Northern Public Radio, September 22, 2017
Erica Frankenberg, an Associate Professor of Education and Democracy and the Director of the Center for Education and Civil Rights at Pennsylvania State University, says integrated schools help diminish the formation of prejudice and stereotype in children and young adults.
She says diversity in the classroom enables cross-racial friendships, which enhance social and psychological development. And all of this adds up to a future generation of adults better able to benefit their community and the economy.
“For example,” Frankenberg said, “graduates of diverse schools are more likely to live in more integrated neighborhoods as adults. They report that they feel more comfortable working in more diverse workplaces. So these are not only benefits for students but benefits for our society.”