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There was very much a standard opinion you had to have [about RAR], otherwise people would look at you funny, and some people would say stuff to you—a lot of people were called “race traitors.” —Sophomore at Reed College

This year, college-student activism and free-speech issues continued to stir intense controversy. Chris Bodenner’s piece on student activists at Reed College—and the fellow students who oppose them— resonated with many readers who felt that the school serves as a kind of microcosm for the debates playing out on campuses across the country.

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I am only writing and speaking to liberals at this point. I'm trying to get people who say they believe in equality and integration but act in ways that maintain inequality and segregation to live their own values. —Nikole Hannah-Jones

The renowned journalist Nikole-Hannah Jones spoke with The Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg for The Atlantic Interview about the hypocrisy of white liberals when it comes to school integration. She talked about the long road ahead to achieving full integration and the immorality she sees at the core of the current system.

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It’s not our fault. —Jacob Rosales, graduate of Red Cloud Indian School



Legend goes that shortly before his death in the late 1800s, the Oglala Sioux leader Crazy Horse predicted that a cultural renaissance would come about with the birth of the Seventh Generation. Now, this generation is graduating from high school, and they’re holding on to this legacy as they fight against the many social and economic barriers in their way and work toward their educations and futures. Alia Wong, The Atlantic’s education editor, traveled to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to hear the voices of these students.

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High school cannot be the end. —Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago

The Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel laid down a mandate last spring that every public-school student in Chicago must have a destination in order to get their high-school diploma. This attempt to mitigate unemployment among high-school graduates was controversial, with critics saying the rule would put yet another obstacle in the way of students getting their high-school diplomas. An Atlantic feature article explored the decision’s complexities.

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This is it? These are the most egregious kids in New York City? I just realized they were a lot like my own sons. They are teenagers. And everybody deserves a second chance. —Tim Lisante, an assistant principal at Rikers Island

New York’s treatment of youth in the criminal-justice system has long been a subject of controversy. A principal at a school for youth at the prison complex Rikers Island spoke with The Atlantic’s partner, Chalkbeat, about what he wants the world to know about his students.