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.