Episode 13 of the Learning Grounds podcast featured my friend and community organizer Jolon McNeil who is working with the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana. Specifically, the project is looking to disassemble the state’s school-to-prison pipeline and making some good arguments about suspensions and expulsions along the way.
Jolon and I also let the conversation drift to reform efforts in general as they stand in New Orleans. Particularly poignant for me was Jolon’s response to my question, “What stories aren’t making it out of New Orleans?”
I’m posting the video for a couple reasons. First, Jolon makes reference to some elements that need to be seen to be understood. More importantly, this episode of the podcast was one of my favorites so far, and I think what Jolon has to say about communities, schools, and the way some reform efforts forget the relationship of the two is worth hearing/seeing.
I’ve posted the raw file (no editing), so apologies for the warts-and-all nature of it.
I couldn’t hear the person talking, I could only hear you. Is it my computer?