A respected Black intellectual from an earlier generation who challenges systemic racism in education and encourages building a national movement for change, despite recognizing the societal reluctance to confront existing prejudices.

A Harvard University professor and civil rights advocate who documents and analyzes the resegregation of American public schools, arguing for a political movement to address the systemic issues underlying educational inequality.

An early 20th-century educator who promoted the business model of efficiency in education, advocating for using standardized testing to assess and improve the educational system, despite acknowledging inherent inequalities in accessing education.

A student from a segregated Bronx elementary school whom Kozol met as a bright kindergartner; she later reflects on the disadvantages faced by students in underfunded urban schools.