It’s a new academic chapter for Zaire Byrd. The now Alabama A&M University college freshman spends his time working towards earning a degree in nutrition and hospitality management.
But in 2023, Byrd says he was “unjustly expelled” from Tri-Cities High School in Fulton County. According to Byrd, it was due to a first-time offense of fighting with students who allegedly weren’t supposed to be on campus. The situation proved to be a life-changing moment for him, but he’s stayed on a positive track.
His mother, DeAndrea Byrd, has also used her son’s expulsion as a catalyst for change. She is now an Education Policy Fellow this legislative session for the Intercultural Development Research Association. She’s pushing for policies to protect Black students, who, studies show, are disciplined at a disproportionate rate.
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