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Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Interview: Ron Lewis on Racial Bias in Education

Ron Lewis

By now, it should be no surprise to listeners of The Differencethat young African-American men are falling behind their peers in the classroom.

In everything from graduation rates to reading proficiency to disciplinary action, the achievement gap between black boys and their classmates is wide.

The causes are myriad, well-documented, and can be vexing for policymakers to address.

But what about unseen elements that are harder to quantify, like racism? What effect can racial bias have on children just starting their academic lives, and what can educators do to address the problem?

Ron Lewis is the program director of Trio Services at the University of St. Francis, which provides counseling and services to students of disadvantaged backgrounds.

WBOI's Virginia Alvino talked with Lewis to get his take on the effects of racial bias in the K-12 experience.

This is the latest installment in WBOI's yearlong project, "The Difference."

You can help inform our coverage of black male achievement in Fort Wayne. Submit photos, stories, or news tips to valvino@nipr.fm

And for personal stories, graphs, and more, check out our tumblr page: thedifferencefw.tumblr.com

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