Can magnet programs lure affluent African-American families back to their neighborhood schools?
As a child, my predominantly African-American enclave in South Los Angeles seemed perfect with its hilly landscape, the view of the city, and the close relationships I had with my neighbors. But in my teens, reality set in and my perspective began to change.
Ryan Johnson
Weekends became my only chance to spend time with other kids like me. We all lived in the same middle-class neighborhood, yet we traveled all over the city for a good education. “Have car, will travel,” became my mother’s refrain. I would attend meetings of Jack and Jill—an African-American community service-based organization— and compare stories with my peers about balancing one-hour commutes with homework and extracurricular activities, and what it’s like to attend schools where there were very few people of color.
I wondered why couldn’t I attend my local public schools, what resources were they lacking, and why neighborhood parents were willing to commute so far?
My neighborhood, Baldwin Hills, may be primarily African American but it is socioeconomically diverse and is divided into two separate areas, the Dons and the Jungle. The Dons, where my family lives, is home to mostly black professionals and is sometimes nicknamed the black Beverly Hills