How School Segregation Leads to Inequitable Career Opportunities: An Interview With Nikole Hannah-Jones

Nikole Hannah-Jones is an award-winning New York Times investigative reporter and creator of the 1619 Project, and has done extensive research on school segregation. I had the honor of speaking with her about her research and perspectives on the intersection between segregation and career opportunities.

Rebekah Bastian: How does school segregation lead to an academic achievement gap, and how does that gap influence the career opportunities that people are set up to succeed in?

Nikole Hannah-Jones: There is a direct correlation between school segregation and the opportunity gap. Data shows that the more black kids there are in a school, the less likely schools are to offer high-quality instruction, Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes, and modern technology and facilities. These resources are disproportionately provided in white schools and not in black schools, and these are all the things that prepare students for college. Not surprisingly, students of color achieve different rates in standardized tests. And when they apply to colleges, they are competing against students who have a 4.3 on a 4.0 scale because of the weighted courses—such as AP and Honors—that they have had access to. If children are getting vastly different experiences, the entire notion of meritocracy is faulty...