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ProPublica finds former 'segregation academies' in NC that are receiving taxpayer money

After a Federal court ordered the desegregation of schools in the South, U.S. Marshals escorted a young Black girl, Ruby Bridges, to school at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, 1960.
U.S. Department of Justice
After a Federal court ordered the desegregation of schools in the South, U.S. Marshals escorted a young Black girl, Ruby Bridges, to school at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, 1960.

ProPublica has identified 39 likely “segregation academies” are still operating in North Carolina and that have gotten school voucher money. More than half of those have student bodies that are at least 85 percent white.

Guests:

-Jennifer Berry Hawes, is a reporter with ProPublica’s South hub who focuses on criminal justice, religion, race and the welfare of women and children

-Josh Cowen, a Professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University and the author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
Cole del Charco is an audio producer and writer based in Durham. He's made stories for public radio's All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. Before joining Due South, he spent time as a freelance journalist, an education and daily news reporter for WUNC, and a podcast producer for WFAE in Charlotte.