The Great Read: In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?
A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.
The New York Times
The Great Read
September 20, 2026, 10:01 a.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

Present-day Najya in her bedroom, which is decorated in shades of cream and white. A string of white lights hangs on the wall. She wears a striped T-shirt, jeans and long braids. Her hands are folded in her lap; she looks into the camera calmly.

Wayne Lawrence for The New York Times

In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?

A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.

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