The Next Big Idea

DREAM TOWN: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity

In the 1950s, Shaker Heights, Ohio, became a national model for housing integration. In the 1970s, it was known as a crown jewel in the national move to racially integrate schools. So why is its school system now struggling to close a yawning racial achievement gap?
Guest: Laura Meckler
Book: “Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity”
Host: Caleb Bissinger
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The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Join our host, Rufus Griscom — along with our curators, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — for conversations that might just change the way you see the world. New episodes every Thursday.