t going to matter.”
Brown boy sits behind window covered with a black metal grate
Alfonso Serrano  Jun 6, 2018 10:53AM EDT

LISTEN: Jeff Sessions Defends Separation of Families at the Border

In a lengthy radio interview, Attorney General Jeff Sessions insists children are being treated properly and that unaccompanied minors have no moral right to legal representation.
United Nations calls on United States to end practice of separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Alfonso Serrano  Jun 5, 2018 11:38AM EDT

U.N. Calls on U.S. to Halt Family Separation at Mexico Border

The United Nations says children fleeing Central American violence warrant international protection.
Black woman in blue dress and wheelchair sits in front of Black women in black and grey dresses in front of black curtain
Sameer Rao  Jun 4, 2018 1:19PM EDT

West Virginia State University Honors Katherine Johnson With Statue, Scholarship

The mathemetician’s alma mater plans to endow the scholarship with $100,000 to support students seeking degrees in STEM.
DHS to require that sponsors claiming custody of immigrant minors be fingerprinted.
Alfonso Serrano  May 30, 2018 12:45PM EDT

Trump Administration to Fingerprint People Who Sponsor Immigrant Children

The announcement comes as federal officials admit they lost track of 1,475 children. Immigration advocates say fingerprint protocol will discourage parents from claiming children.
Donald Trump. White man sits at a table.
Kenrya Rankin  May 21, 2018 3:51PM EDT

White House Doubles Down on Trump's 'Animal' Remarks

“Too many innocent Americans have fallen victim to the unthinkable violence of MS-13’s animals.”
Migrants children
Alfonso Serrano  May 17, 2018 12:28PM EDT

Trump Administration Preparing to Hold Migrant Children at Military Bases

The plan would form part of a “zero tolerance” approach to border crossings, which is denounced by immigration advocates as emblematic of totalitarian regimes.
A young Black woman with long hair and glasses wears a white button-up shirt
Akiba Solomon  May 16, 2018 5:04PM EDT

We're Sharing the Work of the Late Student Journalist Bre'Aira Johnson Because She Can't

The Morgan State University junior made a video for her digital journalism class about how media treats Baltimore homicide victims, including her uncle, as statistics. Then she died in a car crash. Here is her final project, “Pain After Murder in ‘Bodymore.’”