POV: Let the Little Light Shine

Photo: National Teachers Academy parent Elisabeth Greer protests the closure of her children's top-ranked elementary school.

Credit: Courtesy of School Film LLC

POV takes a look at the dynamic between parents, educators, and students embroiled in a battle over closing a top-ranked elementary school.

Let The Little Light Shine, directed and produced by Kevin Shaw (America To Me, The Street Stops Here), produced by Rachel Dickson (‘63 Boycott, Hard Earned) and executive produced by Academy Award® nominee Steve James (Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, Hoop Dreams) looks at the dynamic between parents, educators, and students embroiled in a battle over closing a top-ranked elementary school with a predominantly Black student population in a gentrified Chicago neighborhood. POV: Let The Little Light Shine premieres Monday, December 12, 2022 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

South Side Chicago’s National Teachers Academy (NTA), a high-performing elementary school, is considered a beacon for Black children. The school has served as a safe haven for children and a community bedrock in “The South Loop,” Chicago’s fastest growing neighborhood. When NTA is threatened to be transformed into a high school favoring the needs of the community’s wealthier residents, African American parents-turned-organizers, alongside students and staff advocate to keep the school open. In Let The Little Light Shine, Shaw carefully considers race and other factors at play – class, which is intertwined with race, gentrification, power, privilege, and politics – as they collide to create discord amongst a community that wants the best possible education for their children. 

Shaw focuses on the stories of Elisabeth, a parent-turned activist; Isaac, the school’s steadfast principal; Taylor, an empowered student; and Audrey, a community member with long ties to the area. They are among those impacted by the discourse showcasing their unique perspectives about the situation. The film also posits the point-of-view of residents in favor of changing NTA into a high school that is sorely needed for its neighborhood.