How to level the playing field for college access in America | Ibert Schultz

The Nick Halaris Show

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring non-profit leader, Ibert Schultz. Ibert is the Executive Director of Black College Success, an organization committed to increasing opportunities through college access and career success for Black high school students. He’s a dedicated activist and public servant with a long, diverse track record of success working to create a better world. He’s also a great friend. We met a few years ago while volunteering for our kids’ school and became fast friends, bonding over many things, especially our shared values around citizenship and public service.

I wanted to have Ibert on the show to highlight the important work he and his colleagues at Black College Success are doing and to get his perspectives on some of the pressing issues of our day. As you’ll see in the episode, Ibert is someone who’s thought very deeply about our society, culture, and government and has a ton of really compelling ideas. In this fascinating episode, we discuss:

• What it’s like to grow up in an environment where racially motivated police activity is a common occurrence and how that shaped his desire to be a public servant
• Why education still represents the best hope for the survival of the American Dream
• The implications of the post-affirmative action world and why college access is something we should be thinking very seriously about if we truly care about creating opportunities for all Americans
• What’s working and not working in the DEI movement
• The demonstrated empirical benefits of diversity in business and organizational performance
• & Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to hear how Ibert’s mom provided a powerful example of his lifelong dedication to civic activism and public service and helped him find the courage to sign up for a stint with the Peace Corps in rural Nicaragua in lieu of the higher-paying corporate job track. Ibert also makes a compelling argument about the relationship between economic insecurity and the decline in civic engagement and participation.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in!

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