217 Today: High school students in rural western Illinois learn the history of why their town is white

Monday, July 22, 2024

Today in the news:

• Some residents were surprised by President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
• The funeral was held Friday for a 36-year-old Springfield woman who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy.
• Northwestern University police have arrested and charged four faculty members, months after they protested students at the Palestinian solidarity camp on campus.

In this in-depth article, we explore how some parents in rural, majority-white Illinois communities see the value of diversity education.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mae Antar, Mawa Iqbal, Lisa Kurian Philip and Emily Hays.