Learning in public : lessons for a racially divided America from my daughter's school

From the time Courtney E. Martin strapped her daughter, Maya, to her chest for long walks, she was curious about Emerson Elementary, a public school down the street from her Oakland home.

She learned that White families in their gentrifying neighborhood largely avoided the majority-Black, poorly-rated school.

As she began asking why, a journey of a thousand moral miles began. Learning in Public is the story, not just Courtney's journey, but a whole country's.

Many of us are newly awakened to the continuing racial injustice all around us, but unsure of how to go beyond hashtags and yard signs to be a part of transforming the country.

Courtney discovers that her public school, the foundation of our fragile democracy, is a powerful place to dig deeper. Courtney E. Martin examines her own fears, assumptions, and conversations with other moms and dads as they navigate school choice.

A vivid portrait of integration's virtues and complexities, and yes, the palpable joy of trying to live differently in a country re-making itself.

Learning in Public might also set your family's life on a different course forever.