It was a humid, overcast day on May 17th, the 65th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Supreme Court decision that mandated schools across the country to desegregate. New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world, yet segregation is extremely pervasive across broad lines.
“Segregation is a huge issue that New York City has not addressed and dealt with for the past 65 years,” said co-founder of Teens Take Charge Nelson Luna, addressing the press following the meeting they and other allies had with key policymakers within the city, like the chancellor of the Department of Education Richard Carranza and city councilmen Mark Treyger (D-47) and Brad Lander (D-39).
Noticeably absent from this meeting was Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was invited to the meeting by the activist group. He was in Iowa campaigning for president.
Out of all the proposals that were brought forth, including ones that seek to transform admissions practices to high schools, the only one that was committed to was keeping updated information in high school directories that are provided to middle school students city-wide.
“It is so basically fundamental to what the directory’s job [should be],” said Coco Rhum, policy director for Teens Take Charge.
One of the reasons for the tentative commitments was that the economic connotations for the proposals (i.e. laptops for each student and more guidance counselors at under-performing schools) need to be reviewed. The city was promised 11.3 billion dollars in school aid from the state as part of the finalized budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year. It could take some time for agreements to be made on how to implement the policies that were proposed.
But some feel that the changes the city’s public schools need shouldn’t have to wait. Jorge Morales, formerly the policy director turned adult advisor for Teens Take Charge, believes that changes can start being made by the next admissions year. “We know that there’s a problem,” he said. “[Students] can’t be waiting for that long.”
Councilman Lander pledged support to desegregating NYC public schools as a graduate of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, who attended during its own desegregation experiment. “Diversity and integration, it improves outcomes for all, it does not hurt schools, that is outrageous,” he said, addressing the activists.
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families also lent their support to Teens Take Charge. Jean Hon, the communications and outreach coordinator reiterated the push back against the ‘model minority’ myth. “[It] has been used as a wedge to justify racist rhetoric, and pits communities against each other.”
Jenny Bueno, an activist with Teens Take Charge addressed the absent mayor during the press conference: “It is very unfortunate that you’re running for president if you can’t fix our New York City schools.” She went on to remind him that some of his prospective voters are the very students at the meeting. “If you really want us to vote for you” she said, “you need to integrate our schools.”
“We’re fighting,” said co-founder Whitney Stephenson, the other co-founder of Teens Take Charge. “Are you gonna fight with us?”
Their next step? Teens Take Charge will still move forward with holding the mayor to the June 26th deadline to approve of a comprehensive plan to academically, racially and socioeconomically integrate the city’s 480 public schools through a demonstration. As the director for Direct Action phrased it: “Whether [the demonstration is] a celebration, a protest, a rally, that is completely up to the [Department of Education] to decide.”
