Beatrice Alexander was trying to give her children the best education. She fought tirelessly for integration and even sued Holmes County Board of Education, but didn't know it'd end up like THIS.
Desegregating schools wasn't the best move for us, and it continues to be harmful today.
#1: Our Teachers
Integration in schools meant our children were dispersed among several white schools, while many Black schools closed, and Black teachers and administrators were left high and dry.
This meant that the educators who inspired Black children and uplifted and advocated for them were gone.
#2: Our curriculums
School desegregation was less about the equality we wanted and more of a "second-class integration," as acclaimed Georgia educator Horace Tate once called it.
Instead of getting access to better learning materials, our children were forced into curriculums that were no longer infused with the truth about Black history or culture. We lost control of what our children learned.
#3: More Than Schools
Schools weren't the only institutions integrated. As we attempted to begin living in new neighborhoods, white supremacy used mortgage discrimination, redlining, and violence to keep us out.
The effects of integration manifest in terrible ways today, with a shortage of Black teachers and our people still facing discrimination during home-buying.
We must commit to controlling our education and futures in every way WITHOUT white institutions.