A New School Takes Root in New Orleans—And Races Against Time

One of the city’s newest school leaders, Jonathan Johnson, is focused on a different number: 228. It’s emblazoned on banners hung on the walls of Rooted School. It’s on Johnson’s mind when he walks the halls, or travels out of town to recruit donors, college partners, or companies where he hopes his students will one day land tech jobs. That number, 228, represents a widely publicized estimate of the number of years it will take black Americans to close the racial wealth gap with white Americans if present trends continue.