On today’s “Closer Look,” former Cobb County Elementary School Teacher Katie Rinderle and her Education Civil Rights Attorney, Craig Goodmark, return to the show to discuss the next stage of their legal fight to get Rinderle’s job back. She was fired in August 2023 after reading "My Shadow is Purple" by Scott Stuart to her 5th Grade class. The themes of acceptance and gender identity set off a firestorm among some parents.

Also, we revisit Show Host Rose Scott’s conversation with people who were students when the Supreme Court ruled America's segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. Now as adults, they recall attending integrated schools for the first time after Brown vs. Board of Education.

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On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott, we begin with a look back at the life and work of the late Georgia Congressman David Scott, who died Wednesday at the age of 80. WABE’s Politics Reporter Rahul Bali joins the program to share highlights of Scott's nearly 50 years of serving in elected office and what's next for the congressional seat representing Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, Dekalb and Gwinnett counties.

Then, we continue our “Their Voice, Your Vote” gubernatorial election series with Democrat Michael Thurmond. The former DeKalb County CEO and Georgia Labor Secretary believes his experience sets him apart from the other candidates in the race. Thurmond shared how he will prioritize education, jobs, and coalition-building if elected governor of Georgia.

We also heard from Juliette Blake, the founder and CEO of Moxies. It’s designed to give Gen Alpha a creative space for self-expression and community. Data shows a majority of teens spend an average of five hours on social media each day, with many reporting poor mental health. Blake shares what parents should look out for as she builds a safe-by-design, non-addictive digital platform.

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Raksha is a nonprofit dedicated to Georgia’s South Asian American communities with support services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. It’s the only organization of its kind in Georgia, but providing their service has been challenged by the federal government cutting $500 million in public safety grants.

Plus, as part of "Closer Look's" Earth Day coverage, we revisited Rose's 2024 conversation with Sylvester Pierce of the Self-Preservation Society. The conversation focused on overcoming fear, the healing power of water, mental health and Pierce's mission to get more Black kayakers out on the water.

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