The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference, and we were just wrapping up the Q&A. Then, a White woman stood up and...
Author - Sharif El-Mekki
All that is good and accomplished in the world takes work. Everything else is jive. -Haki Madhubuti We launched the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED) to humbly and courageously address local and national needs:...
I saw a post for “Philly Teachers for Trump and initially just shook my head in dismay. Many of these teachers had classrooms full of students that identified as Black, Latinx, immigrant, Muslims, etc. But, I...
The experience of having a conscious Black principal who demonstrates socio-political solidarity with Black and Brown communities can have a profound effect on the careers of Black teachers. Gemayel Hazard writes in...
El-Mekki’s leadership is marked by his own cultural pride, a personal record of activism, and an unapologetic commitment to making sure Black students have the supports and tools to do the nation-building their community...
Hazim Hardeman is a Rhodes Scholar. In fact, he is Temple University’s first student to be bestowed this honor. The award’s namesake aside, this is quite impressive. Like all Black, Brown, and/or poor...
A couple of years ago, Noor, a young high school student who was interning at a local radio station, reached out to me for an interview. She was researching topics that she wanted to delve into and became intrigued about the...
Often, you hear about leaders, far earlier than you meet them. Sitting in a café near the school where I lead as principal, Mastery-Shoemaker, I was approached by a beaming waitress. “My granddaughter, Tatiana, is coming to...
“Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” While many Americans are waiting with baited breath for July 4, today Black people around the...
During my eleven years as the proud principal of the Mastery Charter Schools – Shoemaker Campus, I had the distinct honor of celebrating nine graduating classes. Below are my final remarks to the graduating class of this...