A Light Shines in Harlem: New York's First Charter School and the Movement It Led

A Light Shines in Harlem tells the fascinating story of the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem, the first charter school in New York, and of the charter movement. It is a penetrating look at the host of real-world decisions that make a charter school, or any school, succeed. And it is a true-to-life inspirational tale of how a hero of the civil rights movement, a Wall Street star, educators, inner-city activists, parents, and students all joined together to create a groundbreaking school that, in its best years, far outperformed other schools in the neighborhoods in which most of its children lived.

This book also looks at education reform through a broader lens. It discusses the most recent research and issues facing the charter movement, a movement which now educates more than 2.5 million students nationwide. A Light Shines in Harlem describes the strengths and weaknesses of charter schools and explains how lessons from them can be applied to other schools to make all schools better. The result is not only the gripping inside narrative of how one school fought to succeed despite the odds but also an illuminating glimpse into the future of American education.

Mary C. Bounds is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the New York Times, and other publications. She lives in Chappaqua, New York. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker is a renowned civil rights leader and pastor. He was chief of staff for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Virginia state director of the Congress of Racial Equality, executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. He lives in Chester, Virginia.