On Saturday, May 10, SEF President Raymond Pierce joined CNN’s First of All with Abby Phillip to discuss the urgent threat posed by the elimination of Desegregation Centers and the Department of Justice’s quiet retreat from enforcing school desegregation orders implemented during the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

During the segment, he outlined SEF’s concerns that these federal rollbacks represent not only a policy failure but also a direct undermining of civil rights progress. “This isn’t just about education policy—it’s about justice,” he stated.

The conversation expanded on themes from Raymond’s recent op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he called on the federal government to recommit to enforcing desegregation and supporting states and districts in achieving educational justice.

Watch the full segment here
Read the op-ed here

This segment is part of SEF’s continued effort to raise public awareness and mobilize support around equal access to opportunity—a vision for dismantling structural barriers and advancing justice in the South’s public education systems.