Although I was born and raised in New Jersey and have been an Atlanta resident for only about eight months, my arrival at Atlanta Public Schools to help tackle the challenges of equity in education stands as a personal homecoming more than a century in the making.

Atlanta Public Schools hired Tauheedah Baker-Jones in November as the district’s first chief equity and social justice officer to carry out an ambitious agenda: Reduce or eliminate historic disparities between students of color and white students in measures of educational achievement, disciplinary matters and other key areas.

How a pedagogy based on racial justice can help end systemic oppression and fulfill the promise of education for all