One school's fight to empower Black children

Akeem Brown: Looks good. Looks good. Looks good. First day of school, excited. I’m so excited. I’ve been getting up testing myself for the past two weeks now, making sure I can get up early.

Trymaine Lee: On a muggy Monday morning in late August, on San Antonio’s east side, Akeem Brown is a state of constant motion. Running from building to building at the charter school he founded, Essence Preparatory Public School.

Brown: For now I’m going to just check on everybody. See how everybody’s feeling. They have everything they need. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. How you feel?

Archival Recording: I’m good, how are you.

Brown: You good, you ready?

Archival Recording: Yes.

Brown: All right. All right. All right.

Lee: As Akeem greets the staff and teachers you could feel the excitement. That’s because Essence Prep isn’t just opening its doors for the first day of this school year, it’s opening its doors for the first time ever.

Brown: So our teachers are doing their best to get ready. It’s very difficult for us because we literally were moving in on Thursday and Friday of last week. Got out temporary certificate of occupancy on Friday morning. So cutting it very close.

Lee: Essence has about 100 students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade. Eventually they plan to serve grades K-8. Essence is free and open to all students in San Antonio. But Akeem had a particular group in mind when he set out to open the school. The Black and brown children of the city’s east side,

San Antonio is less than 7 percent Black but here on the east side, Black folks are about a quarter of the population. Another two-thirds are Hispanic. Over 30 percent of adults on the east side have less than a high school diploma. And 60 percent of the students in the east central independent school district, which serves a lot the east side, are economically disadvantaged.

The state has given the district a C rating when it comes to student achievement.

Brown: I am just really excited, can’t wait to see all those faces. Those beautiful smiles on students who have been waiting, waiting, waiting to be in an environment that we’re trying to provide and we will provide. And that’s a comfortable, safe belonging space where we affirm the identity of every child.

Lee: Akeem’s energy is contagious and necessary. The first day of school isn’t exactly what he dreamed of. Essence is in temporary portable buildings and they’re still waiting on some essentials.

Archival Recording: Is there a printer in this building?

Brown: No, it won’t be until tomorrow but there’s a printer that’s being delivered right now in the first building. It’s being delivered right now. I just need to follow up on that.

Lee: But setbacks like this seem minor because for a while it seemed like Essence may never get the chance to open at all after it got dragged into the Conservative uproar over how schools talk about race and history.

Archival Recording: In September Governor Greg Abbott signed into a law a bill banning the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 public schools.

Archival Recording: A teacher may not teach that an individual by virtue of the individual’s race or sex is apparently racist, sexist or oppressive.

Archival Recording: Scholars say critics have it all wrong.

Archival Recording: Critical race theory is definitely not about teaching white kids that they’re inherently racist.

Lee: Last year, as Essence Prep was going through its approval process a quote on the school’s website and application drew the ire of state lawmakers. It was from Ibram X. Kendi and it read, “The opposite of racist isn’t not racist, it is anti-racist.” It kicked off a flood of criticism against the school and put Essence’s charter approval in danger.

Brown: We were waiting for about five to six months after every other charter school in the State of Texas last year to sign our contract because of the battle of critical race theory.

Lee: Against the odds, Akeem made it here to the first day of school. All the teachers and staff are wearing black t-shirts that say “Essence Prep” in white letters. And they’re having a little dance party to get ready.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Lee: As Akeem steps outside the school, he looks out to the students and parents waiting at the steps. He wanted to make the first day extra special so the walkway leading up the building is lined with balloons to celebrate the day.

Brown: Hey, guys. Hey, how are you? You ready? No. Well I’m going to give you what maybe seven minutes to get ready, OK? Good to see you.

Lee: Akeem and other staff line up to greet the new students. Some are walking in with their parents, and some are coming off the school bus.

Brown: How are you, mom? How are you, dad? What’s up my friend? Can I hug you? Is that OK?

Archival Recording: Yeah.

Brown: Good to see you.

Archival Recording: They’re on the bus.

Brown: I was about to say, the boys are on the bus.

Archival Recording: They’re on the bus.

Brown: We verified, OK. How are you, ma’am?

Archival Recording: All righty, you?

Brown: Akeem Brown, nice to meet you. First grade? Well we excited. We got you. We got you in just a few minutes. Nice to meet you, I’m your Superintendent, Mr. Brown. Let me know if you need anything, all right. Yes, ma’am.

Lee: The kids are dressed in their uniforms. Red polos with black or khaki pants.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Lee: Iris Daniels (ph) is here to drop off her son for his first day of kindergarten. She was drawn to Essence for its commitment to the community.

Iris Daniels (ph): It’s beautiful that they get to experience it, you know, within their culture, within their background and seeing people that look like them, you know, and doing great things and helping them become great as well. It’s a beautiful thing.

Lee: Iris’s (ph) husband, Drae (ph), is also looking forward to the year ahead.

Drae Daniels (ph): I’m just excited about it, him being in kindergarten and getting into great habits early off. Getting strong mentors and leaders here. The staff is impressive. It doesn’t matter what the building is, what they’re doing inside of it and from inside of them giving to these children, that’s what’s important to me.

Lee: I’m Trymaine Lee. And this is Into America. The first day at Essence Prep, a new school that dares to dream big. We tag along to see that dream in action. To learn why the political battle over the teaching of race and history almost derailed that dream and see how hard they had to fight to get to this moment.

Brown: 8:45 is when the first bell is supposed to ring.

Lee: As the first day of Essence Prep gets underway, kids and parents are taking photos and finishing breakfast.

Brown: For the first few days they’re going to be coming up with chants for their classrooms. As you see they’re all named after historically Black colleges and universities or Hispanic serving institutions. And so they’ll be learning more about their schools, building that camaraderie. Learning more about their cohort.

You guys be safe, 4:30 pick-up, let us know if you need anything.

Lee: Akeem is one those people who’s impressive right off the bat. He’s 30-years old and while San Antonio is home now, he’s originally from Brooklyn and attended an HBCU in South Carolina.

Brown: I’m a proud graduate of the South Carolina State University. The illustrious South Caroline State. A little smaller Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Lee: After graduating in 2014, Akeem moved back to New York and was working in local politics. But his college mentor suggested he check out an opportunity in San Antonio.

Brown: Her son was running a city council race on the east side of San Antonio, so, Trymaine, what was only supposed to be two weeks, I was only supposed to come to San Antonio, help the brother out, I fell in love.

Lee: So even though it seemed like it’s a world apart and a couple thousand miles away, I have to imagine, did you see similarities in the environments of like Brooklyn and the way kids were coming up. Black kids especially were coming up in east San Antonio?

Brown: Of course. Of course, the neglect was there, right. This under support of Black and brown communities was reflective of what I saw in Brooklyn. This vast disproportionate economic growth that was happening everywhere but the east side of San Antonio. But one difference is San Antonio a younger city in regards to movement and economic growth. And so we can try to prevent some of those disparities if not all of them that we see across the country.

Lee: How do you go from heading down to Texas, dipping you toe into politics, you’re supposed to be in and out, help this brother win and be out back to Brooklyn. But then you had this idea for a school. How did you arrive at like this is the solution to some of the issues that I’m seeing?

Brown: Yes, you know, I’ve always had and I’ve always been inspired since childhood to open my own school. So I attended a school in New York with the name Essence, that was my middle school. It had an impact on me that was immeasurable. I remember my teachers, the principal, the assistant principal and what it did to inspire me to learn.

Lee: Akeem’s experience at Essence in Brooklyn stayed with him. When he got to San Antonio, he noticed right away that schools in some parts of the city, the whiter parts, seemed better funded and had better ratings from the state than schools on the east side.

Brown: So, I wanted to build a school that had a proven track record of success, with students who live and will ultimately improve the East Side of San Antonio.

Lee: Akeem knew he wanted his school to be public, free and open to all students. So he decided to found a charter school and call it Essence, after the school he went to back in New York. Charters are public schools that receive local and state funding, but they’re independently run so they have more leeway in developing a specific mission and tailor curriculum.

Around two years ago Akeem started having conversations with folks in his community about what the chartered mission should be. He kept reaching out to more and more people, and by the time Akeem submitted the charter application for Essence Prep, the team had consulted 490 parents and over 60 students.

Brown: It’s truly a for us, by us model. And it was created to meet (ph) the education, social and emotional needs of all children, but we recognize holistically that the children that we represent, Black and Brown children, they have been historically under supported

Lee: Parents told Akeem that one way they felt their kids could be better supported would be to have more teachers who looked like them, at East Central (ph) independent school district which covers a large portion of the East Side, less than 8 percent of fulltime teachers are Black.

Akeem took that to heart, and now here at Essence Black teachers make up a majority of the staff. Another key mission of the school is to make sure students feel affirmed, and for the teachers and staff to really get to know what’s going on in the lives of their students.

Brown: You have to one, make the child feel comfortable and safe in a space that he or she can become who they really want to become and free in their own skin. I think we, educators, have learned the techniques and the skills a little backwards. We are trying to get them to meditate, diffuse the situation, unpack so many serious issues. But before they can do that, they have to feel comfortable. They have to feel affirmed.

Lee: As students and parents continue to trickle in before class, Akeem tells us about some of the hardships his community is going through.

Brown: Recently, right, we have had a lot of shootings, we’ve had a lot of unfortunate murders in our community, and some of our students are impacted by that. Neighbors, friends and parents, we have kids who’ve lost their dads, lost their moms, unfortunately. And so --

Good morning, good morning. Welcome.

No, you’re fine.

Those incidents, they are what we’re challenged by, and parents notify you.

Lee: Not long after, a young boy, not more than eight years old walks up to the building with is mother.

Brown: Good morning. Oh, my boy, how are you?

I was going to cry. I literally was like, I swear to you, Mau (ph), I was about to cry if you didn’t come. I’m so happy to see you, you know that? All right. You going to go take a photo, and then you’re going to go to class.

That’s one of our children who lost their dad, just lost their dad two weeks ago. So, and I mean that, seeing him is going to make me cry, because this is the type of space he needs right now.

Lee: This interaction right here, this is a big part of why Akeem started Essence Prep. As the rest of the students trickle in, Principle Jennipha Ricks heads into the administration building to check-in with staff.

Jennipha Ricks: About to do these announcements. I need to attach to the Wi-Fi, so it won’t dip on me.

Archival Recording: (INAUDIBLE).

Ricks: Yes, ma’am.

Lee: Principal Ricks sits down next to a big boxy contraption in the corner of the room, still partly wrapped in plastic, fresh out the box. It’s a brand-new PA system, and she starts the morning off with a song.

Archival Recording: Stay in school. I love school. Whatever you do, stay in school. I love school. I love to be the best I can be.

Ricks: All right, good morning, good morning, Essence Prep. This is your Principal Ms. Ricks, and I will be making sure that I’m coming around to see all of your beautiful faces this morning. So please, take a minute and stand for our pledge. All right, all right, here we go scholars and staff. So here at Essence Prep Public School, remember our mission is that we are developing leading agents of change --

Lee: The way Principal Ricks addresses her students as scholars is intentional.

Ricks: Because they are, they are. We do have high expectations, and one of the sayings that I grew up with is, you know, it’s not who others say you are, it’s what you answer to. And by calling our student scholars, that lets them know that they’re esteemed, that they’re of high value, that they matter, that they’re important, that they’re relevant. And so we want to make sure that we instill that in them. Because when you instill those high expectations into those scholars, they will rise to that. They will.

Lee: But nothing about getting this school started has been easy. And the simple decision to call students scholars was part of a long string of frustrations that almost made these morning announcements not possible.

Charter schools had been on the rise in Texas for years, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy process. A charter school organization in San Antonio told Into America that only a small fraction of schools that apply eventually open. But Akeem knew he had something special.

By early 2021 Akeem submitted the nearly 500-page application to the Texas Education Agency. It outlined their community goals, their academic standards and rigor, and the framework for how to be culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of their students.

Brown: This application was 478 pages, and then we presented that application to the state of Texas. We heard back from the state in a week that we passed with flying colors.

Lee: The next step was an interview with the Education Agency and State Board of Education. The meeting lasted nearly two hours, and Akeem says it went well. Except for one moment that still sticks with him.

Rebecca Bell- Metereau: OK, I wanted to ask a question, and this might sound sort of like knit picking, but it is based in research. Because, you know, we have a generation of children that everybody gets a trophy, you know? And it’s just this kind of inflation of rewards, and in particular calling student scholars, this is one of the things that is recommended but I think that it actually muddies students' understanding, and there’s another --

Lee: This is State Board Member Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a Democrat from San Marcos.

Bell-Metereau: All right, that’s a long way of saying, how are you going to create a balance between students knowing the disadvantages that they’ve faced, the history of this nation, and at the same time giving them what you want to give them which is this positive sense of identity and pride? So, I would recommend scrapping the calling everybody scholars, what’s your plan for that kind of dilemma? Because I think it is a dilemma?

Lee: Akeem felt this question reinforced the same low expectations of Black and Brown students that he was trying to combat by founding Essence.

Brown: And I’m just going to from my own lived experience, and I share those perspectives with so many other Black men and Black women. What I’ve learned is that we generally have to prove the knowledge that we possess, while others are assumed to possess these great deals of knowledge.

So if you and I walked in a room, Board Member Metereau, you would be assumed to possess great deals of knowledge, while I would have to prove that knowledge that I possess and I may not be considered a scholar, right?

And so, from my point here is how do we build that confidence? So we want to make sure that our young people are leaving Essence Prep, not only with the academic rigor and the skill of a scholar, but the confidence in knowing that learning is continuous, and the study of learning is what makes you a scholar.

Lee: In the end, the board approved the charter for Essence Prep by a vote of 11 to 3. Board Member Bell-Metereau was one of the yes votes. We reached out to her about this exchange, and she declined to comment.

Akeem, board approval in-hand was ready to start his making his school a reality, but it was just the beginning.

When we come back, the battle over how to talk about history and race in public schools, and the dream of Essence Prep collide.

But first, it’s time for recess.

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Archival Recording: Perfect, perfect.

Archival Recording: So then --

Brown: All right, we got straight single lines at Essence and we’re looking at our teacher so we’re always looking ahead, because we’re ready for the next direction, right Juan (ph)? So that looking ahead, not at me. I know you want to hear my voice.

Selena Mitchell: OK, let’s go. We’re walking, tiptoeing quietly.

Lee: As instruction gets underway, Selena Mitchell leads her first graders into their class for the very first time, and their very first morning circle.

Mitchell: So, good morning, everyone.

Archival Recording: Good morning.

Mitchell: I am Ms. Selena, and I will be your first-grade teacher. What’s my name?

Archival Recording: Ms. Selena.

Mitchell: Ms. Selena, great. Now, to start off every day we are going to sit in morning circle after breakfast, OK? But to make sure that we’re not in each other spaces, we are going to do the space bubble. Has anyone heard of a space bubble?

Archival Recording: Yes.

Archival Recording: Yes, I heard of that (ph).

Mitchell: Thank you for Journey’s (ph) hand. What is the space bubble?

Archival Recording: It’s a space bubble where you stay and nobody stay (ph) and come in your bubble.

Mitchell: Exactly.

Lee: Like most of the teachers at Essence, Ms. Selena is Black. She grew up on San Antonio’s North Side and went to a private school that was mostly white. So she says her parents had to send her to after school programs to stay connected with Black history and culture, that’s why Essence resonated with her.

Mitchell: I think it’s quite unique. I’ve never been in a school like that, and so to have that here is like, change making.

Lee: But Ms. Selena is clear-eyed about the challenge of being a Black teacher at a school like essence where affirming Black and Brown children can quickly become fodder for conservatives.

Mitchell: Yeah, I think it is a challenging time because of what’s happening in Texas politically in terms of education. I think as an educator my goal is to love on students, do the best that I can to make sure that they feel seen, and that they know about what’s going on in the world.

And so I feel like Essence is doing that in the best way that they can and acknowledging the community that they are working in. Sometimes I think you do hit a bit of friction, but it’s working out in the end, and it’s just sort of finding that balance.

Lee: That friction came to a head last summer. In June of 2021, Akeem was feeling good. The State Board of Education had approved the charter for Essence, but there were still a few steps to go. And as this was happening, Republican lawmakers fueled by conservative media whipped up a frenzy about the false idea that schools were teaching critical race theory.

CRT is a legal framework that explains why systemic racism persists in our country and is generally taught only at the college level. But the phrase became a catch-all for any way of learning about history, race and racism that makes white people uncomfortable.

Donald Trump: Critical race theory is being forced into our children’s schools.

Mike Pence: Critical race theory is racism, pure and simple.

Archival Recording: This is child endangerment.

Ted Cruz: Critical race theory is bigoted, it is a lie and it is every bit as racist as the Klansmen in white sheets.

Lee: One of the people leading the fight was Republican State Representative Steve Toth, last year he introduced House Bill 3979 to limit the theory’s supposed teaching.

Steve Toth: We not want to objectify, especially our little kids and to say that there’s something deficient about them simply because of the color of their skin. And that’s what critical race theory does to these kids.

Lee: Just days after the state board OKed the charter for Essence Prep, Representative Toth’s office contacted the Texas Education Agency with concerns about the approval. And his staff drafted an Op-Ed that slammed the school for promoting critical race theory.

The Op-Ed was ultimately never published, but the education news site Chalkbeat obtained a copy through a public records request. In the draft, Toth said, “unlike other charter schools who focus solely on academics, Essence Prep’s goal is to promote critical race theory and community activism.”

The Op-Ed also criticized Essence for featuring that quote about anti-racism by Ibram X. Kendi. Toth wrote, “promoting anti-racism in the classroom would mean teaching that the system of government in Texas, designed to protect economic freedom, is racist.” We reached out to Representative Toth’s office, they did not respond. The state agency took Toth’s concerns seriously. In August of last year Akeem received an e-mail telling him he would need to make changes to his Essence application.

Brown: We get an e-mail from the state of Texas with 68 corrections. Those 68 comments that they asked us to work on were things like remove words like Black and Brown 34 times from my application, they felt like we just used the word Black and Brown too much to describe our community.

Lee: That e-mail was a blow.

Brown: It felt demoralizing. I mean, everything around it right? Because they were again trying to defer a dream. A dream that, not just me, that you know, 490 others had in my community.

Lee: What did you actually have to do? Did you have to concede and remove 10 of the Black and Brown? What did you have to do to get this application approved?

Brown: You know, I did what so many of us have done year, after year, after year. I made it work. I did concede to a lot of things. I told them that we would remove words like anti-racism from our website. So for us, yes, we removed words. But what they did not ask us to remove are the practices. And so, without giving away too many secrets, the practices of being anti-racist, they could not remove that from us.

Lee: Through it all, this arduous process, you getting their feedback, was there a moment when you said, man this might tank? Like, this might not happen?

Brown: I had that moment, and it couldn’t have been no more than about 7 to 10 minutes Again, this parents, those 490 parents, those 62 students they told me there was no way we were going to give up. And so, they weren’t willing to give up and they pushed me when I thought it was time to walk away.

They reminded me that, again, while folks were trying to rip away language that we believed was intentional, it was important that we had it in our application. But what they could not take away from us was practice, they could not take away from us was our love that we had for our kids and for our community.

And so, there were moments that I was ready to walk away and give up. But again, there was those moms, and dads and grandmas, abuelitas and tias in this community who said Akeem, we made it too far, we’re not turning around.

Lee: Wow. So Akeem made the changes, and the school was able to open this year. But all the back and forth meant that it took an extra five months for the final charter approval to come through. And Akeem says that delay caused Essence to lose the multimillion dollar bond to fund construction of the school, and the site where they had planned to build it.

On top of that, Akeem says that the school has accrued $50,000 in attorneys fees. So for now, Essence is at a temporary site with portable buildings. They got a new bond, and a new site, but the permanent school building won’t open until January 2024. All the scrambling meant that this year Essence had to push back their start date by a week, and Akeem says they’re still clamoring to make it work.

Brown: Building the plane while it flies.

Lee: At around 10:45 am, two hours after class has started, Akeem points out that equipment is still being wheeled in.

Brown: Right now we have our copier and printer machine, just so we can start getting some materials out to our kids, our teachers are desperately needing those. Every little thing that you see in a school that’s already completed and built, we’re trying to tweak those pieces, right.

Lee: The school doesn’t have stable Wi-Fi yet, so teachers are taking attendance on paper and the field for recess is basically a patch of dirt awaiting turf. But the most troubling part to Akeem is that in all the chaos, it seems like a lot of families didn’t get the memo about the start date.

Brown: Kids are in the classrooms, we have about 65 students today. I’m shy about 30, missing about 30. And so, right now all of our attendance support staff, they’re on the phones calling parents. We’re even asking parents, can we come up and pick the child up ourselves today?

Lee: True to their mission, the staff at Essence is already hard at work to support their students by calling every family with an absent child to make sure everything is OK.

Archival Recording: Coming to you tomorrow, they’re both coming tomorrow, yes. He’s turning five next month, he said bring him.

Archival Recording: OK.

Archival Recording: And I was like I don’t have him in, she’s going to register him (ph)?

Archival Recording: Yes, she’s going to add him into the class (ph).

Archival Recording: OK.

Damika Burton: This is Damika at Essence Prep, I’m calling to see why (INAUDIBLE) was not at school today. Please give me a call, let me know if they’ll be here tomorrow.

Lee: For many of the staff, like Damika Burton, Essence is a family affair.

Burton: Yes, I have a niece, Journey (ph), she’s in first grade and I have a grandson in second grade and a grandson in fourth grade. And my son is in fourth grade as well.

Lee: Damika’s niece, Journey (ph), she was the little girl who explained what the space bubble is in Ms. Selena’s class. And attendance aside, Damika feels pretty good about the first day.

Burton: I mean I am ecstatic just to see, you know, everything that we’ve been planning come to fruition the first day and everything just, you know, goes so well. The kids are so excited. And as a parent I’m very proud. I’m very excited to see what comes of this.

Lee: Damika says that her kids and grandkids have never been to a school that was mostly Black.

Burton: I know for sure it will be a big difference not only just, you know, with the students looking like them but also they see, you know, teachers and staff and, you know, the Director of Operations and the superintendent, you know, they see people that look like them so they know that anything’s possible.

When I was younger, I saw people like me in leadership roles like that so that’s why I think I am a dreamer and I’m always going to believe. But, you know, here recently my kids have not had the luxury of seeing that until now.

Lee: All of sudden it’s 3:30, the school day is done and kids are getting picked up. A few ride the bus and there are a lot of parents too. Alshanique Bledsoe (ph), Damika’s sister is here for Journey (ph).

Archival Recording: How was your first day of first grade?

Archival Recording: Good.

Archival Recording: What you learn?

Archival Recording: I learned ABC’s.

Archival Recording: You learn ABC’s every day?

Archival Recording: No. We got to do homework tomorrow.

Archival Recording: OK. I like homework.

Archival Recording: Big kid homework.

Archival Recording: Big kid homework. OK.

Lee: Alshanique (ph) has three older children. One who’s already out of high school and two that are too old to attend Essence. She believes that Essence will be able to provide Journey (ph) with a supportive environment and a level of attention that her older children missed out on.

Archival Recording: Well the class sizes are smaller. And she just gets to be around people with her same attitude, you know. So it’s exciting. I don’t have to worry about her sticking out, you know, because she’s very active and they understand, yes.

Archival Recording: (INAUDIBLE) today (ph).

Archival Recording: You see how sassy she is.

Lee: Lynette De Vaughn Baker is the school’s Fifth Grade Literacy teacher.

Lynette De Vaughn Baker: Day one was amazing. It was amazing just to see our babies come through. We have been thinking about them, loving them, even though we didn’t know who they were. And just to see their faces and see their smiles and add to their joy, oh my goodness, totally exhilarating.

Lee: Lynette’s young cousin is walking with her to the car. She just finished her first day at Essence.

Archival Recording: I’m Amaya (ph).

De Vaughn Baker: How was your first day?

Archival Recording: Good. I made six friends.

De Vaughn Baker: Yes.

Archival Recording: Yes.

De Vaughn Baker: OK.

Lee: After the teachers leave, Akeem leads an end of day debrief for the school’s support staff. They all cram into the office forming a big bean shaped circle for the check-in, like one in Ms. Selena’s class earlier in the day. And of course it’s Akeem who starts things off.

Brown: Clap it up. Clap it up. Clap it up. Clap it up. Clap it up. I mean it, seriously. Like you should be so proud of yourselves because today is the day that you get to walk away from here and you can say you started a school. You have officially started a school. Every last one of you, I mean this.

Archival Recording: Give a shout out to everybody. First day, I guess the advice I’ve always been given is if a parent gets home, get them fed.

Archival Recording: Absolutely, haven’t gotten any calls on any missing children. So great job.

Lee: By 5:30 p.m. Akeem is one of the last ones standing. He’s been here for nearly 11 hours.

Brown: I’m tired, I’m exhausted. But I’m ready to come back and do it all over again. It’s been a long day, but I’m ready to see those babies smile once again. We had some kiddos who said they didn’t want to leave today, they wanted to stay. And so I’m just really, really game to get back at it. You know, we got 185 days ahead of us, of this, so I’m excited.

Lee: Day one is done. Akeem was taking them one at a time. Seeing each one as a new chance to support, educate and affirm every Essence scholar.

Brown: You know, I want to see those same smiles as our students are exiting for the summer, as I saw them enter this morning. I want similar excitement if not more, right? I want them to be able to say they had the best year ever. And more importantly, not only they say it, but their academic gains prove it.

Lee: For more on the fight over education here in Texas, and to dig more deeply into the issues shaping the next generation of Black Americans, join us again next week.

We’re heading to Texas Southern University because we’ve been cooking up something special for y’all. The midterm elections are coming up, so Into America is bringing you a series called The Power of the Black Vote.

We’re visiting HBCUs to meet with students and alumni, getting into the issues that young people are most passionate about. We’ll hear from young leaders and activists about how they’re taking control of their political futures and molding the future of America in the process.

We kick it all off at TSU, where I host a town hall on race, history and education. Essence Prep’s Akeem Brown will be there, along with the Co-Head Jones (ph) and other esteemed guests.

Keep up with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the handle @IntoAmericaPod or you can tweet me @TrymaineLee. And, if you want to write us our e-mail is intoamerica@nbcuni.com that was intoamerica@nbcuni.com.

Into America is produced by Sojourner Ahebee, Isabel Angell, Allison Bailey, Mike Brown, Aaron Dalton, Max Jacobs, Olivia Richard and Joshua Sirotiak. Original music is by Hannis Brown. Our executive producer is Aisha Turner. Thanks also to Stefanie Cargill (ph), Gary Boyer (ph), and Michael Hunting (ph).

I'm Trymaine Lee, see you next Thursday.

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