Joseph Allen

Dr. Jermaine Wilson was a student during the years understudy, 1971-1997. He was a student at Paul Robeson Classical Greek Magnet School and later Central High school which was a Computers Unlimited and Classical Greek Magnet School. He recalled the community concerns about bussing and taxi services used to bring students from outside the community to schools in the urban core. As a student, he contributed to desegregation by helping his white friends from other communities dispel their myths about the inner city.

Dr. Jesse Kirksey, an icon in the Kansas City Missouri School District, where she continues to provide leadership to teachers, students, and parents as Principal of Hartman School, experienced school desegregation as a teacher, principal, and Director of Elementary Education from 1971 to 1997. As director, her role was to prepare principals, teachers and community members for desegregation through implementing the court order. Teachers experienced unrest about losing their jobs to experts in areas related to the magnet themes.  Most of the community, both black and white, did not want to leave their schools.

Dr. Roger Williams, with his background in visual and performing arts, was instrumental in the development of the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet school in the district. He described the community as being suspicious about the use of Magnet schools designed to integrate schools due to the experiences of other districts with such initiatives.  He served as principal of the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts for nine years. He views integrated environments as opportunities to break down racial stereotypes.

Senator Yvonne Wilson served as a teacher, principal, and Director of Elementary Education in the Kansas City School District for 35 years and 11 years in the Missouri House and the Senate. She has experienced and seen a lot during the quest for integration of Kansas City Schools. Housing played a significant role in the integration of schools compounded by a school board that continued to draw out boundaries that created more segregation. The Senator views early education as a key element of academic success for students.

Dr. Vernon Howard, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), attended East High School, and gave student and community perspectives of school desegregation. His transition from Catholic schools to East High School in 1979 revealed that the expectations for high performance were less for students. Today, as president of SCLC and a pastor of a Black church, he believes that the role of community members should be to address civil rights issues related to the inequities in education.