Sonya Thomas knows there are kids like her son, C.J., all over the country. Learning to read does not come easily to them. Schools tell their parents: Read to them. They’ll be OK. But many won’t be.

A false assumption about what it takes to be a skilled reader has created deep inequalities among U.S. children, putting many on a difficult path in life.

The California State University system recently announced a new graduation requirement: Students must take an ethnic studies or social justice course. But the new mandate might not even exist if it weren't for some students at a small commuter college in San Francisco.   
 
This podcast tells the story of how a student-led protest became a defining moment in higher education—and the pivotal role that Black student activists played in reforming the American university system.