BATON ROUGE—”The Great Equalizer? How Policy Cemented Educational Inequity” will discuss how landmark Supreme Court rulings in the Plessy v. Ferguson and, subsequently, Brown v. Board of Education cases continue to shape the values of the American education system. Join the discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 3:30 p.m. CT by registering on Eventbrite.

Season three of Racism: Dismantling the System focuses on the 125-year anniversary of Plessy v. Ferguson and its “separate but equal” doctrine. The effects of this doctrine filter into every aspect of society. The episode will feature experts in education and policy to explore the education system’s role in perpetuating inequity and the results of longstanding policy decisions meant to subvert equal opportunity in communities of color.

LSU’s first Black undergraduate student A.P. Tureaud Jr. will serve as a panelist in the discussion. Tureaud’s father was integral in fighting for desegregation in Louisiana. LSU junior and Chief of College Councils Xavier Kent will moderate the event.

“I think it is important to dispel the narrative that education provides all students a level playing field,” said Kent. “In this episode, panelists will provide background on how the education system allows inequalities to persist, and what we can do to shed light on the issues that remain within American education.”

The LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs will host the episode in partnership with Southern University and A&M College’s Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences, Louisiana Budget Project, NAACP Louisiana State Conference, and the LSU Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Panelists include:

• Xavier Kent, Moderator, Chief of College Councils, Louisiana State University Student
• Erica Frankenburg, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights at Penn State University
• Albert Samuels, Ph.D., Chair of Department of Political Science, Southern University
• A. P. Tureaud Jr., Board Member, Plessy & Ferguson Foundation

 

The series will be hosted on Zoom and broadcast live on the Louisiana Budget Project’s Facebook page. Admission is free, but you must register in advance on Eventbrite to receive the Zoom meeting access code. Previous episodes are available for viewing on the Manship School’s YouTube channel. For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.