Compromised: The Black Educator's Fight for Equity

Compromised: The Black Educator's Fight for Equity highlights the overlooked stories and advocacy work of Black educators who drove the fight for integration and Brown vs. the Board of Education, yet faced disproportionate adverse outcomes relative to their white counterparts as school desegregation subsequently occurred absent their participation.

The movement for school integration was an essential force that would drive the broader Civil Rights Movement, offering the opportunity for Black communities, including parents, teachers, and administrators, to gather valuable organizing experience. The thought was that by having white and Black students share the same schools and resources, that an initial blow could be struck that would lead to the dissolution of American systemic racism. But while the victory of Brown v Board was rightly celebrated, the way that it was implemented, generally by all-white policy makers, saw Black schools closed, Black administrators demoted, Black teachers fired altogether, and Black students placed in hostile, traumatic situations far from their support networks. As white residents increasingly fled for the suburbs, once temporarily integrated schools changed to have predominantly Black student populations, only now the students were without anyone in a position of authority who looked like them, or shared their experiences and cultural knowledge. 

The way integration was implemented still reverberates in schools to this day; through whitewashed curricula, low rates of Black male teachers, further school closures rationalized by low test scores, and limited academic and employment opportunities for students, who often shoulder the blame for fault inherent to the American education system. Compromised: The Black Educator's Fight for Equity demonstrates the harm that can arise from well-intentioned policies implemented without including those most directly affected, and posits ways to correct the mistakes of the past and build educational institutions that serve every student. 

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FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "This film began as a simple exploration of educational inequity but quickly became something deeper. While researching and speaking with various Black educators, I realized that the true story lies with them.

While this film does not hold all the answers, I hope that it sparks reflection, conversation, and a deeper sense of responsibility. I hope it helps us all honor the Black educators who have not only sacrificed their very lives to advocate for children, but who continue to believe in the power of education, even when the system makes it difficult."