The elders sat in the front of the classroom, and the pupils were rapt. “All human life came from us,” Paula Peebles told 30 eighth graders. “Love your beauty, love yourself, and then you’ll be able to...
Category - Let’s Talk About It
Earlier this month, in these pages, Philadelphia writer Ernest Owens argued that we should cancel Black History Month and instead “recognize black history — and its people — all year round.” I take Mr. Owens’ point...
A growing body of research is beginning to confirm what many stakeholders in the mid-Atlantic region already recognize: teacher diversity matters. Research shows that increasing the racial diversity of teachers benefits...
Teaching in Philly is hard. Five billion dollars are necessary to complete all outstanding repairs in our buildings. Teachers reach into their own pockets for classroom supplies, playing the roles of librarian, counselor, and...
If you’re not already aware, right before the new year a Black man was arrested at a Huntington Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, for cashing his check. Let that sink in. For cashing a check he earned, he was arrested. Over the course...
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019, I had the honor of speaking at the Black Lives Matter in Schools Week of Action rally last week. The audience was mostly educators, with a few powerful students (several spoke as well). It is good...
In recent months, notable people within school reform circles have locked horns over a trifling question: Does the inclusion of social justice activists, people derided as “warriors,” in education reform threaten the...
For the first week of Black History Month, The Reading Renaissance Campaign focuses on the theme of Africana history and culture. The books reviewed for this week provide a rich content for young readers to develop an...
According to James Baldwin, “The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way...
In 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin a hashtag erupted into a movement. Alica Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomati created #BlackLivesMatter. A way for local organizers to pull...