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PODCAST

The Integrated Schools Podcast

Andrew Lefkowits, Val Brown, Courtney Mykytyn

Hosts, Andrew, a White dad from Denver, and, Val, a Black mom from North Carolina, dig into topics about race, parenting, and school segregation. With a variety of guests ranging from parents to experts, these conversation strive to live in the nuance of a complicated topic.

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

59:12

Using Stories to Inspire Change

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/11/05

What happens when over 600 educators, students, organizers, and advocates gather in community to center racial equity and storytelling? We found out at this year’s Color of Education Summit in Raleigh, North Carolina.In this episode, Andrew takes us inside the summit—hosted by the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity—to hear voices from across the state and country. From keynote speeches to hallway conversations, we witness the power of stories to connect, inspire, and catalyze

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47:23

Raising Antiracist Kids

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/10/22

We’re sharing a special crossover: Dr. Val and Andrew join Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs and Adam Jacobs, co-hosts of the Raising Antiracist Kids podcast, to talk about parents as partners in building antiracist school communities. We dig into why relationships—especially across lines of race and class—are core to any multiracial democracy, what it looks like for White families to show up without centering themselves, and how we nurture brave, durable school communities together. Along the way, we sit

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64:16

Identity and Purpose with Byron Sanders

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/10/08

What does it mean to truly know who you are—and how might that knowing shape what you give back to the world? In this episode, we’re joined by Byron Sanders—educator, CEO, community leader, and newly elected Dallas ISD school board member—for a vulnerable, expansive conversation about identity, purpose, and the responsibility that comes with our gifts.Byron shares a deeply personal story of finding his way from trauma to mission, from being driven by what he didn’t want to become to discovering a

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31:58

Season 12 Kick Off: What Now?

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/09/24

As we launch Season 12 of the podcast, Dr. Val and Andrew reflect on the start of the school year. With big personal transitions, and the country in a state of deep uncertainty, we ask, what now? How can we acknowledge the current state of eduction and find ways to act for justice.LINKS:Parents as Partners: Building Antiracist School Communities - Dr. Val and Andrew on the Raising Antiracist Kids PodcastBig, Beautiful Monstrosity . . . And a call to action - Blog post from this summer about the

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68:27

Eve Ewing Revisited

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/08/13

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism is the Integrated Schools Book Club pick for the fall. So we thought we'd revisit our episode with Dr. Ewing. If you've never attended Book Club, it's a wonderful to chance to chat with folks from around the country who are interested in school integration. We have small groups and great facilitators who make sure the conversation flows. Book Club is free! Register

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7:45

Big, Beautiful Monstrosity - and a Call to Action

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/07/06

The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill - a national school voucher plan. It's temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.LINKS: A blog post version of this episode. Visit our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.Join our Patreon to support this work, and

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30:17

Reflections on Season 11

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/06/11

As Season 11 comes to a close, we wanted to spend some time reflecting on the lessons we've learned from this season and what we hope for in Season 12. We'll be off for the summer with a few possible bonus episodes, and back for real in the fall. In the mean time, we want to express our deepest appreciation for a number of people who make this podcast run. Firstly, to all of our guests, thank you for joining us, for sharing your stories and your wisdom with us. Being in conversation with

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54:30

The Intersection of Private Decisions and Public...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/05/28

“Having my children in public school was something that I wanted to do with people in my community. It was a commitment that we were making together. And then when I saw folks leaving, it felt like a betrayal.” – Stephanie Foreman.Where we send our kids to school is, for many, a complicated decision. We struggle to weigh multiple factors- curriculum and teachers, diversity of the student body, the commute and hours, not to mention what role we want to play in supporting the institutions where our

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49:11

Advocating for Black Educator Wellness with Asia Lyons

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/05/14

“I hope that you know that I believe you, the community of listeners believes you, and that's good enough.” Dr. Asia Lyons Dr. Asia Lyons is the host of 'The Exit Interview: A Podcast for Black Educators' where she practices archival justice by sharing the stories of Black educators who have left the classroom. Her own journey to education and then out of the classroom led her work both on the podcast, and in creating intentional spaces of healing for Black educators. Dr. Lyons's

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54:36

Unearthing Joy: Gholdy Muhammad on Teaching with Love

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/04/30

"If we're not centering children’s humanity through love, there's no strategy, no professional book or instructional method in the world that can prepare the teacher to elevate the child." - Dr. Gholdy MuhammadIdentity, skills, intellectualism, criticality, and joy. These are the five pursuits that Dr. Gholdy Muhammad argues are key to education. Our educational system focuses most of its attention on skills while often overlooking the other pursuits to the detriment of all kids. All

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60:08

What Was Lost: Noliwe Rooks on The Failures of...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/04/16

“At its inception, in the courts, and as a project, integration was deeply contested and Black people were deeply divided about it. ” – Dr. Noliwe RooksThe common narrative about integration often frames it as a clear victory—a moment when American education finally confronted injustice. But Dr. Noliwe Rooks argues the reality is far more complicated. In her new book, Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children, she traces the history of Black education, showing how the pursuit of

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39:36

Finding Hope, Together

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/04/02

Last month, integration advocates from around the country gathered for the National Coalition on School Diversity's National Conference to discuss where we find ourselves in this difficult moment. From policy makers to researchers, school leaders to equity advocates, the conference featured many of the brightest minds focusing on how we build up and support an education system that serves all children well. Despite the challenges to education, especially public education, not to mention

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65:26

Schools and Race: Eve Ewing on the Construction of...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/03/19

Public education is touted as the bedrock of democracy, a leveler of playing fields, and our best tool to create active, engaged citizens. And while that vision is powerful, Dr. Eve L. Ewing argues that it was never intended to be those things for Black or Native students. In fact, her new book, Original Sins: The (MIs)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, maintains that schooling in America was created to prepare White kids for leadership, Black kids for

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58:53

Lies and Moral Deficiencies: Greg Jarrell on Whiteness

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/03/05

"To be White is, is to be raised on lies. Lies that are passed down, generationally that a lot of White folks don't always know that they're passing down." - Greg JarrellOur guest today, Greg Jarrell is an ordained minister, a cultural organizer and the author of Our Trespasses: White Churches and the Taking of American Neighborhoods. Through many years of building community while engaging in anti-racist learning, he has come to realize that he also has a stake in ending White supremacy, advancing

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48:02

Micro Activism: Making a Difference One Step at a Time

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/02/19

Omkari Williams believes deeply in the power of people to change their environments - that through the power of the human spirit, and small, concrete actions, anything is possible, and that true changes requires all types of people. Her recent book, Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World Without A Bullhorn, is a testament to this idea. In it, she lays out four activist archetypes - The Headliner, The Producer, The Organizer, and The Indispensable. All movements need all four

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58:25

The Containment: Michelle Adams on Northern Jim Crow

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/02/05

The 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas declared that separate is inherently unequal. The Supreme Court declared that it was in the national interest for kids to learn together. And while progress towards that goal was slow, and often met with resistance, there was an opportunity in the decision to try to heal our nation from the extraordinary wounds caused by slavery, Jim Crow, and persistent separate and unequal opportunities for Black people. In many ways,

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61:07

Gratitude and Validation: One Family's Journey...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2025/01/22

Every parent and caregiver wants a crystal ball. We want to see how the choices we make for our kids, from screen time to activities to where they go to school, will impact them when they're older. Choosing an integrating school can feel like a risky choice, and even if we believe that it is the right choice, both for our kids, and our community, it's easy for doubt to creep in.Susan, a White mom in Lancaster, PA, and her husband, made that choice for their son, Elias in kindergarten. When he was

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58:06

How Schools Make Race with Dr. Laura Chávez-Moreno

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2024/12/18

We often talk about race as a social construct. We know that there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between. And yet, race obviously has real life impacts on people's lives. We have talked on the show in the past about the historical creation of race, and looked at the creation of Whiteness, particularly in relation to Blackness. Our guest today complicates this understanding both by asking us to acknowledge the ways race continues to be created and re-created, particularly in

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60:24

Advocacy for Equitable Funding and Integration with...

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2024/11/27

Finding a school where your children can thrive, while avoiding contributing to the ongoing segregation we see today, can feel like a tough issue for socially conscious parents.Check out our guide on how you can start engaging with the education system to achieve just that - https://bit.ly/3V4wzz1 ---------------------------------------------------------- The way we fund schools in this country often results in haves and have nots. We have some districts with immense wealth, often bordering

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31:15

Reflections on the 2024 Election

The Integrated Schools Podcast ·

2024/11/13

In the wake of the election results, Dr. Val and Andrew sit down to reflect on what it means for ourselves, for the Integrated Schools movement, and for the institution of public education. Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further. Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org. The Integrated Schools

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