Head Start was the lifeline I needed — and that 800,000 children still need

Academic research shows the magnitude of these educational disparities in Mississippi: Of the 1,286,272 Black students who began first grade from 1941 to 1958, only 10.4% persisted to 12th grade, and more than 730,000 left school after just the first grade. I understand the power of community, the importance of recognizing the conditions that children face, and what’s truly at stake in their development. The creative freedom I experienced then continues to inform how I approach artistic work now — always seeing the possibilities rather than the limitations, always trusting in the transformative power of creative expression.

Author: Stephanie V. McKee-Anderson

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