Photo: Getty Images
Nikole Hannah-Jones’ decision to send her daughter to predominantly Black, high-poverty public schools has sparked a debate about the choices Black parents face when academic opportunity and cultural connection do not always come together.
In a New York Times Magazine essay published Sunday (September 20), Hannah-Jones reflected on the decision she and her husband made when their daughter, Najya, was young.
The piece comes a decade after Hannah-Jones first wrote about choosing to send Najya to a high-poverty, predominantly Black Brooklyn public school rather than a higher-performing school in a more affluent, predominantly white neighborhood.
They hoped keeping her in New York City’s segregated public school system would allow them to challenge the inequities affecting Black students. But Najya, now 16, told her mother she felt she had missed out academically. Although she had been an honors student, Hannah-Jones ultimately acknowledged that her daughter had been denied some of the educational opportunities she deserved. And when Najya entered a more rigorous high school, she realized she was academically behind many of her new classmates.
“So you had money to send me to one of the best schools, and you chose not to?” Najya asked her mother during one argument, according to the essay.
The essay has prompted a range of reactions, including praise for Hannah-Jones’ willingness to publicly examine a decision that affected her daughter.
Journalist Coleman Hughes wrote on X that “most writers don't admit to mistakes, much less publicize them so that we can all benefit,” calling the essay powerful while noting that he disagrees with some of Hannah-Jones’ views.
D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson similarly wrote, “There is soooo much to unpack. I appreciate NHJ’s vulnerability here because this is tough!”
One X user argued that the dilemma leaves Black families without an easy answer, suggesting Hannah-Jones could have faced criticism if she had instead sent her daughter to a predominantly white private school and her daughter experienced racism.
“There are no good choices for Black families,” the user wrote.
Black organizer Johnetta Elzie responded: “This can't be it.”
Mona Davids, who spent nearly two decades advocating for Black and Brown students in New York City public schools, argued that Hannah-Jones’ experience also raises questions about the families who cannot afford to offset educational gaps with private schools or tutors.
On The View, co-host Sunny Hostin offered her own experience as a Black parent. Hostin said she chose a predominantly white private school for her children, where they excelled academically but experienced racism, bullying and struggles around their identities.
“So while they didn't suffer academically, they excelled,” Hostin said. “They suffered a different type of pain.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.