On June 17, Bank Street College welcomed Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning creator of The 1619 Project, for a Juneteenth discussion as part of the College’s Building for Education and Democracy (BEAD) series.
Hosted by Bank Street’s Public Engagement and Research Initiative (PERI), the event titled “Lifting Our Voices Toward Education and Democracy: A Juneteenth Conversation” brought together educators, alumni, and other community members for a discussion with Hannah-Jones alongside Tracy Fray-Oliver, Vice President, Bank Street Education Center, about the connections between education, democracy, and social justice.
To begin, Shael Polakow-Suransky, GSE ’00, President, Bank Street College, presented opening remarks in recognition of Juneteenth. He shared that, following the publication of The 1619 Project, the College drew on Hannah-Jones’ work as an opportunity to reflect on questions of history, culture, and power, and to examine how these influence the institution and community.
Polakow-Suransky also emphasized the role of educators in engaging students with history in its full complexity rather than avoiding difficult truths. “A country does not protect its children by keeping its history from them,” he said. “It only leaves them less able to understand the world they are about to inherit.”
Next, Kim McLeveighn, Director of Student Learning Support, Bank Street Graduate School of Education, and her daughter, Kira Helper, SFC ’08, led a powerful vocal performance of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” before Hannah-Jones and Fray-Oliver began their conversation. Written in 1900 by early civil rights leader James Weldon Johnson and his brother, composer J. Rosamond Johnson, the song became known as the Black National Anthem, inspiring generations with its message of freedom, hope, resilience, and justice.
“At Bank Street, we have long believed that education can help build a more just society. That is a belief that sits at the heart of our work and one that feels especially important in this moment,” said Fray-Oliver. “Through her reporting, writing, and scholarship, Nikole Hannah-Jones has challenged this country to grapple more honestly with its history and to confront the distance between our democratic ideals and our democratic realities.”
During the conversation, Hannah-Jones explored the gap between America’s democratic ideals and lived realities, noting that the experiences of Black children in schools offer important insights into the health of the nation’s democracy.
“A societal commitment to democracy is shown in the way we treat our minorities,” said Hannah-Jones as she acknowledged a range of people, including ethnic and racial minorities, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and others.
Reflecting on her article titled “Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City” (New York Times Magazine, 2016), she also discussed school integration in New York City and noted that segregation and inequality are deeply rooted in structural problems.
The discussion further examined the limitations of individual agency, highlighting that agency alone is not enough to address structural racism and inequities. Hannah-Jones spoke about the need for more collective action and the responsibility of progressive institutions to advance meaningful change. She concluded with reflections on leadership, emphasizing the importance of self-care, particularly for Black women who continue to lead, build, and serve.
Attendees then transitioned to dinner and a community-building activity focused on a dialogue of hurt and hope and shared values. The exercise invited participants to connect these reflections to themes raised by Hannah-Jones and consider how challenging moments can be transformed into opportunities for mindful response and agency.
“Bank Street was proud to host our third BEAD event and create space for dialogue and reflection in celebration of Juneteenth,” said Amy Stuart Wells, Chief Research Officer, PERI. “We appreciate our community’s engagement and solidarity as we continue to deepen our shared commitment to education as a means to build a more just and democratic world.”