Talking Policy
Talking Policy in the Queen City 2025
“Generations of Change: School Desegregation and Resegregation”
April 2, 2025
7:00 p.m. with a student poster session and reception with light refreshments at 6:00 p.m.
The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City
320 E. 9th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Open to the public at no charge
Registration Link To Come
For over fifty years, since the US Supreme Court upheld desegregation in a Charlotte-based case against the Board of Education in 1971, the issue of desegregation—and resegregation—has been important to our city. In the 7th Annual Talking Policy in the Queen City; a panel organized by UNC Charlotte’s Public Policy Ph.D. program will share expertise and insights gained from academia, research, and firsthand experience in the Charlotte community. Each panelist will bring a unique perspective, contributing to a comprehensive dialogue that aims to deepen our understanding of complex issues. The “Public Policy” Ph.D. Program, which has operated for over 20 years, also presents a research poster presentation session to highlight the work of its doctoral students with a light reception.
Highlights:
- Gain insights from the latest research findings and academic perspectives on school desegregation and resegregation.
- Hear firsthand experiences and initiative from community leaders who are active addressing the issue.
- Engage directly with the panelists during the Q&A session.
Moderating this panel will be Daisy Walker, Ph.D., Educational Leadership at UNC Charlotte
Meet Our Panelists:
James E. “Fergie” Ferguson II, J.D.
James E. “Fergie” Ferguson II received his J.D. from Columbia University in 1967, after which he joined fellow lawyer Julius Chambers and two others to create North Carolina’s first racially integrated law firm, one of the first in the South. The law firm represented the Swann family in the 1971 case that paved the way for bussing to integrate Charlotte’s schools.
Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, Ph.D.
Roslyn Arlin Mickelson, Ph.D., is Chancellor’s Professor and Professor of Sociology, Public Policy, and Women & Gender Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She taught public high school social studies in Southern California for nine years and earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1984. Before joining the UNC Charlotte faculty in 1985, Mickelson completed a postdoctoral fellowship in public policy at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Mickelson is an elected Member of the National Academy of Education and an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the National Educational Policy Center. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Universities in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, and the United States and is an immigrant a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Mickelson’s research examines how the organizational features of educational institutions interact with students’ race, ethnicity, gender, and social class to shape educational opportunities, teaching and learning processes, and PreK-16 student outcomes. Her forthcoming book, The Roots of STEM Success is co-authored with Elizabeth Stearns and Martha Bottia (Oxford University Press, forthcoming in 2026). Mickelson’s previous books include Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. School Desegregation and Resegregation in Charlotte (Harvard Education Press, 2015) and Children on the Streets of the Americas: Globalization, Homelessness, and Education in the U.S., Brazil, and Cuba (Routledge, 2000). She is the author or co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters in sociology, public policy, educational science and political science books or collections.
Thai Bonapart
Thai Bonapart is a first-year student at North Carolina A&T, majoring in Food and Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Nutrition. She is passionate about promoting preventive and holistic care, with aspirations to become a physician assistant. Bonapart currently serves as the student director for An American Education, a film for the PBS Bykids Documentary Series. The film explores themes of race and education by highlighting stories that inspire dialogue and change. Thai graduated from West Charlotte High School, the main setting of the film, in 2024. Her father, Thadius Bonapart III, graduated from West Charlotte in 1993.
About the Moderator
Daisy Walker, Ph.D.
Daisy Walker, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at UNC Charlotte and spent her career as a teacher and administrator in CMS schools. She taught English at Randolph Middle School for 17 years before becoming an assistant principal and then principal at Garinger High. Dr. Walker retired from her role as principal at Wilson Middle in 2006, but has stayed active in CMS and community groups. In 2017, the Charlotte Post Foundation named her Educator of the Year.
Registration Link To come.
Register to secure your spot at this insightful panel discussion. Open to the public at no charge, and light refreshments will be provided. Advanced registration is required.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a meaningful conversation about shaping policies that impact our community.
Interested in learning more about the Public Policy PhD program, Join us for a virtual Information Session