By Bridgette Bartlett Royall ·Updated May 1, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Black parents never have an easy road. This especially applies to educating our children. Choosing a school for your child as a Black mother or father is tough. These days there are several choices too: public, private, charter, private independent and even homeschool options.
Private independent schools are probably discussed the least in our communities. Why? Well, historically they have been primarily attended and supported by extremely wealthy and connected families who don’t look like us. While a sprinkle of Black household names like Kerry Washington (Spence) and RIISE and Latoya N. Allen, founder of ACES, knew there was a void in helping Black children not just attend these schools but truly thrive there. We caught up with Allen and Collins about their commitment to the families they serve, demystifying admission and financial aid processes and how their hard work is positively changing the trajectory of generations in the Black community.
GINA PARKER COLLINS – founder, RIISEESSENCE: When and why did you start RIISE?GINA PARKER COLLINS: Around 2008, as a parent navigating independent school spaces, there was a moment that stayed with me. The head of the lower division at Riverdale Country School, shared that he wished there were a kind of “guide” he could offer Black and Brown families to help them better understand and navigate independent school culture. That resonated, because I was living that experience in real time—recognizing that access alone wasn’t enough. Families also needed tools, language and confidence to advocate for their children in spaces where they were often among the numerical minority.
RIISE was born from that gap, creating the kind of guidance, partnership, and community I knew families needed not just to get in, but to thrive once there. RIISE stands for Resources in Independent School Education. I was intentional about how it would sound. We pronounce it “rise” because, at its core, the work is about elevation: expanding access, building confidence and supporting families as they navigate independent school communities.
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ESSENCE: Why are we so underrepresented at these schools?COLLINS: Here’s the deal: private, independent schools were not originally designed with Black families in mind. That legacy still shows up in who has access. It’s not just about history; it’s about systems. Barriers like cost, limited awareness, admissions practices that prioritize subjective “fit,” and uneven access to well-resourced, sustained >HBCUs. Third, and often underestimated, are the networks. Independent schools provide access to relationships, resources, and social capital that can have a lasting impact on a student’s trajectory and overall return on investment.
ESSENCE: Do you maintain relationships with parents after enrollment?COLLINS: Yes. Through continued advising, affinity group support, parent workshops, and community-based resources, we help families strategically engage their school environments. That includes ongoing touch points through our podcast, Articulating, as well as programming like the Brown Butter Collective for Black girl scholars and gatherings such as RIISE on View this post on Instagram
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ESSENCE: What about parents who are automatically turned off by the high tuition?ALLEN: This is a valid concern. Independent school tuition is expensive! Tuition at NYC independent schools can range from $65,000 to $70,000 per year, which is insurmountable for many families. The mindset that “we can’t afford these schools and that these schools aren’t for us” keeps many Black and Brown families from even applying. While most schools offer need-based financial aid, the financial aid application process can be intimidating and feel invasive, especially because money is a difficult topic for many people to discuss. Many families don’t realize that independent schools have substantial financial aid budgets and that they offer generous financial aid awards.
ESSENCE: Anything to add about private independent schools as both a former parent at one and the ACES founder?ALLEN: Every family deserves the right to choose the best educational setting for their child, and that choice should be informed, not limited by lack of access, information, income, or support. I also firmly believe that Black and Brown children deserve to attend elite schools with robust resources, allowing them to flourish in environments where they’re challenged academically, supported emotionally and given opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise. My goal has always been to ensure that families don’t just gain access to these elite schools but feel prepared, seen, and supported once they’re members of an independent school community.
This work is hard, and some days exhausting. But it’s also deeply ful>generational wealth.
TOPICS: black children Black mothers Black parents education equality private independent schoolsThe post These Two Black Moms Help Black Families Afford And Enjoy Elite Private Schools appeared first on Essence.