Full Breakdown
Nikole Hannah-Jones Reflects on Her Daughter’s Education Experiment
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Sending Najya to Struggling Brooklyn Schools
In 2015, journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones enrolled her only child, Najya, in two low-income Brooklyn public schools—PS 307 and the Urban Assembly Unison middle school—despite having the financial means to choose a higher-performing institution. Hannah-Jones framed the decision as a “sacrifice” intended to challenge systemic racism and encourage other families of privilege to do the same. Over the ensuing years, Najya fell behind academically, prompting a heated confrontation that led Hannah-Jones to allow her daughter to transfer to a more rigorous high school, where she required intensive tutoring to catch up.
Background & Context
Hannah-Jones rose to national prominence through the New York Times’ 1619 Project. Her own schooling included a busing program that moved her from Iowa to a less segregated school, followed by degrees from Notre Dame and UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2016 she published an essay explaining why she would place Najya in “deeply segregated” schools with poor funding, a piece that went viral and sparked debate about race and education.
Data & Statistics
- PS 307 (Brooklyn): 56 % Black enrollment; 19 % of students met state English standards in 2016; nearly 40 % classified as having special needs.
- Urban Assembly Unison (Brooklyn): 69 % Black enrollment; 40 % met state standards in 2024, compared with 55 % citywide for middle schools; about one-third of students have special needs.
Timeline
- 2015 – Najya begins attendance at PS 307.
- 2024 – State-standard performance data released for Urban Assembly Unison.
- September 2026 – Hannah-Jones releases a follow-up essay admitting regret and describing Najya’s academic gaps.
- July 3 2026 – Hannah-Jones speaks at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
- September 13 2026 – She attends the world premiere of the HBO series “Jay Z in 8.”
Official Statements & Responses
She expressed “overcome with regret” and acknowledged that Najya “deserved better.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “We thought by sending Najya to a mostly low-income and Black school, we could help improve it for all the children there,” — Nikole Hannah-Jones
- “Najya was asking what I’d accomplished by not choosing the ‘best’ school for her,” — Nikole Hannah-Jones
- “Did you know my school was bad like this when you decided to put me here?” — Najya
What’s Next
Najya, now a junior in high school, continues to receive personalized tutoring to address gaps in fundamental skills. No further public statements from Hannah-Jones about additional educational plans have been reported.
