The Appleseed Network, led by Texas Appleseed and New York Appleseed, recently hosted its inaugural webinar for our Virtual Roundtable Series. The event, titled “The Road to Integration: School Segregation and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Equity,” served as a catalyst for thought-provoking discussions and action-oriented conversations surrounding education equity and racial justice.
The webinar commenced with an overview presented by New York Appleseed’s Nyah Berg & Texas Appleseed’s Andrew Hairston shedding light on the enduring issue of school segregation and its impact on marginalized communities. It served as a reminder that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure educational opportunities are equitable for all.
Discussing Frameworks for Equity and Integration
Dr. Jennifer J Holmes, Professor of Educational Policy and Planning at University of Texas at Austin and co-author of the book Striving in Common: A Regional Equity Framework for Urban Schools, led a deep exploration of existing examples of regional equity frameworks and offered a strategic approach that school districts suffering from inter and intra-district segregation can utilize to drive positive change.
IntegrateNYC, a youth-led organization advocating for equity and justice in New York City schools, took the virtual stage to present their 5R framework for integration. Throughout their presentation, Melanie Rosas-Reyes & Kashaun Keller underscored the importance of student voices in shaping policies and practices related to education equity. By prioritizing the 5Rs of Real Integration – Race and Enrollment, Restorative Justice, Resources, Representation, and Relationships – IntegrateNYC demonstrated how transformative change can be achieved when student perspectives are at the forefront. The young people challenged attendees and viewers alike to think about how their own views about integration have evolved over time and encouraged everyone to engage in the ongoing public discourse about the subject, using the hashtag #RoadtoIntegration on social media.
The event concluded with an open Q&A session with those who attended the online event live, where attendees had the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and delve deeper into the topics discussed. By providing platforms such as these for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and actionable steps, we’re demonstrating play a pivotal role in the fight for justice and equality in education.
As the Virtual Roundtable Series progresses, the Appleseed Network remains steadfast in our mission to build bridges, empower communities, and drive systemic change. Moving forward, we will continue highlighting the historical challenges Appleseed justice centers across the world are tackling and exploring the innovative solutions they’re employing to tackle them.
See the full event below:
