New York Times journalist and 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones reflected Wednesday on what she called the "pretty brutal" responses she received for her viral New York Times Magazine essay on sending her daughter to predominantly Black public schools.
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she → reflect → schools
A decade after defending her choice, Hannah-Jones admitted in an essay last month that she regretted aspects of her decision to send her now-16-year-old daughter to these schools in an effort to combat school segregation, after her child informed Hannah-Jones that she did not receive the education she wanted.
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she → defend → education
"Now I felt overcome with regret.
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I → overcome → regret
Najya deserved better," Hannah-Jones wrote in her September essay.
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Jones → deserve → essay
"They all did.
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They → do → ?
This girl, my only child, looked to me to protect her, to give her what she needed to thrive.
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she → look → what
And I had not chosen her."
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I → choose → her
Hannah-Jones' admission sparked intense backlash from critics who accused her of sacrificing her daughter's education for her progressive values.
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who → spark → values
The pushback was strong enough for Hannah-Jones to question if she should have written the essay.
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she → question → essay
"I know it would sound crazy if I say none of the critique was valid, but I’m like, what is the critique?" Hannah-Jones told The New York Times during an interview on Wednesday.
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Jones → know → Wednesday
"There was some online discourse that was pretty brutal.
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that → be → ?
And, you know, I have experienced some brutal discourse through the years, but usually not about, like, me as a parent," Hannah-Jones said.
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Jones → know → parent
And for a minute I’m like, ‘Man, should I have written this?’
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I → ’m → this
And I’ve actually never, ever, as a journalist, questioned, 'Should I have written something?'
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I → question → something
And there was a moment where I was just like, ‘I did not have to subject myself to this.
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I → be → this
Should I have done this?’
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I → do → this
However, Hannah-Jones concluded that she ultimately did not regret her actions despite the impact the essay had.
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essay → conclude → impact
"You know, in the end, I’m fine.
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I → know → end
My feelings got a little hurt because I’m a human being.
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I → hurt → ?
But, in the end, like, people are talking about these kids who don’t have a platform, who don’t have a choice.
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who → talk → choice
The mayor of New York has been forced to respond.
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mayor → force → York
He’s now promised to release a plan to address it.
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He → promise → it
That doesn’t happen without me writing a piece like this," Hannah-Jones said.
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Jones → happen → this
She added, "And so, yeah, I have to remind myself that, like, my little bruised feelings in the end are meaningless.
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feelings → add → end
It is the power of what we can do with our platform, and what I would argue is our responsibility to do."
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argue → argue → platform
Fox News Digital reached out to Hannah-Jones for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation and longtime school choice advocate, accused the journalist of minimizing education concerns.
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DeAngelis → reach → concerns
"Calling the backlash 'brutal discourse' misses the point.
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Calling → call → point
People reacted because she publicly used her child as a prop for a political experiment, and the results were horrible," DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.
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DeAngelis → react → Digital
He added, "School choice exists so parents can leave schools that don't work.
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that → add → schools
You don't fix these schools by trapping more kids inside them and hoping your presence changes the system.
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presence → fix → system
Hannah-Jones tried that.
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Jones → try → that
It didn't work.
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It → work → ?
Her daughter knows it.
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daughter → know → it
Parents across the country already knew it.
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Parents → know → it
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