The historically black boarding academy in Mississippi is a model worth seeking to emulate.
It’s no revelation that Dixie has long lagged other parts of the country—be it economically, educationally or otherwise—or that Mississippi has long been the region’s poster child for underachievement.
A defining feature of Mississippi’s past was its violent and persistent opposition to black civil rights. It’s where 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched in 1955. It’s where segregationists rioted over black Air Force veteran James Meredith’s attempt to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962. During Jim Crow, Mississippi’s black voter-registration rate was the lowest in the region.
The good news is that Mississippi, which is home to the highest percentage of black residents of any state, has made admirable strides, especially regarding educational achievement. Ten years ago, it ranked 49th among fourth-graders in reading proficiency on the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Currently, it ranks ninth. Among low-income students, it ranks first. Among black students, it ranks third. Bravo.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the Wall Street Journal (paywall)
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Jason L. Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a columnist at The Wall Street Journal, and a Fox News commentator. Follow him on Twitter here.
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