Looking Back On Education in Detroit [UNCUT INTERVIEW]

A Detroit woman reflects on her education and the one she chose for her children.

WDET / Laura Herberg

WDET’s Laura Herberg met up with Darlene Alston at her Just A Bit Eclectic tea shop on Detroit’s west side for a conversation about how Detroit parents choose schools for their children. The result was an interview that lasted over an hour.

Alston, a native Detroiter, recalls the violence resulting from school desegregation, her own experiences with discrimination in the classroom, and how she determined where her own children would attend school.

 

        Click to hear about Alston’s experience as one of the few African Americans at Osborn High School.

        Listen to her views on the parents who don’t teach their children at home.

        Hear her thoughts on race, integration and public schools.
 

The whole interview was not originally meant to be shared, but Alston had so many interesting recollections and opinions that we’re bringing you the uncut interview here. For public radio fans this means you get to hear a little bit of the behind the scenes of what our reporters capture in the field.

Click on the player at the top of the page to hear the full, uncut interview. Or you can click on the highlighted areas above to hear those parts.

Interested in how other Detroit parents are choosing schools for their kids? Click here to see and hear more.

Author

  • Laura Herberg
    Laura Herberg is a Reporter for 101.9 WDET, telling the stories about people inhabiting the Detroit region and the issues that affect us here.