Back to the main article Other profiles this week: Kenneth Lombard of Magic Johnson Development Dr. Calvin Butts, pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church Spike Lee Renowned poet Nikki Giovanni

August Wilson & Javon Johnson Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, the first black president of an Ivy League institution Fubu and Willie Esco Montanez Online extra: Quincy Jones and John Clayton

When Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, 55, arrives at Brown University in July, she will become the first black president of an Ivy League institution. The Houston native, a divorced mother of two, calls her ascent an accident of history, reasoning it was bound to happen sometime. She's more excited by the promise of her protégé, Cecilia Rouse, 37, a Princeton economist from Walnut Creek, Calif. Rouse's distinctive work in labor economics has shined light on everything from the relationship between school vouchers and student achievement, to the impact of unions on wages for South Africans, to discrimination in symphony orchestras. The two charted a course for the future of black education last month in Simmons' office at Smith College.

Ruth Simmons: One of the reasons I'm happy Cecilia is here is, I think, the economics of education is one of the most important things we have to deal with. If we don't, we aren't going to have the citizenry we need.
Cecilia Rouse: Which comes back to the economic situation of the families and making sure the families can support their children going to school from an early age. But what makes a school good? For all of the research we do, we have little understanding of what that is.

In higher education, we know we have a problem of access and retention when it comes to low-income and therefore, disproportionately African-American students. So, on access, I don't want to say that we have, um, closed the gap. But I think we're making strides there.

On retention we know much less. There's some evidence if you look at an African-American and a white student with the same SAT scores coming into college, the [black] student's more likely to drop out. Why? They're coming in equally prepared. So why is it that we're losing more?

We need to know what keeps kids in college. There's this great unknown the country hasn't come to terms with, which is the legacy of slavery and racism in society. It comes into play in a way we don't fully understand.

R.S.: Exactly. All education should preserve what has been best about education in this country, and that is its diversity. Going back to what Ceci said, frankly, I don't want people to find a formula for success in education. Not at all. I want lots of successful models that are different. Because we're very different. I want a kid coming from Nevada to be able to find his way to a small place that has a special mission unlike any other in the country. I want that. What I don't want is to make education so homogenized it eliminates the possibility for us to choose what we need.

I believe what historically black colleges do is invaluable. In fact, the data will show that were it not for those institutions, educated African Americans would be far fewer in number in this country. I ended up going to a historically black college [Dillard University in New Orleans] because I wanted to major in theater. And I didn't want to be relegated to playing black roles in a white university. I wanted to play Antigone. I wanted to play all roles. And my drama teacher said, "If you go to a black college, you'll be able to play any role." So I went to an African-American institution. It gave me a lot. It was not the only experience that I had educationally, but it was a wonderful experience.

The point is: We can educate our youth using many, many modalities. They can go to magnet schools. They can go to Montessori schools. They can go to an incredible range of institutions. They need several things in those institutions. They need to feel that somebody there respects them and their ability; that somebody there encourages them to work up to and beyond their potential; and they need to have someone there who promotes the idea that they can succeed in life. The important thing is to give students the tools to be educated, but, more than that, to give them every encouragement to succeed.

C.R.: I want an institution to [teach] the love of learning, the importance of independent thought, respecting what others believe and, therefore, promoting informed dialogue.

R.S.: Absolutely.

-- Moderated by Harry Allen, "media assassin & hip-hop activist"