Nikole Hannah-Jones
American journalist and New York Times Magazine writer who teaches at Howard University
Nikole Hannah-Jones (American journalist and New York Times Magazine writer who teaches at Howard University) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include School segregation in the United States, School choice, Parent involvement in schools.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
School segregation in the United States
Hannah-Jones said that despite her doubts, she remains unwavering that the treatment of Black children is immoral and a societal choice.
“The base of the argument... is that what we are doing to Black children is immoral. And that I am not wavered on”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 58:34
Hannah-Jones argued that equality requires personal sacrifice, citing the sacrifices of earlier generations of Black Americans.
“I believe in the concept of equality, but I can't make a personal sacrifice. We don't get there”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 23:53
School choice
Hannah-Jones admitted she does not know whether she and her husband made the right choice.
“I couldn't admit to her that, yes, you did bear a cause. And I don't know that we made the right choice”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 56:00
Hannah-Jones said she and her husband stayed at the school because they felt they could not abandon the other children.
“who are we if like the moment it gets really rough, we give up? Then what do we do it for in the first place?”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 17:50
Parent involvement in schools
Hannah-Jones argued that schools cannot be changed from the outside and that her aim was to change power dynamics, not just donate money.
“I think we have decades of people saying they were going to change a school from the outside, and I just don't think you do”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 49:48
Hannah-Jones recounted discovering in fourth grade that Najya's teacher had been checking wrong math answers as correct.
“Like, he's just putting a checkmark. He's not checking her math. He's not correcting her. He's not teaching her. Every single one is wrong”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 15:40
Racial inequality in education
Hannah-Jones said the confidence she built in Najya as a Black girl could be destroyed within weeks at the predominantly white school.
“me trying to build my child's confidence as a Black girl and the inherent intellect and worth. And then it can be destroyed, like, in two weeks in this school”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 41:29
Hannah-Jones said Najya's mostly Black elementary school spared her the feelings of inferiority Hannah-Jones experienced as a bused student.
“in her formative years, she didn't have that experience that I had of formative. feeling less than other kids, of feeling like, is there something wrong with Black people?”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 11:59
In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?
After rereading her old emails, Hannah-Jones said she had suppressed memories of the school's failures in order to live with her choices.
“I had just pushed a lot of that out of my memory, I think, to be able to live with the choices we were trying to make”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 52:31
Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City
Hannah-Jones said she refused to absolve parents who agreed with her argument but chose otherwise, wanting them to confront what other children deserve.
“OK, I'm not your priest. I cannot absolve you and I don't want to absolve you. I wanted you to be forced to be like, what about these kids?”
This American Life: 898: An Argument (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 7:25
Appearances
898: An ArgumentThis American Life · Sep 26, 2026 · 1 h 3 min
Nikole Hannah-Jones revisits her famous essay on choosing a segregated public school for her daughter Najya, who argues with her about that choice a decade later.
Often appears with
- Chana Joffe-Walt · 1 shared episode
- Najya · 1 shared episode
- Ira Glass · 1 shared episode