The other injustice in Ferguson: Schools are closed

The other injustice in Ferguson: Schools are closed

S. Mitra Kalita:

The list of closures affects schools that are rich and poor, black and white, emblematic of districts that are more segregated today than before Brown vs. Board of Education. Indeed, after this summer’s shooting and ensuing protests, two prominent scholars on race and education called Ferguson “a reality check for anyone ignoring the changing racial demographics of our suburbs and the need to work toward sustainable, racially diverse suburban communities and schools.”

That makes the closure all the more despairing. Why fret over big-box stores staying open but not our schools? The National Guard arrived in Ferguson last night presumably to keep calm in the streets. Would it not send an even more powerful message for those officers to guarantee the safe passage of thousands of children to school?