Dr. Leslie Fenwick gave the Diane Silvers Ravitch Lecture at Wellesley College a few weeks ago. It was just posted online. Dr. Fenwick is the Dean Emeritus at Howard University. She began her career as a teacher. Among her current affiliations: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the National Museum of African American History at the Smithsonian, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.
Dr. Fenwick spoke about the after-effects of the Brown decision on Black professionals. When Southern states were compelled to integrate, tens of thousands of Black teachers and principals were fired and replaced by white teachers and principals with lesser qualifications. She documents these events in her new book Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership. It is really the “untold story of the disappearance of Black principals and teachers.”
Dr. Fenwick was the runner-up to Miguel Cardona in the Biden administration’s selection of Secretary of Education. She is a strong supporter of experienced teachers, experienced principals, and well-resourced public schools. She is critical of corporate reform. After watching this lecture, you should watch her dissect corporate reform in this one, “Looking Behind the Veil of School Reform.” It is the country’s loss not having her at the helm now, speaking out eloquently and forcefully against ignorance, bigotry and greed.
In a week or so, this lecture will be posted on the archive of online lectures at the college, including this lecture series, which has included internationally renowned scholars such as Pasi Sahlberg and Yong Zhao.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“when Southern states were compelled to integrate, tens of thousands of Black teachers and principals were fired and replaced by white teachers and principals with lesser qualifications.”
Maybe they should have demanded their FULL and EQUAL share of state education funding and opened charter schools. Many school districts are still–in reality–segregated today.
Does anyone know today’s relative spending per student by race in those select NY public schools versus the majority Black schools?
In my last sentence I meant “…those select NY CITY public schools…”
“when Southern states were compelled to integrate, tens of thousands of Black teachers and principals were fired and replaced by white teachers and principals with lesser qualifications.”
That is precisely what happened when New Orleans in the South used Hurricane Katrina to privatize its schools.
Yep.
If Dr. Fenwick taught in Florida, DeSantis would have fired her for saying that in a lecture.
Dr Ravitch, I think your readers would appreciate knowing how to access the videos of prior years’ speakers in your endowed lectures. Many thanks.
Book lady,
Here is the link to the speakers at the prior lectures in the Ravitch series. Wonderful speakers!
https://www.wellesley.edu/education/recent-events/diane-silvers-ravitch-lecture-series