While The Hate U Give is a best-selling book and top-rated film, I’m getting some real pushback from my administration about having my students read the book and see the film in my English Language Arts class, despite its obvious cultural and societal relevance. This confirms my premise that White administrators are often disconnected from… Continue reading The Hate I Get About “The Hate U Give.”
The other day I was watching a video on Instagram where a little girl in daycare/pre-kindergarten was telling her teacher how she needs a day off from her (the teacher) and these “kids” that get on her nerves. I was in stitches watching it and I thought to myself, “this little girl is really smart!”… Continue reading Looking Past The Attitude: What Black Teachers See In Black Students That Other Teachers Don’t.
My friend’s daughter was called a nigger yesterday at her University of Miami STEM camp. Her angry mother, after experiencing and responding to this event, wrote the following. Toxic white women and toxic white feminism starts as little girls crying crocodile tears on the playground after they deny Black children their humanity. I wish I… Continue reading My Friend’s Daughter Was Called a “Nigger” Today at Her Summer STEM Camp
Last week’s guest blog post by Long Island teacher Mark Jackett garnered much attention; over 105 comments were exchanged in the Facebook thread. It is my experience, coupled with my reflection on the experience, that prompted me to write this post today. To me, as a Black teacher with a platform, it is imperative that… Continue reading White Privilege and White Fragility: A Dangerous By-Product of Hiring Majority-White Teachers.
This post was written by Lamont Douglas, a father, advocate and blogger at Secondline. He resides in New Orleans, Louisiana where he has been a powerful voice for educational equity. For more NYST coverage of the integration uproar on the Upper West Side, see here, here, here, and here. Melba. Minnijean. Elizabeth. Ernest. Gloria. Carlotta. Thelma. Terrence.… Continue reading I Don’t Want My Children Around Those Type of White People!
CNN recently reported about yet another culturally insensitive assignment given to students in an eighth-grade U.S. history class at a charter school in Texas. There, students were told to complete an assignment on the “positive aspects” and “negative aspects” of the life of slaves, giving a “balanced view.” This assignment wreaks of micro-aggressive and racist… Continue reading Schools Are Some of The Most Racist Places on Earth
According to CNN, “a Texas charter school is apologizing after a teacher gave an assignment to an eighth grade American History class, asking students to list the positive aspects of slavery.” As outraged as I am, I wish I could write that what happened at Great Hearts Monte Vista School is an isolated incident —… Continue reading The First Step towards Achieving Educational Equity for Black Students Must Be Hiring More Black Teachers
In 1951, a class action suit was filed against the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. The plaintiffs were thirteen Topeka parents on behalf of their 20 children. What a strong example of parental engagement this landmark case models for us, right? This case… Continue reading Have We Made Any Progress Since Brown v. Board of Ed? Not In My Experience.
“I’m having a hard time getting through this because of the language. The constant referral to incarcerated individuals as inmates speaks to the inhumane vantage point from which they are viewed by society. Imagine if we all were forever referred to by the result of our worst decision in life?” This was my response to… Continue reading How Deeply Do You Think About Language?
On March 22, 2018, I met and interviewed Makaila King, the young lady who encouraged our school to get involved in the National Walkout that took place last week, which I also participated in. I wanted to get to know Makaila better and to find out what drove her to take charge and organize the… Continue reading An Interview With Queens School Community Walkout Organizer Mikaila King
