Nikole Hannah-Jones says she chose low-income, predominantly Black public schools for her daughter, Najya, despite being able to afford private education, because she hoped families with greater resources would support public schools and school integration. The decision has become contentious after Najya challenged it, saying she felt her education had suffered without helping the school.

Hannah-Jones has said Najya was behind her peers in maths and writing by age 12. In an interview with *This American Life*, Najya said she felt “dumb” at school and questioned why she had to bear the cost of her mother’s beliefs; she later presented a list of other schools she wanted to attend. Hannah-Jones said she cringed at the choices because they screened pupils and had few Black students.