After the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in public schools in 1954, Cleveland schools, primarily those in largely Black neighborhoods, became overcrowded.
The school district decided to limit students to half-day schedules, rather than send them to schools in white areas where classrooms sat empty. As a result, Black children received less instruction, fewer resources, and many were left with long-term academic disadvantages.
The effects of this policy—and the broader struggle for educational equity in Cleveland—are the focus of Relay Cleveland, a public history campaign working to raise awareness of this little-known, but deeply impactful, chapter of local history.
Monday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll be joined by leaders of that campaign to discuss their newly released report, "Half a Century of Change," and the accompanying exhibit that traces more than 220 years of Black education in Ohio. We'll also talk about the impacts of busing and other strategies used to desegregate schools throughout the 1960s and 70s.
Later than the hour, we'll discuss advances in cancer research. According to the Ohio Department of Health, more than 4,600 patients were diagnosed with cancerous brain tumors in Ohio between 2016 and 2020. Monday's guest specializes in the treatment of a very particular type of brain tumor called glioblastoma. This tumor is highly invasive, grows fasts, and its symptoms come on suddenly. The Cleveland Clinic's Justin Lathia is at the forefront of research being done to find new treatments to stop these types of tumors. His research is funded in part by the Clinic's VeloSano Bike to Cure fundraiser, which took place over the weekend.
Guests:
- Leah D. Hudnall, Campaign Lead, Relay Cleveland
- Jason Garrett, Design Lead, Relay Cleveland
- Justin Lathia, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic
