Philly's 7th Ward

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Tag - police department

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The Crime of Branding Students As Criminals

December 18, 2020
by Rann Miller
7 min read
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Throughout my time as an educator, I’ve been pulled into my share of “special taskforces” meant to address “at-risk” students – namely Black students. I have no doubt that such groups can be found in schools across...

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  • Let's Talk About It

Educators, How are you teaching about the strange fruit that our students continue to see?

November 3, 2020
by Sharif El-Mekki
6 min read
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In the 1930s, the incomparable Billie Holiday sang about the horror of Black lynchings—the strange fruit hanging from Southern trees, the blood on the leaves that flows from the savage anti-Blackness at the root. Nearly a...

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Cops In Schools Are Dangerous to Black Children

October 3, 2020
by Rann Miller
6 min read
1 Comment

Earlier this year, Dr. Tamar Klaiman, member of the Abington Board of School Directors, came under fire for saying the following: We know that the Black and Brown students are much more likely to be shot by the officer...

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An Ode to Coach John Thompson, a Black Educator

August 31, 2020
by Rann Miller
6 min read
1 Comment

The late, great John Thompson contributed more than college basketball wins. Much more. Black educators are incredibly important to the success of Black students. Black students who have had at least one Black teacher are...

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Admit It…You Have Amy Coopers In Your Schools.

June 5, 2020
by Rann Miller
6 min read
1 Comment

Last week, I watched American cities burn: Minneapolis, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Philadelphia.  And while the murder of George Floyd was the catalyst, Amy Cooper played a role.  It’s easy to...

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I’ve Known Gun Violence

March 16, 2018
by Sharif El-Mekki
4 min read
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I’ve known gun violence. Intimately. An in-law was gunned down at his front door by police responding to a “Black burglar.” He was fortunate to live. In college, my roommates were threatened by shotgun-toting White...

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  • Equity and Justice

Black Boys and Girls Don’t Have to Read About Oppression in History Books, They Live It

June 30, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
4 min read
1 Comment

“Dad!! Help!!” I paused from talking to my 6-year-old son to focus where my older son’s frantic voice was coming from. He had just been  three- or four-feet away from me, and now two strangers had him gripped...

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  • Equity and Justice
  • Let's Talk About It

I Was a Principal in Southwest Philly and That Didn’t Stop These Black Cops From Pulling Me Over. Should It Have?

May 18, 2017
by Sharif El-Mekki
6 min read
2 Comments

All year our eighth-grade students have been grappling with social justice issues and how to address them. They’ve closely analyzed past movements in America and South Africa—especially those involving direct action of...

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