Books should not be banned as a means to maintain power and control over the minds of children, particularly oppressed and marginalized children.
Implicit biases are powerful things. Uncovering and interrupting them takes active practice.
All of the recent talk about equity in the theater of public education is moving in the right direction, and it is partially what the drum majors for justice in the past were fighting for. However, we cannot let the conversation rest here.
Every February, as a Black woman, I am excited to see how Black Americans’ accomplishments are highlighted and honored during this time. I have also thought, “What if we honored Black Americans all year long?”
On MLK Day, let’s look beyond “I have a dream.” Let’s look at Dr. King’s growth. Let’s remember his last speech.
The story of Jimmy Galligan and Mimi Groves has gotten a lot of attention, especially the way the NY Times told it. Let’s think about this not as a story of individuals, but as a story of systems.
We work with school systems all the time to assess the current state of their equity practices. But what happens next? And what does the G.I. Joe Fallacy have to say about it?
Our work with Loudoun County, Virginia, has made national headlines. We think this is more than an of-the-moment news story, though. This is living history.